Reach your goals with these six fitness tips for busy moms
New moms are juggling a variety of unique responsibilities at once, often times leaving fitness and their own health last on the list. Luckily, there are some simple and easy fitness tips for busy moms that can help decrease stress and get you to your new fitness goals. It isn’t uncommon for new moms to question whether they can get back to their pre-baby body, or close to it, and the answer is “yes!”
One of the best fitness tips for busy moms is to be realistic about goals and timeframes. Putting so much pressure on yourself to bounce back immediately after having a baby can lead to frustration, disappointment, and feeling depressed. Weight loss and firming up may seem slow at first, but keep in mind this is normal. You didn’t gain the baby weight instantly and it won’t come off that way either. But, implementing new mom exercise and weight loss strategies over time can give you the results you are looking for.
Here are our favorite six tips and workouts for moms that can be done in the privacy of your own home (hopefully while your little one is catching a nap). Be sure to speak with your physician first to find out when you can safely resume these exercises:
1. Chair Squats
For this exercise, you want to stand in front of a chair, facing away from the chair (most dining room chairs will do). Spread your legs about hip-distance apart and keep your toes pointed forward. Bend your knees to perform a squat position, and once you lightly tap the chair with your buttock, stand up. Perform this in sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.
2. Modified Push Ups
Modified push-ups involve using your knees instead of your feet. To begin, get down on the floor and push your knees together, feet slightly in the air. Walk your hands out just beyond your shoulder, keep your abs tight, lower your chest to the floor, and push yourself back up. Perform this in sets of 10 to 12 repetitions or as much as your body can handle.
3. Walk a Mile
It may seem weird walking in place but you can walk a mile (or several) without ever leaving the house. Put on your favorite music and start walking, or check out Leslie Sansone on YouTube who has numerous walking at home videos that show a variety of moves. You may be surprised by how much you sweat with this workout!
4. Implement a Staircase
Have a staircase at home? Walking up and down in short spurts of 5 to 10 minutes is a great cardio workout, or you can try just using one step to do “step-ups.” With step ups, you stand in front of the stair you are using, step up with your left leg, repeat with your right leg, step down with your left leg and repeat with your right leg. With repetitions of 10 to 15, this is a great workout for moms who want to tighten their legs and burn calories. You can also add small hand weights as you get stronger.
5. Towel Pulse
For this exercise you will want to take a bath towel, lie out horizontally, and roll it up. Next, lie on your back and bend your knees. You will then place the rolled towel across your upper shins and grasp each side with your hands. As you pull on your upper shins with the towel, you will slowly lift your shoulders off the floor and draw in your abs. Do in repetitions of 10 to 12, working your way up to more as you get stronger. This exercise will strengthen the transverse abdominal area of the body.
6. Track Your Food
One of the most important fitness tips for busy moms is to keep a food journal. Because of the new responsibilities, and often times lack of sleep, you may not be eating the right amount of food or even the right type of food. This can slow down your weight loss goals after having a baby. Be sure to include plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins, leafy greens, iron rich selections, and foods high in Vitamin C (which is shown to help with wound healing for those who had a C-section).
These are just a few workouts for moms that can help facilitate weight loss goals. To find out more information on meal planning and dietary selections, visit www.BetterHealthKare.com