I’m not professing to be a fitness fanatic but I found the whole exercising post kids rather tough. Now they are a bit older I am upping my exercise and am actually really enjoying it.
Before having the girls I was a member of the gym and went at least 3 or 4 times a week, sometimes more. The gym was by my work so I’d get up early to do a workout before heading to the office or a few of us would go in our lunch break. I also did home workout DVD’s and went running. Obviously instead of trips to the gym. Not as well as. I’m not that crazy!
Over the last few years I have tried all manner of workouts and thought I would share some of my favourites with you.
Why Home Workouts?
Put simply I don’t have the time or the inclination to get to the gym. It also isn’t possible to get out for a run any more as Edd is never home till late. I sometimes manage a run at the weekend but find that unless I am doing it regularly I really struggle. I would really like to give Lolly’s Zombie running a go though. Sounds so good. I could go to classes at the gym but I would need to allocate at least a couple of hours for this by the time I have got there, done the class and got home. Then there is the cost. My pre kids David Lloyd membership just isn’t really an option and paying for one off classes is too pricey when you then have to put two kids in the creche as well. I need something that I can do quickly and easily and that works around the kids. When I just had Molly I could go walking with her and if they had been in my area I would have joined Buggy Fit or the like. My friend was even telling me about a class near her in Blackheath where the babies go in all manner of bouncers around the room whilst the mums complete a circuit of exercises. Sounds brilliant.
Finding your optimum time
Easier said than done but I think I have now got this nailed. Before kids I found I was better exercising before work. When they were little there just wasn’t a right time at all. I was shattered or one or the other was always demanding something. No one wants to start a workout only to have to stop and tend to a crying baby. It was just frustrating. I now do my workout at around 5 30pm. The girls are normally fed and will happily play or watch some TV for half an hour whilst I do a quick workout. We can then all go and get showered and in to our PJs. And yes I am therefore normally in my PJs at 6pm!
The Kit
I do not look AT ALL Elle MacPherson whilst working out. Due to time constraints I normally grab my workout top and shorts and do a quick change in the lounge before popping the DVD on. I am ashamed to admit that sometimes I don’t even manage this and just do it in my bra and knickers as I can’t find said workout gear/haven’t managed to sort the washing out yet! Oh the shame!
A lot of the workouts I do don’t need anything in terms of kit but hand weights and a workout mat are useful for some.
The One You Need
This is a bold claim but this DVD may have changed my life. I have long used the Davina workouts and love her style but found I was a bit bored of the ones I had been using. Plus I’m sure your body gets used to the workouts so stops being so effective. Whilst on a recent RMW photoshoot I was recommended the new 5 Week fit DVD and it is IMMENSE. I absolutely love it and never ever thought I would say that about exercise. The DVD has about 8 mini workouts, each of which are 7 minutes long. Yep, just 7 minutes. There are 3 add on minutes you can do to boost the workout to 10 minutes but even that seems super speedy. The DVD gives you a programme to follow so each day you do a mixture of the workouts, normally just two, so in 20 minutes you are done. You also get rest days. Phew. They are really fast paced but I love that I can quickly do this and know that I will always manage to fit it in to my day. I haven’t lost weight but have really toned up since I started it. The lack of weight loss is probably due to my lack of willpower. I am currently writing this whilst eating a rather delicious salted caramel flapjack. Everything in moderation I say!
Insanity
Yep, this is the actual name of the workout and it is, as expected, intense. This was seriously tough and I only ever managed month one as month two was just too darned hard. Shaun T and his (far too toned and enthusiastic) trusty crew guide you through a series of ridiculous workouts. You will be sweating buckets but boy do you feel good. I am not good at exercise so I am impressed that I managed even a month of this. It is hard. I had to get up early to do this or do it once the girls were in bed as once you are in the middle of the workout it is hard to stop for one of the many demands that come from the teeny tiny occupants of my house. This is one if you want to completely smash your fitness levels. After doing this for a month we went down to Devon for our holiday when Alice was one year old. Normally I struggle climbing the 300 steps followed by giant hill back to the cottage but that year it didn’t phase me at all. And I did it all with a rather heavy little Alice on my back. Go me. Ashamed to say I have just never got back in to it again but would certainly give it a try again if I hadn’t discovered the Davina DVD that you all need.
Do It Yourself
I have a few sets of hand weights and they are ideal for a few cheeky bicep curls whilst watching yet another episode of Paw Patrol. I’ll normally add a few squats and some sit ups in to the mix too. Whilst doing said sit ups Alice is normally sat on my stomach which surely just increases the effectiveness?!
