Top 4 tips to beat the winter (exercise) woes

Those frosty mornings have already started as we edge closer to the official start of winter. It's easy to list off the excuses why you can't drag yourself outdoors for a run or a brisk walk - too cold, too dark, too forbidding...sound familiar? Don't fall into the trap of skipping those much-need workouts over the colder months - here's 4 solutions to the most common winter (exercise) woes.

1. "It's so cold it hurts to breathe". Solution: Research has shown that exercising in temperatures below zero outdoors won't harm your lungs. Some people may experience throat irritation if they breathe cold air directly - you can avoid this by wearing and breathing through a scarf.
2. "I'd have to take the kids out with me - it's much too cold for them to be outdoors". Solution: get everyone in several layers of clothing when it's cold out, so you can all shed them as you warm up. The outer layer should be a jacket with a zipper than you can unzip to vent. Take the kids down to the local park or oval. The trick is to keep moving - set up an obstacle course through the play equipment and join in! Lunge, squat, do bottom kicks, power skips, side steps, run forwards and backwards. A park bench is a great way to get in push ups, tricep dips or keep your abdominals braced in a plank. Then kick a soccer ball around on the oval - you'll be amazed at how quickly you'll all get warm and have fun AND get a workout at the same time.
3. "I just can't get motivated when it's so cold". Solution: set a spring time goal, get a training plan together, and JUST GET MOVING! If you want to be able to start running, then register now for a fun run in Spring, tell everyone you have, and raise money for charity at the same time. It's a great way to keep you accountable, help build your fitness, while keep you motivated and on target because it you don't train, you won't make the distance and you won't raise any money for your nominated charity who needs all the support they can get!
4. "I can't get out of bed to run or go for a walk when it's dark out." Solution: your mission it to get up and out the door - even when it seems like the rest of world is asleep. Get up and make yourself a cup of tea or coffee. Sip it as you get dressed (in gear that you've already laid out ready the night before), and carry your mug to the end of the driveway for a last sip before your workout. Once you start moving, you'll feel good and want to continue. And you'll feel good all day because you did.

Eight weeks and beyond...

Congratulations! You survived the first few weeks with your new baby and gradually trying to piece together what your new life should look like.  And, more good news, your body will continue to change over the next few months after having a baby - so what can you expect to feel like eight weeks after having a baby...and beyond?

• Your postnatal bleeding should have stopped or the flow reduced considerably and the colour of your discharge become very light. If this isn’t the case, please seek advice from your GP.
• You should be generally pain free but your caesarean scar might be tender or be painful if you over exert yourself. The area around the scar might also be numb.
• Your bowel movements should be easier and have returned to a normal rhythm, if not take a few teaspoons of Linseeds soaked in hot water before bed to help re-establish a good rhythm.
• Your pelvis may still be feeling very unstable and loose or conversely you might feel a general tightness in your pelvic region.
• You may still be experiencing some degree of incontinence – urinary, gas and possibly faecal.
• You may still have difficulty connecting to your Pelvic Floor muscles.
• If you are still feeling tired, check with your GP whether you need to take an Iron Supplement.

And what else can you do to help speed up your recovery?

• Ensure you include a high quality vitamin and mineral supplement in your diet and also supplement with Omega Fish Oils.
• Apply the principles of high level optimum nutrition to replenish your postnatal body after pregnancy.
• Keep well hydrated with water and fruit teas.
• Include a regular stretching program
• Take advantage of ANY opportunity to be still, quiet and rest.
• Prioritise your self-care and the care of your baby - housework and the rest of life can wait until you get your energy and strength back!
• When given the go-ahead start exercising according to your level of recovery.

Come along and try one of our 'pram camps' - where you strengthen those 'Mummy Muscles' - back, tummy, pelvic floor, and arms - and re-gain your fitness with other Mums just like you AND you can bring along your baby and toddler. Check the website for more details on where and when or you can contact me directly.

Acknowledgements: Jenny Burrell, burrelleducation.com.au

So what's normal after having a baby?

Perhaps nothing feels 'normal' or at least not the way you remember it! Seriously though, first-time Mums are often so preoccupied with the very thought of just 'getting through' childbirth that they haven't even thought about what might happen to their bodies afterwards. So what can you expect in those first few weeks (when you're also trying to cope with a newborn) - and what can you do to help speed your recovery?

 Birth to 6-8 weeks after delivery

• You’re tired and generally not feeling like your old self yet.
• Stitches and tissue damage/tears may feel tender.
• Your post birth bleeding should have ceased.
• You may be a little fearful of or cautious when performing bowel movements.
• You may have difficulty straightening up/standing tall especially if you had a caesarean.
• Your caesarean scar is still healing and may be tender. You will have to modify getting up and down from the sitting and lying down positions.
• Your pelvis might be feeling very unstable and loose or conversely you might feel a general tightness in your pelvic region.
• Your abdominal may feel loose and unsupported.
• Your muscle may be tight and achy especially around your hips, shoulders neck and backs of your thighs.
• You may have some degree incontinence – urinary, gas or faecal.
• You may have difficulty mentally connecting to your Pelvic Floor muscles.
• You might be experiencing some neck, bicep and shoulder pain and general tightness in your upper body due to the demands of breastfeeding.

