I used to work out consistently. Before I got married, I worked out about 2 hours a day 6 days a week. This might have been a bit much, but I felt great. Some days I would work out 3 to 4 hours. While I realize that doing the elliptical is easier than running, I would feel triumphant when the milage on the elliptical would tip over 26.2 miles. I have never run a marathon, but I have ellipticalled one.
When I started my graduate program in Medical Dietetics, disaster struck (or at least disaster to my healthy lifestyle). I feel that it is ironic that my fitness and healthy eating deteriorated as I learned more about nutrition. But I started getting migraines, that I would have about 15 days of the month, and I knew two things: 1.) if I ate pretty constantly I was less likely to get a migraine, and 2.) if I had a migraine the worst thing in the world was movement. That is a bad combination.
I have gotten to the point now that I only have migraines about 3-6 days a month (when I get a migraine, it lasts for exactly three days) with medication. But I never got back into the swing of working out. When I got pregnant, I was sick as a dog for 6 months with morning sickness. When that passed, I was having pre-term labor and was put on bed rest. When Gwen was born, she was a little monster. I have since found out that it is because she felt bad all the time (I can turn into a bit of a monster when I have heartburn). She sleeps poorly, a habit that she learned when she would have to wake often to eat to get rid of the pain. I am exhausted. I barely have enough energy to care for my little girl. But I think that if I were to get back to working out and eating better, that I would get more energy.
But when do I have time to exercise? If she would nap consistently for 1.5-2 hours, I could fit in a workout easy. But I never know if it is going to be a 30 minute nap or a 2 hour nap (while she is doing better with napping, she still often can't sleep into a second sleep cycle). At night all I can think of is how painfully tired I am.
The answer is that I am going to utilize my little personal trainer. I have discovered that she thinks it is fun to be a free weight. She weighs 17 pounds, so, while she isn't super heavy, my muscles get fatigued after lifting her for a while. Here is the Gwen Vogt exercise program:
1.) During naps: do the stairs in our house 25 times. This takes about 15 minutes. Even if she takes a short nap, I know I can get this in. It also allows me to complete other necessary tasks during her nap.
2.) Baby bench presses: She LOVES being bench pressed. She will giggle and is all smiles.
3.) Lower ab workout: This one is a little bit trickier to describe. I discovered it quite by accident, but she seems to have fun. Here's what you do: lay down on your back with your knees bent, like you are going to do some crunches. Cross your ankles and spread out your knees some. Set baby down on your pelvis, with her arms hooked over your legs and her neck against your ankles. Slowly lower baby with your legs and lift baby, keeping your lower abs tight. Sometimes she likes it if I turn her around so she is standing on my pelvis and hugging my feet (if she is sitting like this, however, I can't lower her as far since I don't want her to face plant into the ground).
4.) Baby curls: This one was easier when she was smaller but is getting more difficult. I just hold her in my hands and curl her up towards my body.
5.) Baby Squats: I just hold her and do squats like a normal exerciser.
This is all that I have come up with so far. Has anyone else come up with other exercises that you can do with your baby?
When I started my graduate program in Medical Dietetics, disaster struck (or at least disaster to my healthy lifestyle). I feel that it is ironic that my fitness and healthy eating deteriorated as I learned more about nutrition. But I started getting migraines, that I would have about 15 days of the month, and I knew two things: 1.) if I ate pretty constantly I was less likely to get a migraine, and 2.) if I had a migraine the worst thing in the world was movement. That is a bad combination.
I have gotten to the point now that I only have migraines about 3-6 days a month (when I get a migraine, it lasts for exactly three days) with medication. But I never got back into the swing of working out. When I got pregnant, I was sick as a dog for 6 months with morning sickness. When that passed, I was having pre-term labor and was put on bed rest. When Gwen was born, she was a little monster. I have since found out that it is because she felt bad all the time (I can turn into a bit of a monster when I have heartburn). She sleeps poorly, a habit that she learned when she would have to wake often to eat to get rid of the pain. I am exhausted. I barely have enough energy to care for my little girl. But I think that if I were to get back to working out and eating better, that I would get more energy.
But when do I have time to exercise? If she would nap consistently for 1.5-2 hours, I could fit in a workout easy. But I never know if it is going to be a 30 minute nap or a 2 hour nap (while she is doing better with napping, she still often can't sleep into a second sleep cycle). At night all I can think of is how painfully tired I am.
The answer is that I am going to utilize my little personal trainer. I have discovered that she thinks it is fun to be a free weight. She weighs 17 pounds, so, while she isn't super heavy, my muscles get fatigued after lifting her for a while. Here is the Gwen Vogt exercise program:
1.) During naps: do the stairs in our house 25 times. This takes about 15 minutes. Even if she takes a short nap, I know I can get this in. It also allows me to complete other necessary tasks during her nap.
2.) Baby bench presses: She LOVES being bench pressed. She will giggle and is all smiles.
3.) Lower ab workout: This one is a little bit trickier to describe. I discovered it quite by accident, but she seems to have fun. Here's what you do: lay down on your back with your knees bent, like you are going to do some crunches. Cross your ankles and spread out your knees some. Set baby down on your pelvis, with her arms hooked over your legs and her neck against your ankles. Slowly lower baby with your legs and lift baby, keeping your lower abs tight. Sometimes she likes it if I turn her around so she is standing on my pelvis and hugging my feet (if she is sitting like this, however, I can't lower her as far since I don't want her to face plant into the ground).
4.) Baby curls: This one was easier when she was smaller but is getting more difficult. I just hold her in my hands and curl her up towards my body.
5.) Baby Squats: I just hold her and do squats like a normal exerciser.
This is all that I have come up with so far. Has anyone else come up with other exercises that you can do with your baby?
That is really a bit much but since it makes you feel good. It is okay.
ReplyDeletePersonal trainers joondalup