Where Do I Start With Exercise

It can be really easy to fall out of good habits – you get to your goal weight, or you go on holiday, and your healthy habits fall by the wayside for a week or two.
Weeks turn into months and months turn into a year, and you realise that you haven’t exercised in 12 months. Or it may just be that you were pregnant then didn’t exercise for a while and before you know it, it has been 12-18 months since you last did anything.
It can be difficult to know where to start when you haven’t exercised for a long time – but on the Lose Baby Weight Plans, we think that the best way to start your exercise regime again is to put on your walking shoes and pound the pavements.
When you start exercising again, you need to take things slow and steady. Your body won’t be used to the over-exertion caused by exercise, so to lower your risk of injury, you need to start off with a gentle, weight-bearing exercise such as walking.
To start with, all you need to do is walk for 10 minutes here and there at a moderate pace. Experts recommend that you walk at a perceived exertion level of 6 or 7 out of 10 – that generally means so that you can hold a conversation fairly comfortably, but in most cases, you’d rather not. Over time, your cardiovascular health will improve, due to your boosted heart rate – and you’ll be able to exercise for longer periods of time.
Walking is an excellent exercise simply because it is gentle on your joints. It’s also completely free, easy to do and it requires absolutely no special equipment aside from a pair of comfortable walking shoes. You can also do it whenever you have spare time – in the morning, in the evening, in your ten minute mid-morning break.
You can also do it inside if it’s raining – pace round and round your lounge or run up and down the stairs a few times to up your step count, or you can do it outside in almost any weathers provided that you dress appropriately for the heat.
When you’re used to walking for ten minutes here and there, up it to at least five times per week – and when you are comfortable with that, increase your ten minutes to fifteen minutes and so on and so on until you reach at least half an hour of walking, five times per week, at a moderate pace.
Make sure you always keep your pace moderate rather than leisurely – it will help you to burn off more calories, it will improve your heart health and it will also reduce your risk of various diseases associated with obesity, such as diabetes, high cholesterol and liver disease.
Walking at a moderate pace will also help to tone your legs too – but to further improve the toning power of your walks, add some ankle weights. They will make your muscles work harder – which will tone them even more. Once you’re comfortable with your walks, it could be a good idea to add some other exercises into your daily regime such as gym classes, aerobics or swimming. These are all great whole-body workouts that will work all of your body – meaning you’ll have a strong core and balanced muscles. You can also see here for exercises, videos and advice from our trainer on the best exercises to do after pregnancy – which focus on the tummy, the hips, the bum and back.
It’s also worth thinking about weight training in addition to cardiovascular exercise. Weight training will build lean muscle mass – and the more lean muscle mass you have, the more calories you burn, even when you’re sitting on the sofa relaxing. Try exercises such as lunges, squats and bicep curls using weights to really improve your muscle tone.
Above all, remember that you can do it. You might have fallen out of your exercise regime once, but you can easily get back into it. You’ll be walking your way to a slimmer and fitter new you in no time!
Get Our Exercise DVD
And for the ULTIMATE SAFE, EFFECTIVE & TRUSTED Post Pregnancy Workout – see our EXPERT Post Pregnancy Exercise DVD below – you can purchase and see more information on it here
The DVD can be followed by all mums (for example new mums or mums with older children) and can be followed by someone with a basic or a more advanced level of fitness.
Lisa Westlake is our incredible fitness instructor and postnatal exercise specialist throughout the DVD. With her extensive physiotherapy experience and qualifications (Lisa is one of the most awarded fitness professionals in Australia), Lisa is the perfect fitness instructor to bring The Healthy Mummy Post Pregnancy Exercise DVD to life – you will love working out with her. (You can see our Q&A with Lisa with commonly asked questions on the DVD here)
The exercises in The Healthy Mummy Post Pregnancy Exercise DVD are effective and safe and Lisa will guide you through each of the workouts. As well as assisting in the improvement of your overall fitness levels, the workouts in the DVD will also help in the burning of calories, the improvement of your core strength and the strengthening of your pelvic floor.
The six workouts are broken down into 10 and 15 minute sections that you can do when it suits you – or if you have the time and energy you can do the DVD as one 70 minute continuous workout. The Healthy Mummy Post Pregnancy Exercise DVD also covers special considerations post-birth, such as caesarean sections, back strains, muscle separation, incontinence and pelvic floor issues.
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