#45: Why is it more challenging to exercise consistently when you had your first baby after 35

Before having a baby I trained a lot. As a fitness trainer I taught a few classes a week. I was into hiking, cycling up mountains, bouldering, snowboarding and training even more at home. Today it feels like a lot but before, it was quite normal to me. I loved it. I didn’t have many issues with motivation. As long as I had a good night’s sleep it was great.

Today it is way different. Not only because it is three years later and I simply got older, but mainly because I don’t get enough sleep.

#44: 30 day 5-min exercise challenge for tired mums

It isn’t always easy to find time to exercise. From the moment I wake up I am on “mummy” duty. During breakfast I think about lunch. During lunch I plan dinner. I make sure Freya sleeps enough, eats enough, drinks enough, reads enough, has time to do puzzles, go outside at least twice a day, shopping, washing, cleaning…

Yet exercising makes me feel good in my body. Helps me perform all these tasks safely and keeps me pain free. As soon as I stop, I notice discomfort in different parts of my body, in my back, glutes, neck and shoulders. It also helps me have more energy to stay patient and laugh when days get hard.

Therefore, I prepared this 30 day exercise challenge for tired mums. We exercise only 5-min a day (in sync with our menstrual cycle). Read more to check all benefits and “rules”.

#43: One thing tired mums should stop doing to stay consistent with exercising

After my pregnancy I was so impatient to get back to exercising. I was fed up with my mummy tummy and the lowest fitness level I had ever had. I didn’t feel good in my body. All I wanted to do was feel “normal” again. When I started training again I went all in. I went too hard. I overdid it, got fatigued and needed to take another break to recover. In this post I am sharing my story with you and explaining what is the better way to get back to exercising after having a baby (at the age of 40).

#38: Why practising self-care is important for new mums?

Rest, nutrition, walking and gentle moves are all part of your self-care routine. You don’t need anything sophisticated to start feeling better and have more energy.

A child’s physical and mental wellbeing depends on the mother’s health.

Investing time in ourselves and taking care of ourselves is investing in our family and healthy happy life. There is no better motivation than that.

New Mum, Training, Nutrition, exercise Karolina ZywickaJuly 1, 2022new mum, postnatal fitness, hormones, female, woman, self careComment

#37: When will I finally lose my baby belly?

I have been asking this question for a while now. Freya is 21 months old and I am still carrying some baby weight especially around my waist. It looks like it takes a while if you’re trying to stay healthy and energised at the same time.

Restorative nutrition and rest are the main elements for a new mum to focus on for as long as possible, especially for as long as you’re breastfeeding.

Hormones are the key to everything.

#33: The best first exercise for a new mum that you can do 14 days after giving birth

Despite what Mr. Google says you should never start your postnatal recovery with any of these exercises: hip bridge, tricep dip, modified side plank, bird dog or plie squat.

They sound safe, and they will be after a few months, but before you start performing them, you have to first rebuild your muscle-mind connection and strength in your deep abdominal muscles.

Today, many women have distended abdominal muscles years after having children.

If we start exercising before we restore our abdominal muscle-mind connection and rebuild our strength, we risk destabilising the back and the whole body. The risk is even higher after a c-section or pelvic floor injury during birth.

#32: How to start exercising after having a baby

The images of different stars and celebrities looking amazing only 12 weeks after giving birth are extremely encouraging but at the same time misleading. Look at Kate Middletown for example. She looked stunning 8 hours after giving birth to her third child and back to her pre pregnancy body just three months later. That leaves most mum with this unrealistic expectation that postnatal recovery is so fast. It makes us try dieting and extreme exercising too soon, leaving us stressed, fatigued and sometimes even fatter (as our body stores fat when we’re stressed).