7 min HIIT home workout - with socks!!

For all you moms who don’t have time to get to a gym, OR don’t feel comfortable going to a gym….here is a little workout for you!! You don’t need equipment to get the full benefits of exercise, you don’t even need a lot of time! We can all find 7 minutes in our day right? That’s all this workout needs, unless you want to repeat the workout multiple times to get in a full 24 min session.

The challenges a mother can face in a day really puts you off getting a workout in. Some days I will go to the gym for a ‘break’ from my daughter, some days I’ll do my workout with her, then others I’ll wait till she naps. Either way I make it a habit to exercise. Now this doesn’t have to be an hour long workout. It can be anything from 7 mins to 60 mins (sometimes 90 depending on how much of a break I need). You will find which time of the day suits you best. If you are a new mom, the times will change as you go through peaks and troughs with your little.

The BEST thing about a home workout is you can do it in the comfort of your own home, with no one watching you (except maybe a baby/toddler).

With this work out you can modify the exercises to suit you, do each one for 60 seconds and rest for 30. Repeat three times if needed;

  • Exercise ONE: Jump switch lunge OR alternate lunge
  • Exercise TWO: Jumping lateral leg slide OR single leg slide (30 secs each side)
  • Exercise THREE: Sliding mountain climb (fast) OR sliding mountain climb (slow)
  • Exercise FOUR: Sliding plank abduction on hands OR sliding plank abduction on elbows
  • Exercise FIVE: Balancing leg slide side and back  

NOT suitable for Diastasis Recti, pelvic floor issues or beyond the first trimester in pregnancy.

Please remember to consult with a medical professional before entering into a new workout regime.

the mighty push-up

The mighty push-up or press-up as known in some countries. A great FULL body exercise used by many personal trainers and fitness professionals across the world. Most people know it as a chest exercise, which it is...but it can do so much more when done correctly. When done in a high plank position, the body needs the core, glutes, anterior delts, triceps and hamstrings to stabilize the position. So why are so many people doing the ‘lady’ version...when your knees are on the floor?

To me, the ‘lady’ push-up seems counterproductive and sexist to say the least. Why should this version be named after us? AND why are we still doing them? Not only does it take out the lower body element, makes it really tough to activate your core effectively, but it also renders it seemingly impossible to progress into a full push-up.

Follow these simple progressions to help you through any phase in your life;

The wall push-up – A GREAT exercise to use when you are pregnant as you can activate your core without adding to much pressure to your abdominal wall. It uses your full body whilst strengthening and toning your upper body. For an added challenge, use a stability ball between you and the wall. Not only can you do this when pregnant but if you suffer from Diastasis Recti (DR) too. Include these into your program once you have completed a few foundation moves and can effectively activate your core muscle group.

The incline push-up – Once you find the wall push up easy and you are not pregnant, you can progress into the incline push-up. The great thing about the incline push up is you can pick a level that suits you and adapt it as needed. Most people have a staircase in their house and this is where I tell most of my clients to do their push-ups. Pick a step that is challenging but where you are able to maintain form and reduce the level when needed until you no longer need a step. This is by FAR the best way to learn how to do a full push-up.

IMG_3792.JPG

The full push-up – Not an easy move and not to be done if you suffer from DR or are pregnant as it can increase the gap between your abs (stretching the linea alba). The key here is to keep your bum down, but not dipped (maintain a flat back by pulling your abs in towards your spine). Don’t T your arms out to the side, keep a 20-40 degree angle from your torso to your upper arm (this applies to ALL push-ups explained above). Lower as close to the ground as possible, PAUSE and return to the top.

The decline push-up – Not for the faint hearted! Definitely an advanced move for us mamas who are well beyond our postpartum phase and have zero separation of the abs. I’m not great at them myself but it is something I’m working on. Adding a step to your feet will increase the use of shoulders and upper chest.

Have fun with exercise and don’t be afraid to try new things…If you HATE push-ups because they are so hard, try one of these versions to keep you on track!

BONUS

Eden trying to do a push-up and telling daddy he had to do one too…she is a great ring leader and hopefully one day will be a great leader! Lead by example mamas!

Please remember to consult with a medical professional before entering into an exercise regime.

back pain GO AWAY!

I hear many moms talk about back pain post pregnancy or when their children are learning to walk. There are many reasons why back pain can occur, weak muscles, pinched nerves, tight muscle or poor posture to name but a few. the good news is you CAN reduce and even eliminate this pain.

Here is a little bit about pregnancy/postpartum anatomy. During pregnancy your body releases a hormone called relaxin which does exactly what it says. It relaxes the ligaments of your body to prepare for delivery which is great right! Yes BUT, this also puts stress on the spine if a mother doesn't have a strong core. The major core muscles being the rectus abdominis (abs), internal/external abdominal oblique, transverse abdominal, erector spinae, pelvic floor and glutes. If these muscles are tight/weak then the result will surely be PAIN!!

The pain might go away on its own after a while postpartum, but it will be back when your little is learning to walk (or if you're planning to have another!) Prepare yourself now for the adventures ahead. You'll be sick to death of bending over but believe me....your back shouldn't be an issue. I know when Eden was learning to walk (from 6 months till 10 months old) I was bent over all the time, once she realize she could be mobile....there is no turning back! P.S she crawled for all of 4 weeks before walking so I got ZERO break!

DON'T RUN BEFORE YOU CAN WALK....AND THAT MEANS YOU NOT THE BABY! Build a solid foundation before jumping into a crazy hard workout program! More damage may be done than good.

