So, if you are one of those people who have joined a gym and never visited or don’t have room in the budget for a Personal Trainer then you are going to have to think outside the square. The obvious option is the old running round the block trick but what happens if the idea of pounding the pavements makes you head for the couch?
Put your left foot in, put your left foot out….
There are so many options when it comes to dance styles- rock’n’roll, samba, belly dancing, or ballet to begin.
Many dance classes are run by independent instructors who work out of church halls and community centres, so dance classes are something you can do no matter how small your town. Find a class that allows you to come casually so you can see how it fits in with the kids before making a commitment.
BENEFITS: Dancing will give you a cardio workout, which will burn fat and all those armlines will be a good upper body toner. Pop in some hip swinging to get your mid area firmer.
The wheels on the bus go round and round…
I remember the year my kids got scooters. A couple of weeks later my partner came home with a couple for us big kids and I haven’t looked back. I may look a little old to be cruising the streets but I don’t care!
Scootering, skating, rollerblading or cycling are all activities that are good fun and get your heart rate up. Your bigger kids will think you’re awesome and you can make family time exercise time.
Not too confident on wheels? Neither are our kids until they practice lots and lots, and you will too.
BENEFITS: Whether biking or scootering your heart rate is going to go up, increasing fitness and burning fat. Also included is some serious legwork for thigh and butt toning.
Row, row, row your boat…
Exercising in the water is recommended during pregnancy to protect your joints and keep you cool and supported.
Once our wee one is born we tend to head to the kids pool to supervise and lose our chance to workout in the water.
Go on, give it another try! If you are not a confident swimmer then aquajogging is a good alternative, you get the workout without putting your head under. I reckon it’s best done with a friend to keep your brain occupied.
BENEFITS: Water activities are low impact and your body is completely supported so you can work harder than you can on land. The water keeps you cool so you don’t feel like you are working as hard as you really are.
Bend and stretch, reach for the stars…..
If you are not a jump up and down kind of girl then yoga may appeal to you. Remember that you need to get your heart rate up for heart health and fat burning so you’ll need some cardio sessions too.
Yoga is great for strengthening your abs post baby at a gentler pace than other classes; this doesn’t mean you can’t get a good workout though. There are different types of yoga that are different levels of difficulty so if you’ve only been to one class and decided it’s not your thing it’s worth giving it another go.
BENEFITS: Strength and flexibility are what Yoga is all about with some relaxation thrown in for good luck. Yoga will give you better posture too.
Life is too short too spend too much time doing things you don’t like but your life will be shorter still if you don’t exercise at all. You won’t know whether you enjoy something if you don’t give it a go, take the risk and you’ll have the chance to surprise yourself.
