Fitness life after baby

One of my favorite clientele to work with are pre/post natal women.  I specialize in helping women get their pre-baby body back.  One of the keys to doing so is having a game plan both before, during & after pregnancy. Be realistic you probably will not be able to spend hours at the gym anymore.  You should not beat yourself up for not spending as much time as you were before baby.  You have a new little one priorities change and you will need to adjust your life accordingly.  So below are tips that will help you reach your ideal body and show you your fitness life after baby.

Tips for Pre-Baby Body Bounce Back

1.  Start small: If you worked out during pregnancy you should start where you left off.  As long as you don't have diastasis recti (when your abdominals split) you should start with core moves.  Bird/Dogs, planks, cat/camel pose.  Make sure you get your doctors permission before you start any workout program post baby.  
2. Don't beat yourself up: If you can't do as many reps, weight, or even run as long as you used to don't fret.  You just had a child and your body needs to recover.  If you worked out during pregnancy your body will bounce back quicker then if you didn't workout during pregnancy.
3. Set smart goals: Don't worry about I have to lose 30 pounds to get my body back.  Set small monthly goals.  A reasonable amount is 1-2 pounds a week, so setting a goal of 8 pounds a month is reasonable.  Stick to those smaller goals rather then trying to tackle losing the 30 lbs in the first month.  You didn't put that weight on in 1 month and you most likely will not take it off in 1 month.
4. Watch what you eat: If you are breast feeding you will need to consume extra calories usually 300-500 calories.  When eating those "extra" calories watch what you are eating.  Don't gorge on junk food, wine, and potato chips.  Make them count and feed your body with nourishment.  This will help you reach your fitness goals a little faster as well.
5. Work out at home: New mommies don't always have the time to pack up their gym bags,  your new babies clothes, diaper bag and then get in the car unload everything, drive to the gym, unpack the car, then drop off the baby at the childcare center.  That can take up to 30 minutes just doing those tasks.  If you know you won't get to the gym invest in some dumbbells.  Start with 2 sets a lighter & heavier set.  You can do so much with a set of dumbbells & bodyweight while your baby is napping.  Don't think you can't get results at home.  I personally love a good workout at home to get a little variety in my usual gym setting environment.

Those are just a few examples to get you started on your workouts, nutrition & motivation pre-baby.  One thing that always helps is writing down your goals or having a friend help you out as well.

As always check out www.safiretraining.com for more fitness & nutrition information.  Don't forget to sign-up below for our bi-weekly fitness tips that only our subscribers get. 

In good health,

Andrea

First Name * Email *

21 Day Challenge

Today started SaFire Trainings 21 day challenge!  What is it you say?  Well this challenge is meant for you to have fun and enjoy new experiences.  Each day for the next 21 days there is a daily challenge meant to help you enjoy life, relieve stress and schedule some me time back into your life.  Everyone is always go, go, go nowadays they don't stop and smell the roses.  So this challenge is meant to make you slow down, enjoy life and do it with a community of like minded women who want to experience the same results.  Below is your day by day guide on how to complete the challenge and enjoy the community of women who are experiencing the fun for themselves.

www.safiretraining.com  

Interested in joining our free 21 day challenge all you have to do is post a photo to instagram or facebook with the hashtag #safiretraining doing the challenge of the day.  The challenge starts Oct. 16th and runs for 3 weeks, everyone wins since the challenges are meant to get you out of your comfort zone & reward yourself throughout the process. Week 1  Day 1 Wednesday, Oct. 16th: Try a new recipe today Day 2 Thursday, Oct. 17th: Read a for "fun" book 20 minutes today Day 3 Friday, Oct. 18th: Make or cook something from your pinterest board no pinterest board create a Fall craft of your choice Day 4 Saturday, Oct. 19th: Head to a pumpkin patch Day 5 Sunday, Oct. 20th: Enjoy breakfast in bed Day 6 Monday, Oct. 21st: Enjoy a cup of tea or coffee Day 7 Tuesday, Oct. 22nd: Create a vision board of your fitness goals Week 2 Day 8 Wednesday, Oct. 23rd: Plan your weekend today Day 9 Thursday, Oct. 24th: Smile at a stranger today Day 10 Friday, Oct. 25th: Enjoy a date night with a friend, significant other, child or parent Day 11 Saturday, Oct. 26th: Get a outside run in.  Bonus points for a monster or zombie run this weekend! Day 12 Sunday, Oct. 27th: Recover from your run with a manicure or pedicure today Day 13 Monday, Oct. 28th: Try a tabata workout today.  Here is a link to one http://safiretraining.com/video-workouts/ Day 14 Tuesday, Oct. 29th: Enjoy a pumpkin spice latte or apple cider Week 3  Day 15 Wednesday, Oct. 30th: Go to a yoga class today Day 16 Thursday, Oct. 31st:  Dress up in a Halloween costume today.  Don't forget to post your photo to our Halloween costume challenge. Day 17 Friday, Nov. 1st: Have dinner & drinks (can be water) with your gal pals Day 18 Saturday, Nov. 2nd: Go dancing (even if you have two left feet) Day 19 Sunday, Nov. 3rd: Get a facial Day 20 Monday, Nov. 4th: Have a breakfast shake Day 21 Tuesday, Nov. 5th: Do your favorite workout today The goal of the contest is to have fun!  Feel free to share this challenge with friends and enjoy the 3 weeks of bliss.

Creative Cardio Workout Plans

How many people like to trudge away on the treadmill to get their cardio workout in 3-5 times a week?  The answer, not many. I myself enjoy the treadmill but know I am not the majority on this one.  So what can you do to get your heart rate up to burn those calories without being on the treadmill for hours on end?  Here are some options:

Option 1: Cardio Lifting
*Don't be scared by the title

1. Squats with a shoulder press
2. Step-ups onto a bench with a bicep curl
3. Lunge w/woodchopper
4. SB-V-up pass thrus
5. Up-Down Planks
6. Dips w/toe reach
7. Chest press to a crunch
8. Deadlift to a row

*Repeat above exercises 1 time if you are a beginner, 2 times intermediate and 3-4 for advanced, you want to do 10-15 reps of each exercise

Option 2: Cardio Mix-Ups
*Note this workout is best when the gym is not to busy

1.On cardio equipment of your choice 2 minutes at the top speed you can handle
2. Get off and perform 20 squats
3. On another piece of cardio equipment of your choice 2 minutes at the top speed you can handle
4. Get off and perform 20 lunges
5. Back to 1st cardio equipment 2 minutes at the top speed you can handle
6. Get off and perform 15 jump squats (regular squats if you cannot do jump squats)
7. Side step-ups to bench w/shoulder press- 10 a side
8. Cable Woodchoppers- 10 a side
9. Pull-ups or assisted pull-ups- 15
10. Split Jumps (regular lunges if you cannot do split jumps)- 14

*Repeat above exercises 1 time if you are a beginner, 2 times intermediate and 3-4 for advanced

***Note above workouts are to be performed after a 5-10 minute warm-up and should include a 5-10 minute cool down to get your heart rate back down.

If you don't know what some of the workouts are google the names and it should pop up or check out my website for videos on some of the exercises.  www.safiretraining.com