A recent study showed that mothers of young children tend to eat more and exercise less than women without children. Here are simple ways to exercise without the need to go to the gym.
It's not just about losing those pounds during pregnancy: mothers of young children can continue gaining inches in waist, according to a study published in the journal Pediatrics. Researchers found that mothers had a higher body mass index (BMI), consumed an average of 368 more calories a day, and averaged 1.5 hours less exercise per week than women without children.
With you, Health motivates new mothers to take the time to exercise because it is important for their own health and to set a good example as a healthy model for their children.
Regular exercise can help women to lose weight, improve muscle tone and increase energy levels, making it easier to cope with tasks like parents. Incorporating physical activity into your day can also help you manage stress better.
You do not need to spend hours in the gym to benefit from the exercise. It is recommended that people perform at least 30 minutes of physical activity a day, which can even divide into three sessions of 10 minutes. You can alternate between cardiovascular exercises, such as walking, jogging, cycling and swimming, and resistance training.
How can moms stay fit by performing home exercises?
Foremost, let's look at the simple fitness equipment that a mom can use to create a home workout routine. You will need a good exercise mat, tensions band, stability ball, and hand weights. These are some of the basic equipment that you need for an efficient workout at home.
1. While using an exercise mat, you can perform the traditional sit-ups and stomach crunches.
Sit ups are very important exercises as they can help you to get rid of the fat around your belly and also achieve a slimmer waist. They contribute to strengthening the abdominal muscles and your belly to be flat. These are exercises that can be done first thing in the morning or at any other time of the day.
2. Stability ball helps to complete abdominal strengthening routine.
The stability ball can be used for complete stomach crunches, push-ups and even reverse crunches. You will, however, need some time to learn how to use the balls before you are completely confident using them. You can substitute the traditional sit-ups with the stability ball exercises. A regular workout of at least fifteen minutes in the morning and fifteen minutes in the evening is enough to keep you fit.
3. The resistance bands
When performing exercises, you need to focus on working out your entire body and not just focusing on a particular part of the body. Resistance bands are used to create force and tone muscles in almost the entire body. When they are used well, they can strengthen your arms, ab muscles and the core muscles. It may be hard to perform exercises with tensions bands in the first few days, but once you get used to them, you will realize it is a breeze. When you combine stability ball with tensions bands and do ten minutes in the morning and evening, you will realize remarkable difference within a few weeks. The good thing is that tension bands are pretty cheap, and there are also a lot of workout videos that you can use to perform these exercises.
4. Use hand weights for simple weight lifting at home
Weight lifting is another component that you can incorporate into your regular workout routine. These weights will help to tone your arm muscles and help you to keep fit.
Here are some ways to incorporate an exercise program in other outdoor activities that will help them keep fit:
- Walk your children to school. Accompany your children to the bus stop and back to the house.
- Make several trips. When you go to the supermarket, make several trips from the car to the kitchen. Also when you take dirty laundry to the washing machine, make several trips.
- Cook meals from scratch. Preparing the food takes more time and energy than putting something in the microwave for five minutes. Prepare fresh food at home and stand up by burning more calories.
- Get out and play. Enjoy the outdoor activities with your children. Instead of juagr Wii or some board game, go out to play hidden or hopscotch.
- Walk while you talk. Take advantage of cell phone calls and go for a walk in the yard, up the stairs of your house, etc.
- Walk with friends. Agree with your friends and go walk their babies once a week to the neighborhood or park.
- Arrange the drawers. Add repetitions of squats while accommodating kitchen utensils, closet clothing, your room, etc. Do 3 reps of 10 squats.
- Yoga with your baby. Practice yoga positions with your baby. So entertain him and do you exercise at home.
- Use the stairs. If you have stairs at home, try using them several times a day.
It can be difficult for busy moms to get the exercise they need, but if you find time to focus on yourself, your entire family will benefit.
