Fitness changes after kids
Fitness has always been in my life in some shape or form, right from the age of about 3. As a child, I was into gymnastics and dancing, and did them up to six times a week.
As a teenager, it was still dancing six times a week, with the occasional endurance run when I felt like it.
In my 20’s, I was still dancing but not as often, as I found the gym and began running more. It was in my 20’s that I became a Personal Trainer, gained a degree in Dance and a MSc in Dance Science, and loved the connection between dance and fitness. The benefits of resistance training and mobility work, were and still are, my main focus.
In my late 20’s and early 30’s I discovered how much I love hiking, the freedom, the adventure and the challenge. Both physical and mental with 2 kids in tow!
Workout plan
Prior to having my children, my typical weekly workout plan went like this:
3-4 x week 45 mins of resistance training
1 x week 30 mins cardio (intervals on the bike or a run)
I had lots of time to exercise, follow a plan and cook meals and snacks from scratch.
Now, after children, time and energy is limited! The sleepless nights, the extra caffeine, not knowing how long you’ll be able to workout for, the kids always know when you’re about to exercise, so my exercise routine had to change.
And I’m actually glad it did. My typical plan now goes more like this:
2-3 x week 30 mins of HIIT resistance training/circuits
1-2 x week 30 mins of cardio and core exercises
As you can see, it’s a bit different! But still just as effective, if not more so.
Throughout the week I do prioritise walking, aiming to hit 10,000 steps a day as a minimum. I am a big advocate for walking, no matter your age, fitness level or goal, walking has so many benefits for all of us physically and mentally and can really help you look, feel and move better.
Effective workouts
Now, the common misconception is that you have to spend hours in the gym each week, or run all the time to get a ‘good’ workout in, see results and feel good. Unfortunately, that’s just not the case.
When it comes to seeing results and having an effective workout, it is all about intensity and volume. That is why 30 minute workouts are your go to, (and mine!) to see the results you are working toward, to fit exercise around your busy life, and to feel great afterwards.
The majority of the ‘30 minute workouts’ you’ll find on the internet are based on High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT). This type of training combines periods of high intensity exercise with periods of low intensity back to back.
For example:
30 seconds of high intensity running - 8/10
30 seconds of low intensity running - 5/10
HIIT can be effective with cardio, bodyweight and resistance exercises, making it an easy and effective type of training to do.
As your body is working harder in the high intensity periods, there are a few important benefits to know:
increased VO2 Max - how efficiently your body can move and utilise oxygen improves, meaning you’ll be able to work at a harder rate and make it feel easy!
increase in endurance and aerobic capacity - oxygen consumption improves as mitochondrial density increases, so you can exercise for longer periods and intensities
increased EPOC - Excess Post-exercise Oxygen Consumption is the pretty scientific bit here, but the reason why you’ll keep burning calories after exercising. When doing HIIT, your body has more demand placed on it, so is working harder at the higher intensity, so is using more energy stores, with can elevate your metabolism for longer after exercise. This is due to the amount of energy your body needs to repair and recover afterwards, leading to more calories burnt
You’ll feel great afterwards! Getting a workout in, check! Getting it done in 30 minutes, check! You can get on with your day and know that you’re working towards your goals effectively
All these reasons are why HIIT training is so popular and I love it.
However, it is important to note that due to the high intensity of this type of training, you don’t need to do it every day, as that can lead to fatigue and burn out. Aim for 1 - 4 x week.
You can find effective HIIT workouts here.
Fitness changes postpartum
This has probably been the biggest change to my fitness routine after having children, but there are a few others, and you may experience these also:
The lack of sleep affects you in so many different ways, but motivation levels to exercise are really affected - Find out what keeps you motivated to exercise and reach your goals and stick to it! Whether that’s putting a poster of your goal on your wardrobe door, telling a friend your goal and deadline, having someone to workout with, watching inspiring people achieve their goals, setting a timer everyday for exercise or having an all terrain buggy to get outside
Your recovery will take longer - Sleep deprivation will affect your recovery, so waking up each morning makes me feel so old! This is when your protein intake is really important, make sure you are having enough protein at each meal to aid recovery and repair to help you feel strong
Your plan will change - some days you won’t get a workout in, some days you might just get 15 minutes in. I’ve been there when both kids need a nappy change, then one needs milk, then it’s nap time and it just doesn’t happen. It can be frustrating and annoying, it can be very frustrating and annoying, but you have to do what you can and try again the next day. Keep going, keep trying. Every workout counts and matters
Some days loaded carrys are enough! - I love hiking and carrying both my children on a hike is enough for all of us sometimes!
It is always important to warmup before you exercise and cool down after, I know that can seem impossible with children around, but 3-5 minutes can make a difference.
The hardest thing to do is to start, but once you do, there’s nothing holding you back.
You've got this!