Now DON"T start crunching till the cows come home, that is going to do more harm than good. focus on including these exercise pre-pregnancy, during and postpartum. ALL are safe stabilization exercises.

  1.  Core breath/kegals
  2. Lying bent knee leg lift
  3. Seated stability ball knee lifts
  4. Wall push up
  5. Lying clam shell
  6. Modified side plank
  7. Stability ball squat
  8. Lunge (holding wall if needed)

Focus on keeping you core strong, exhale on the lift and inhale on the lower. Aim for 10-15 reps to begin with. If you are pregnant, keep doing this until birth then rest until given clearance to exercise postpartum. However, you can keep doing the core breath and kegals.

Please remember to get clearance and consult with a medical professional before commencing a workout regime.

legs legs legs + toddler

Are you ready for a killer leg workout?? I did this workout and by the end my legs were ready to give in. Today was a day I didn't really feel like working out, but I took my own advice and put on my gym clothes and instantly felt like going to the gym. I filmed this a little later on when my husband was home but I did this as part of my workout earlier in the day. Its even more fun when Eden joins in, it acts as a distraction form the pain (and sometimes an excuse to pause hehe). Whether you decide to do it alone or with a mini person, you will love your legs afterwards!

IMG_3725.PNG

Do 60 seconds of each exercise, complete each exercise back to back with very little/no pausing. REST for 60 seconds then repeat 4 times through (total time 20 mins). Now who doesn't have 20 mins to fit into their day right??

  1. Get Up/Kneel Down (keep low)
  2. Bridge (Hip Thrusts if you are pregnant)
  3. Forward/Backward shuffle (I should have been lower, but keep low)
  4. Frog Squat Jump back (avoid if pregnant or have Diastasis Recti, stick to a squat with pulse at the bottom)
  5. 60 seconds REST

Please remember to get clearance and consult with a medical professional before commencing a workout regime

stroller exercise

Its the new BIG thing, exercising with your stroller. There are bootcamps popping up all over the place. I am loving how more and more is available for the moms out there! The great thing about stroller workouts is it enables busy moms to workout while the baby is content all snuggled up in their stroller. The benefits are that the movement rocks, relaxes and may even put baby to sleep. But you don't need to go to a specific class to get the benefits. I know for me I struggled fitting in a whole class into my day, not to mention getting there on time! What with the constant feeding and the exploding diapers, I never made it out on time!

Luckily your stroller can go anywhere, anytime! I use to LOVE going out for a walk in the morning while the air was fresh and I still had energy. I listened to the birds singing and watched the squirrels running around. While i was on my walks, I wouldn't STROLL I would walk at a decent pace adding in a few extra moves along the way.

Instead of stressing about fitting in a class (unless that's what you like) follow these simple yet effective moves with your stroller to become fit, buff and strong!

  • Forward facing squat with abduction
  • Alternating Lunge with a kickback
  • Side facing squat
  • Jogging butt kicks**
  • Low side shuffle
  • Forward jumps**

Aim to do about 20 reps for each exercise and repeat three times during your walk. Focus on holding your core tight throughout the exercises, inhale on the lower and exhale on the LIFT!

**If you have any form of pelvic floor dysfunction please modify the exercises. No jump squats (just walking squats) and no jogging butt kicks (again just walking butt kicks) until you are fully healed and can withstand a jumping action

Happy Workouts, ENJOY!!!

Please remember to get clearance and consult with a medical professional before commencing a workout regime

postpartum exercise, how much should I do?

So you have been given the green light by your health care provider, yey I can exercise again. But the question is how long should I workout for?? This answer is going to be different for everyone. There are so many factors to include like, how often did you exercise pre pregnancy/throughout your pregnancy, did you have a ‘normal delivery’ or are you managing to get some (if any) sleep. All these things will effect what and how much you can do, don’t get me wrong they are not excuses NOT to workout though.

My main advice I give new/existing clients is start small and build up to a longer session. Sometimes even a 10min workout is all you can manage, and that is FINE! You still did something right?? Your body has been through so much it’s going to take time to return to what you could do before. It took 9 months to get your body to where it is now, don’t expect miracles overnight.

My biggest challenge with postpartum exercise was when the hell am I gonna fit it in?? Eden is eating EVERY 2 hrs (sometimes only 1.5hrs). So quick and easy was the key for me!! Although looking back, my life with her was one huge workout! She never let me stand still….I’m still getting flash backs of the drop squats I had to do to put her to sleep at 2am, and swinging the car seat so high I thought she would fly out! The store bought swings didn’t cut it with this one!

The ideal situation is that you build up to doing 30 minutes of moderate/high intensity five times per week. If you prefer to combine the 30 mins into an hour (if you have a whole hour spare) then that’s fine too.

“After having a baby, it is recommended that you get at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity every week.”
— american congress of obstetricians and gynecologists

Try this little 15 min workout to get you started, suitable for women with Diastasis Recti/Pelvic floor dysfunction;

Do each exercise for 60 seconds rest and repeat x3 (rest when needed, even in the middle of an exercise). This is just the beginning of your journey…..don’t push too hard you are still healing.

Standing Side Leg Raises (30 secs per side)

Alternating Bird/Dogs

Wall/Stair Push Up

Glute Bridge      

Stability Ball Squats/Chair Squats

Please remember to get clearance and consult with a medical professional before commencing a workout regime