Mummy Zen

Guest post by Jacqui Porjes, BuggyFit & Yoga Instructor, Personal Trainer

Recently had a baby? Feeling overwhelmed? Wondering what on earth has happened to your body? Wondering if you will ever fit back into your skinny jeans? We have all been there. Don’t despair – it is possible to feel fabulous again.

My name is Jacqui. I have a five-year old son and live in London. I have always had a background in fitness but it was shortly after giving birth to my son  that I decided to set up BuggyFit in Central London.

The first problem with postnatal fitness is the lack of gyms with crèches that are (a) affordable and (b) conveniently located. Even if you find one that is and you are lucky enough to be able to fork out the monthly fee plus crèche charges, you may not even be able to get your baby into the crèche, as they can be so oversubscribed!

I say, ditch the gym. Get yourself a jogging puschairif running is your thing, otherwise your normal buggy is fine.

Find yourself a nice circuit, plug in your music, don’t forget the raincover and go for it! One thing London has in abundance is great parks.

Pick a time every day. Morning is probably best, first thing with nothing to distract you like inpromtu meetings in Starbucks! It doesn’t even have to be an hour, 30-40 minutes is fine and follow a routine like this one:

• Start off with 15 mins of fast walking or gentle jogging (enough to raise the heart beat)
• Find a bench to use and do 10 press-ups, followed by 10 tricep dips
• Find a nice twig-free bit of ground and treat yourself to 3 minutes of gentle crunches!
• Another 10 mins of walking or jogging
• Warm down with some basic stretches

Have this time for your self every day or every other day. I promise you if you listen to your body the after-effect will be a lovely warm glow.  Exercising the body helps every other thing in your life feel more manageable.  There are a thousand excuses not to do it…so stick it in your diary.  Join Buggyfit or meet up with friends…

A few things to consider:

Boobs:  Don’t even think about wearing the bra you were wearing before you were pregnant. Get fitted for a new bra and get a high impact bra for running. Anything less is no good…when I was breastfeeding I wore 2 bras!

Feet: It is very common for foot size to increase after pregnancy – check your trainers, you need really good support so if they are looking like they have lost support treat yourself to a new pair at a shop with trained assistants who can help you choose the correct pair and will check your gait.

Knees and back:  Many women suffer from back and joint problems after pregnancy. Don’t lift anything heavy, keep the spine in netural alignment and bend ze knees!

It’s rare you find a very depressed person who exercises regularly – I’m sure they exist but I have never come across them!  Exercise will help to keep postnatal depression at bay.  Sitting at home watching day time TV eating digestive biscuits won’t.

If all else fails and you need some extra motivation give me a call for some personal training.

Just do it!

Jacqui | 07947 568890 | Jacqui@porjes.com |www.buggyfit.co.uk

Related posts:

1. The Secret to Successful Fitness Resolutions
2. Making Mummy Friends
3. Mummy Zen