10 tips on how to be healthy and fit on maternity leave

Sticking to a regular regime, eating healthy and playing sports is a problem for many women on maternity leave. Here are 10 tips on how to combine caring for your offspring with your dream figure.

Article content:

• Don't look for excuses
• Don't forget yourself
• Don't over-start
• Exercise together with your children
• Eat healthy as a family
• Drink enough, don't starve
• Have a back-up plan
• Find someone to support you
• Ditch the "miracle" products
• Set realistic goals

1) Don't look for excuses, don't put off exercise "until later" and take every opportunity to do so

Those who want to will find a way to fit exercise into their schedule, those who don't will find an excuse. Don't be one of those people who just keeps saying, " I don't stop for a minute, I don't have time to exercise, I'm always running around the baby." If you have a babysitter, go to the gym, if not or if the gym doesn't appeal to you, work out at home. For example, use the time when your child is asleep. Jillian Michaels' workout programmes are very popular, not only among mums (e.g. 30 Day Shred), with each workout video taking 30 minutes and strengthening all parts of the body. Another good exercise when you're short on time is HIIT (high-intensity interval training). You can find many HIIT workouts online, both for beginners and advanced exercisers. If you are a while postpartum, be sure to consult your doctor about exercise and don't overdo anything.

2) Don't forget yourself

After giving birth, everything starts to revolve around the baby and many women seem to forget about themselves, which is a huge shame. Find regular times to relax, exercise, beautify yourself, read, etc. This will keep you feeling good about yourself, which will reflect positively on the family atmosphere.

3) Don't overstart, don't be afraid to consult a professional

It's not enough to do hundreds of crunches until you're blue in the face, this won't get rid of the unsightly postpartum belly. You can't lose weight locally only in one place, exercise your whole body, eat properly and you will lose fat, which will then show on your belly. The skin needs enough time to recover after childbirth, strength training will help to firm it up. There's no point in going to anything extreme right from the start, whether it's training or eating. Don't go blindly into diets like fruit, dairy, carbohydrate waves, raw food etc, instead focus mainly on eating healthy, balanced, regular and in sufficient quantities.

If you have a problem with abdominal muscle spacing or are not sure how to exercise or eat properly, ask a professional for help.

4) Exercise together with your children

Exercising together is a great way to strengthen the bond between parent and child. Nowadays, there is quite a wide range of physical activities that can be done with your child during maternity leave. How about trying the popular stroller exercises, yoga together or swimming?

When exercising at home, you can involve your child or use him/her as an 'exercise aid'. As crazy as it may sound, don't be alarmed, we're referring to squats with baby in your arms or pelvic raises with your offspring sitting on top of you, for example. Remember that your child's safety is paramount, never put him under you but in front of you when doing exercises like push-ups and plank. You can find a sea of inspiration for such exercises on the internet, just search terms like "workout with baby", "baby stroller workout".

5) Eat healthy as a family

Learn tricks that will make preparing healthy meals easier and faster. You don't have to spend all day cooking, choose healthy and quick meals. Meals can be cooked two days ahead and kept in the fridge in sealed containers, or frozen and taken out later as needed.

Often, just be creative and children will eat healthy foods that they wouldn't normally touch - try arranging fruit or vegetables in the shape of faces, animals etc. If your partner is not understanding about healthy eating, there is no reason to cook extra food for them. Try to agree on a compromise, choose foods that he won't even know are healthy. Normal eaters think of grains, sprouts and vegetables as "healthy food", take them out of the misconception and make tasty protein pancakes, a healthier version of a hamburger or pizza.

6) Drink enough, don't starve

Drink at least 2 to 3 litres of water a day, the amount of fluid depends on physical activity and the time of year, of course. Try to make sure your diet is varied and contains all the nutrients you need. The two most common dietary mistakeswe see with mothers on maternity leave areeither neglecting to eat very little during the day and catching up in the evening when the baby is asleep, or finishing all the seemingly harmless foods that the baby only eats (mashed banana, snacks, biscuits). Once, nothing happens, but if you finish fast sugars several times a day for several months and then don't burn them off, it can have a negative effect on your figure.

7) Have a back-up plan

Man thinks, life changes..or rather, kids change your original plans. If your babysitter drops out unexpectedly, don't skip your workout altogether that day. The gym may not work out, but you can still work out at home, even with just your own weight if you don't have any weight training equipment. Every movement counts.

8) Find someone to support you in eating healthy and moving

Of course, the ideal person to support you is the one closest to you - your partner. If you don't have a partner, or if you don't get support from one, look to a friend for support. Isn't she? Or a family member? Don't despair! In online discussions about fitness and weight loss, you're sure to find a kindred spirit who is in a similar position, just don't be afraid to ask.

9) Ditch the "miracle" products that will lose weight for you

It sounds so great - just wear a miracle corset, slimming leggings, drink detox teas or smoothies and practically lose weight effortlessly. But take heart, these miracles won't save you, the most you'll lose is your wallet. In the best case, nothing will happen to your body, in the worst case, you can even harm yourself. The internet is full of similar "helpers", as are their sellers in mommy groups on Facebook about weight loss. Read more in the article 10 unnecessary things you don't need to stay healthy or slim.

10) Set realistic goals, measure yourself regularly

It's always good to have a goal and a compelling reason why you're doing all this. In the beginning, set smaller goals that won't take forever to achieve - e.g. losing a few inches on your waist, changing your diet and sticking to it, etc. You didn't gain all those extra pounds in a week, so you can't ask yourself and your body to lose them in a week or a month. Keep a record of your progress - take pictures, measure yourself (chest, waist, hips, thighs), don't look at the weight so much. A woman's body goes through all sorts of hormonal changes, how many times would you needlessly crash and lose motivation just because of a higher number on the scale, which can be caused by water retention or full bowels.

[Image sources: blog.paleohacks.com, Emily Skye, diaryofafitmommy.com, Jane Schulz, parenting.firstcry.com]