The Body Coach
Joe Wicks is great. A cheeky chap who lets me eat cheese. All good in my books. If you follow him on Instagram you’ll know he makes simple tasty food and combines these with quick HIIT sessions. I like HIIT as you get great results but in super speedy time. His workouts are about 20 minutes and you can find them on You Tube. They are tough but I definitely feel like I have had a workout at the end. When you have kids you need your workout to be fast. In fact, I’m just about to do one of these in a moment.
Dance
Charlotte has always been a big advocate of Tracey Anderson and her father fabulous dance moves. So upon her recommendation I purchased the cardio dance for beginners and attempted to get my dancing shoes on. I failed miserably. I just don’t think I am co-ordinated enough. That said, I did persevere and the routines got (slightly) easier. If you have a touch more co-ordination and are a pro at a good grapevine and a slight hip wiggle then this one is for you. It is definitely fun and a great way to get moving.
And Relax
For many years I was an avid yoga fan. Then I started going to the gym and somehow I couldn’t fit in gym workouts and yoga in to my day. I have always meant to get back in to it but never have. I struggle as this is definitely one I need to do without the kids around so early morning or late at night and need a good hour to dedicate to it. I had a brief flirtation with pregnancy yoga but am yet to find a new DVD I like to do at home. I quite like a faster paced yoga so please do let me know any recommendations.
Is anyone else joining me with the at home workouts? Any recommendations or suggestions welcome.
My daughter is 15 months old and between 6 weeks and 5 months I used to do a Davina workout most mornings. And then she became mobile and I’ve really struggled to get in to any sort of routine since then. I can really tell though, my body is not my friend at the moment!
However, I think a combination of the body coach workouts – available on YouTube – and the Davina dvd you mentioned are going to be the way for me. I also have some weights in the living room and do a free style workout whilst Juliet is playing. She copies me now when I’m doing squats!
My next step is to be more consistent with healthy eating. I work three long days now and Juliet’s back teeth are all coming through which means life is sometimes chaotic and I need to figure out a way to resist the carb cravings!
This post is no help, but perhaps a tad cathartic!
Those back teeth! It’s utter misery here too. Poor Juliet.
Jennifer, I too suffered from the toddler running around my feet syndrome and its only now it is a bit easier. They do still run in and out of my legs when I’m doing squats so I probably am not getting the full effect as have to dodge two small children with most moves!! Oh and the carb cravings haven’t gone away but I now eat them after my workout and try to avoid them most of the rest of the day which seems to work most of the time xxx
I can thoroughly recommend the BBG workouts by Kayla Itsines.. I’ve just completed the 4 weeks pre training after having a baby and It feels great! She’s all about the progress photos (check her out on Insta!) she has quite the following and it’s all very inspiring which keeps me going! I’ve always loved the gym and running and spinning but with babies it’s almost impossible to find the time to get there three times a week. The BBG workouts are 28minutes 3 times a week, which I’m finding totally doable at home (They’re even broken down in to 7 min sections, which is great if baby needs attention!)
I’m also spurred on by getting to fit in to my non-maternity clothes. It’ll be like having a whole new wardrobe!
Oooh, I’ve been sneakily peeking at Kayla Itsines on Instagram for a while so maybe I need to take a look at the workouts. 28 minutes is definitely doable. I think anything under 30 minutes is a winner. And hooray to new (old) wardrobes! xx
My favourite yoga videos are Yoga By Adriene on YouTube – so much choice and definitely some faster paced ones on there as well as some super chilled ones!
Thanks Rachel, I will definitely take a peek at these ones. Sounds perfect x
The best baby item we bought was our Baby Jogger Summit pushchair. I’m not exaggerating when I say that it has made a massive difference to my mental health. As soon as Silvia was 6 months old we were off! This spring has been great for running- we go out 2-3 times a week at nap time, she goes to sleep, we whiz around one of my circular routes and then she wakes by the time I’m showered and sorted. I’m also training for a triathlon on the 3rd July so our family swimming trips now incorporate me disappearing off for some sprints, and have been doing some bike rides in the evening after bedtime- it’s light so late and I find it really relaxing.
In terms of weights and flexibility I really really miss my old yoga and body pump classes. Cardio you can do easily by yourself but I struggle with the discipline for those two! I do have a weights circuit based on body pump that I do at least weekly, but only with 3kg hand weights, not the real deal!
I think it’s the triathlon training, but I’m finally happy with my post baby body- it feels strong and capable and my own again. At last.
