Thursday, October 6, 2011

Fit Mum Tips - the latest on postnatal exercise

We are building up quite a community now of mums sharing tips and actively embracing motherhood.  I'm so happy about that!  A great mixture of practical tips about what to do as well as tips about how to do it - getting the mindset right.

Join RSM on Facebook or Twitter (@FitMumTips) to get your daily tips from other real mums and start actively embracing motherhood with us. 

Here's the latest round-up:

Top PRACTICAL tips
  1. Good buggy pushing posture: tummy in, shoulders back and down, elbows in, back straight, chin in, chest up... BE PROUD!
  2. While you feed baby, turn your head side to side and rotate your shoulders backwards. Good to ease the baby-carrying stiffness.
  3. Wear 2 bras for exercise if you don't have a sports bra yet (but you should really get one!). 
  4. Take a water-bottle out with you and stay hydrated, especially while the sunshine lasts.
  5. Get out with your buggy and walk as much as possible - it's more interesting for your baby than being stuck in the car.
  6. Stock up on healthy snacks to eat regularly (esp. if breast feeding) to keep energy levels up and deal with sleep deprivation.
  7. Avoid backache, put your changing table higher than you think.
  8. Shower twice a day for a week after birth to avoid infections and make sure you feel (and smell) gorgeous.
  9. Drink a glass of water every time you breastfeed.
  10. Incorporate exercises into playtime with your baby - when your baby is doing 'tummy time', get down on the floor and do it too!
Top MINDSET tips
  1. Pregnant? Plan now what you want to achieve with postnatal exercise.
  2. Make that first step and commit to exercise. A declaration works wonders.
  3. Be a positive force on your community, find friends, inspire friends, and be inspired to actively embrace motherhood together.
  4. I stuck a sticker on my baby saying "Thank you for making me mummy!". Reminds me to appreciate and look after my body.
  5. Rub moisturiser on your shrinking belly, some say it reduces stretch marks, but it definitely feels nice!
  6. Walking everywhere keeps you sane as it gets you out of the house and active in the early days when you can't do much else.  
  7. Postnatal depression? Studies say at least 1 in 10 new mums suffer from it. Exercising and socialising are shown to help
  8. Seems that all mums have guilt... helps to know we all feel we're lazy/stressy/clueless/neglectful/helpless at least sometimes!
  9. Enroll someone you love in your get fit plan.
  10. 
  11. Mums love going out with other mums! Ask a fellow mum out for a cuppa, go on, you can get away with it...


(Random cute baby photo for you)


POST-SCRIPT

Next week I'm doing a special blog entry for dads.  What can they do to support new mums with their postnatal fitness goals? 

Do you know one who got it right? Or one who got it wrong? 

I'd love to hear about them.

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