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Home › Articles › Fitness and Nutrition › "No Time" Fitness

"No Time" Fitness

Once Baby Arrives, a Little Fitness Goes a Long Way

By Charlene Torkelson

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New mothers listen to months of advice before their new baby arrives. No matter how much advice they absorb, not much can prepare them for the day they head home from the hospital. And nothing prepares them for one reality: no time. There is no time to sleep, no time to clean, no time for socializing and certainly no time for fitness. No matter how well you prepare for getting back into shape after childbirth, finding the time and the energy to actually do it becomes a problem.

After all the advice you have heard, here are a few little tips for "no time" fitness.

Begin Slowly
No matter what you imagine will happen during your pregnancy, getting back into shape is never easy. It took nine months to get to the birth; expect at least nine months to get back to pre-pregnancy shape again. Start out slowly with a few stretches or a short walk and work your way up. When you thrust yourself into an intense workout routine, two things are likely to happen: You are going to be stiff and sore with no desire to get back into your exercise regimen for a while, or you will burn out. Both end in the same result: no exercise.

Remember, a little goes a long way. You will see more results in the long run with a little exercise often than with a lot of exercise occasionally. So begin slowly and add a few more repetitions or a few more exercises as you feel up to it.

Be Consistent
The story of the tortoise and the hare is perfect for the person who wants to get into shape and stay there. Consistency is the key to winning the race. Even a few minutes of stretching every day is better for your body and your state of mind than an hour of strenuous exercise once a month. That hour every once in a while may feel like you are doing something because you are stiff and sore, but in reality, that painless few minutes every day is doing more for your body.

So take a moment to stretch every morning when you get up. Five minutes will do. Then take a 15- or 20-minute walk sometime during the day or climb the stairs a few more times. Add five or 10 minutes to the end of your day to do a few conditioning exercises, and you are set. This is a doable routine for most moms.


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