For someone who just turned 25, I felt really old and saggy from motherhood already. As I became a mum, not to one but to two babies at the same time, they seemed to become my world and they literally sucked up my entire time. I had no me time, forget any time to exercise.
But then I happened to go out with my girl friends who weren’t married and found out that they felt so young and alive, they still had a fresh perspective towards life while I was all sad and negative about life. That’s when I realized I might be getting sucked into depression slowly and once self realization struck me, I decided to help myself out of it. And i know with out a proper fitness plan it would be imposible to do that.
I have consolidated a set of super fun activities that a new mum can actually enjoy and also stay fit at the same time, along with her baby. These are a few activities that I took up on my path to pursue happiness.
• Swimming
One activity that would never be rid of the fun is swimming. Be it the mum or the baby, both are bound to love this activity to the same extent. All your muscles get exhausted while swimming which helps the mom to shed some of that baby fat she accumulated over pregnancy and it strengthens the muscles of the baby.
• Zumba with baby in carrier
This is one fun activity for all those new mums who enjoy dancing. The beat part is you don’t have to find a babysitter because your baby is with you dancing in the baby carrier. The only problem is that the baby should have a steady neck so as to sit in the carrier comfortably. This is one way to stay with your baby while burning some calories.
• Walks
Tuck your little one into a stroller and head out into the sun. This helps you burn some calories while absorbing some very essential vitamin D as you will through the early morning sun. This exercise is a simple way of clearing all your mental blocks while being on your feet. It also allows you some essential me time which helps you to catch up with all your very own thoughts and emotions.
• Wedding planning
This one amazing thing to do if you are a stay at home mom and one of your cousins is getting married. This task can keep you engaged for hours together while pull off the whole wedding over your phone, planning and arranging everything. This works best if you have a very well managed contact list to meet all your needs. Either ways this is an amazing way to keep fit mentally and physically.
• Gardening
If you have kids who are slightly older, then teaching them all about gardening is a total achievement by itself. In today’s world kids hardly realize the importance of planting trees and cultivation. Using this idea we can start a garden of our own if you have some open space around your house. Else you could he’d out to local farms around your area where they would be more than happy about you help g around in the farm. It would also be a fun filled family outing too.
• Open space time
Let your little one loose in an open space like a farm, and your exercise begins. You run behind them, help them jump hurdles and in turn burn a lot of calories. This is a fun way to keep your little one engaged while you both explore the world together and learn all about nature and it’s ways. It may sound like a simple task but then once you get into it, only then do you realize how difficult it can get.
• Pedal Boating
This is found in and around most lakes of the city. It is a fun task to do together with your kids especially the little older ones. Both you and your kid has to pedal the boat to reach the end point. Pedaling may sound easy but it is a very difficult task especially when kids wouldn’t want to pedal after a while and it definitely burns a lot of calories. This task is all about spending quality time together with your little one while burning calories.
• Cycling
Mums with older kids, this one is for you. As your kids reach a certain age it becomes very difficult to spend time with them and speak to them freely. So it activities like these that will help you to open up with your kids. Find cycling paths along your locality so that you can go cycling together and explore the world together. It’s also a fun way to burn calories in the process of having some mom and son time.
• Carrier Marathons
It has become a trend to organize marathons for new moms. Women are allowed to carry their little ones in a carrier while they participate in the marathon. Not just that, some marathons are so specific about having carriers for participating moms. Several marathons of this kind has been happening around Bangalore and is very popular amongst the new mom communities.
• Paired yoga
Teach your kids while they are young and you will have an habit inculcated ad they grow up. Pair them with you while you do yoga to make things more fun and interesting. Teach them, compete with them and get them into the habit of doing yoga out of the fun spirit of it and not out of force. Great way to bond together while burning calories.
All these are different things I have tried to do with my kids so that I can spend quality time with them while I get to burn calories. Ll these activities have made life better for me, as I get my physical activity and me time. Sometimes this is what keeps me sane and I see a drastic difference in my attitude and outward behavior after a good activity session. Also o feel these activities are also about bring you and your kids closer together as they grow older. It’s a great way to bond and burning calories is just another perk.