Your best actions: rest when you can and as much as possible, no lifting anything heavier than your baby, begin gentle stretching, get a specialist Post Natal massage and nourish your depleted body through the very best in nutrition, home-cooked good food! Ultimately, start reconnecting gently to your body especially your Pelvic Floor gently but also let mother nature do her job too!

Acknowledgements: Jenny Burrell, burrelleducation.com

Time out for New Mums - tips to revive and survive!

"OK, you've got me, but who's got you?" - Lois Lane to Superman as they fly off the terrace into the night...in Superman: the movie, circa 1978)

I'll never forget those first 48 hours after bringing home my first baby from hospital. Even after nine months of carrying around "Fuji" (as she was affectionately known then in utero), I just couldn't believe that this small baby girl was actually mine. And now that we were home from hospital, there was no-one (gulp) with the 'expertise' to help out. No midwife to consult on breastfeeding, or sore nipples, or strange pains 'down there'; no one else to change nappies or take her away to a nursery so I could get some shuteye. It was down to me - I'm a Mum now, and this tiny little girl is totally dependent on me.

The thing is, no-one really tells you just how hard it can be in those first few weeks of motherhood. (Maybe Mums forget - or are so sleep deprived that one day just blurs into another?) In the lead-up to having a new baby, you're really focused on 'the birth' and how you're going to handle it. Then the instant the baby's born, your attention turns to feeding the baby (and how you're going to do that!). AND THEN, when you're home from hospital, inevitably, you're trying to cope with adjusting to a new life with a baby while trying to lose your own sense of self...not to mention sanity.

So the big question remains: how do you cope with your new life as a Mum without losing your mind in those first few weeks? Here are my 5 top sanity savers. I hope they help you too!

Avoid 'the pursuit' of perfection.The pressure you put on yourself in the chase will make you quit when your efforts don't match your expectations. There are no hard and fast rules to looking after a newborn, just take the time to find your own way, and don't expect to know everything - expecting too much from yourself will only cause anxiety and frustration and can leave you feeling down. Remember, your baby doesn't need you to be perfect or to get everything done - at the end of the day - your baby just needs you!

Have a daily plan. Not a strict schedule, but one that takes you out of the house for some fresh air. Grab the pram and walk to the local park, shops, or explore your neighbourhood. Why? It helps stop a long day from feeling endless (especially after a night of little or no sleep). Plus if you're active, your body is producing endorphins (a chemical reaction in your body which in turn makes you feel GOOD). The real plus is it can help relieve stress, boost your immune system, as well as improve circulation and healing from labour and birth. 

Do some household chores while your baby is awake. And sleep when the baby is asleep! When you have your first baby, it's easy to think you have to be completely focused on them while they're awake. But as any second or third-time Mum will tell you, the baby will be happy whether you're doing the laundry, unpacking the dishwasher, cooking, or even lying on the floor - as long as the baby's near you.

Ask for help when you need it. When you were pregnant, you probably looked forward to being at home, hanging out with other Mums and sipping on a latte. But realistically, life with a newborn isn't like that. Being at home a lot looking after your little one - instead of doing paid work - is a big adjustment, so give yourself some time to get used to it. Sometimes you can feel lonely and just talking about it with someone else can lighten the load. If you feel overwhelmed - ask for help - don't feel as though you have to do it all on your own while your partner is at work. 

Believe in yourself. Being a Mum can be overwhelming, but no-one is more capable than you. Write a list of all the things you're good at, stick it on the fridge, and look at it whenever you doubt yourself.

Eat healthier for a better life

Most of us know what we should eat and why we should eat it. But more often than not we get caught up in work, or running around after our little (or not so little) kids, that we don't. We say it's too hard too eat healthily, we don't have time to cook or plan meals, or even that it costs more to prepare healthy alternatives. And we look for a short-cut or what we think will be a quick fix to good health and fat loss.

And does it work? Maybe in the short term, but so-called 'dieting' isn't the answer in the long term. Diets mess with your head, your moods, and confidence. How often do you feel guilty about something you ate for instance? Diets can create a negative cycle of stress, deprivation, bingeing, guilt, denial, frustration and the biggie – failure. Not exactly what you'd call a great model for a happy, healthy Mum.

And like it or not, our kids learn by example and not just from what we say but what we do. A friend of mine was shocked to see her three-year-old mimic her on the bathroom scales, saying she'd “have to try harder” and that she was “too fat”.

So I say BOO to dieting! Throw away all the junk magazines and crazy diet books. Instead, think positively and get savvy about nutrition. It all comes down to habits and behaviour.

And more importantly, happy, healthy Mums can't help but be an example to their kids.

Here's 3 simple tips to get you started:

1. Reduce your intake of starchy, refined, processed carbohydrates(rice, pasta, bread and potatoes). This is one of the ultimate keys to the fat loss kingdom. Reduce these items dramatically and you’ll see an amazing difference to your waistline within a week.

2. Avoid sugar where possible!You have to work hard at this one, but it’s worth it, again, controlling your blood sugar is vital to preventing the mechanism which causes you to store fat. 

3. Dump the junk and processed food. You know why! Full of trans fats, sugar, salt and who knows what else. Eating processed food won't take you towards your goals!