Wow! Well done you! I agree that fitness has had a big impact on my mental health too. Good luck in the triathlon 🙂
Go you! That’s a great goal and good luck. Wish I could manage a triathlon!! xxx
Amazing Lucy! I’ve set myself the goal of doing a Triathlon next year after my baby is born ( ‘ due’ 3 Sept) – I was already a keen cyclist and running I’ve done plenty of over the year – but swimming fills me with dread. Any top tips?? x
So Silvia will be just over 15 months when I do mine, and my swimming sucks! I would say (purely personal) go with your best front stroke- for me my breaststroke is faster than my crawl so that’s what I’m going to do.
Congratulations, what an exciting count down ?? Be kind to yourself afterwards too, I really found it hard that my body was so different.
Thanks for the support ladies- it’s “only” a sprint triathlon but that’s plenty right now!
I did some Insanity and body coach workouts last summer and absolutely loved them, plus it was free as I just did you tube vids. I knew I wanted to get pregnant at the end if the summer so I wanted to get as fit and strong as I could before, and was hoping to avoid the SPD I had in my first pregnancy.
i’d put my daughter to bed then do an intense 30min workout then shower and wouldn’t want to overeat after all the effort I’d put in!
I was lucky enough to get pregnant quickly and now have a 3wk old in my arms. Am looking forward to picking up the workouts again as they fitted well into my life. I too cannot leave the house to get to the gym as hubby works shifts so it’s normally just me!
Congratulations on the new arrival. Amazing news! xx
A massive second for Yoga with Adrienne – https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene
She has a routine for just about every mood/level/timeframe. She’s my go-to-at-home-workout with a toddler. I also really love the 7 minute workout app! It’s the best first thing in the morning. Then I like to do my yoga in the evening as it’s a nice stretch before bed.
Definitely going to give this a go I think and yoga before bed sounds ideal xxx
A good friend commented to me recently how women tend to view exercise as a ‘nice to do, if I have time’, whereas men just seem to fit it in. I’ve since changed my mindset and I now pre-plan & write in my diary when I exercise – even if its just an at home HIIT workout. I just about manage to get to the gym twice per week, then supplement with Body Coach HIIT workouts a couple times a week. The kids enjoy watching me sweat! Our gym does 2 kids sessions per week – you exercise whilst a personal trainer looks after a group of kids, who get to try out all the gym equipment. Great for primary aged kids so I might start taking my 3 along to wear them out on the treadmill ;-). I’m off to look up Insanity too – heard loads about it, intrigued to try!
That is so true Nicola. My husband is exactly the same and just gets on with it. I need to change my attitude too I think. Kids make workouts all the more fun and your gym sounds immense. Wearing the kids out on the treadmill sounds ideal. xxx
ps Fitness blender (either direct through their website or via youtube) do a great (free) selection of workouts – choose length, type, area of body to target and off you go. Or Popsugar Fitness, also on youtube. Both well worth looking at xx
I love the Tracy Anderson Post-Pregnancy DVD. It is really tough (I thought so even when not pregnant yet!) but it quickly shows some results. I have had a really bad summer flu now so no exercise for two weeks. I will definitely have to get back to it, because I am not liking those extra kilos. And unfortunately I am one of those who don’t lose all their baby weight because of breastfeeding, even though I breastfed for five months exclusively now!
Great timing as I sit at my desk in a suit that fit beautifully before pregnancy and is now straining at the buttons, eek!! I did “buggy bells” from when my little one was 10 weeks old until 6 months, which really helped tone me up and get some fitness levels back. I certainly haven’t lost my baby weight from breastfeeding, I’m still feeding at 8 months and I have an awful lot of weight left to shift. REALLY not helped by my constant desire to eat biscuits and chocolate despite my best efforts, and sitting at a desk all day doesn’t help either. I’m struggling to get any fitness in any more, I can’t run for a number of reasons and I can’t seem to face proper DVDs at home, never have been able to! I have just bought the Clean and Lean book though, and plan to give that a go along with some toning exercises, taking the stairs etc etc. And in a month or two start walking to work again (6 miles, not too shabby!) once I’m not carting a breast pump to and from the office!!
Perfect timing here too! I was doing well on maternity leave, walking everywhere with the buggy and we loved our weekly mum and baby yoga class. Since having abdominal surgery at the end of last year and returning to work, my mum tum is back with a vengeance. I’ve just this week started using Results with Lucy. Just finished workout three of the week! I’ve gone for the new beginnings plan and so far they’ve lasted about 30/40mins and are short workouts focusing on different things so you don’t get bored because then you move onto something else! I like the variety, today was Pilates, Abs and Arms. You can opt for solo which is just the workouts but I’m liking the meal plan at the moment, we’d got in a bit of a food rut with our standard week night go to meals so nice to try new recipes!
I tried Charlotte Crosby’s 3 minute belly blitz before which I just didn’t get on with and gave up after a few attempts! Am a fan of the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred too x