Babies tend to hinder the exercise routines of even the most hardened fitness fanatic so what hope is there for anyone starting an exercise routine after the baby has arrived?


If you are pregnant and you want continue to exercise, then the key is to adjust your goal so that your training is about maintaining fitness. If you haven’t been exercising and you wish to start then, as a general rule, if it feels good then it’s probably ok. Mum knows best and if mum’s not sure, she can always talk to her GP.


There are lots of gains to maintaining fitness during pregnancy. Exercise can improve your circulation, reduce swelling, help ease pain and shorten labour, control weight gain, and improve self-image.


The rule of thumb, once you’ve given birth, is that you need 6 weeks after a natural delivery and 12 weeks after a Caesarean section to give your body time to recover before you start exercising. Again, you should get the go ahead from your GP before starting.


Clearly, working out will help you ‘get back into shape’ (as Sarah said) but it will also help to improve your posture, and increase your stamina and energy levels. It will increase your metabolic rate and your self-confidence.


If you decide that having a new baby is hard enough for the time being, start your exercise programme by doing your pelvic floor exercises and move on from there.

I did a search online to find the Perfect Diet and I discovered that I can Lose 30 Pounds in just 30 Days, so long as I take a pill everyday.  I could Lose Stomach Fat by using a Mysterious Secret that Melts Belly Fat.  This ad turned out to be for America’s new #1 belly fat solution!  Available without prescription, melting away 20.2% body fat in 12 weeks and clinically proven safe and effective.  Wow!  This is amazing!  Why agonise about what I eat?


I checked with the NHS and sure enough they prescribe a couple of different pills however to get them you must either be obese or suffering health complications because of your weight.  They did talk about “over the counter” diet pills and the conclusions were pretty negative.  Taking the pills doesn’t look like a sensible path.


I know that being overweight isn’t good but what I didn’t realise was just how serious it really is.


According to the NHS, there are currently;

• 24 million people overweight or obese in the UK.
• 200,000 people die prematurely every year from illnesses that are linked to poor diets and unhealthy lifestyles.
• 80% of men and 70% of women eat too much salt, and
• something like 75% of the salt we consume has already been added to the food we buy.

I carried on to investigate the risks of a bad diet and it’s pretty scary reading; immune system deficiency, depression, irritability, anaemia, bleeding gums, aching joints, muscle weakness, fatigue, headaches, skin issues and then you’ve got the ones we all know about; diabetes, heart attacks, cancers and strokes.


So where now?  I know that I’ve got to think about Fruit, Veg, Protein, Carbs, Fats, Trans Fats, Fibre, Omega 3, Organic, Pre-packed Foods, Whole Foods, Low Fat, Caffeine, GI, Vitamins, Salt, Sugar and about when I am supposed to eat.  No wonder it’s easier not to think about it.


Is there an easy answer?


The Department of Health has promoted the idea of the Recommend Daily Allowance (RDA) of calories, carbs, proteins, fats, vitamins and minerals that the average person should consume.  But who wants a dietary check list for everyday?  The Department has tried to simplify this by recommending ‘5 a day’ - five portions of fruit and vegetables everyday and that should do it.  Definitely a good start, however, in Australia, they recommend 2 fruit and 5 veg a day and in Canada they recommend 8 to 10 portions.


I think that the best advice is to think actively about what you eat before you are hungry and here is a handful of tips that should help you;

• Enjoy a variety of foods
• Eat regularly
• Have different colours on your plate
• Make sure that fruit and vegetables should make up one third of the food you eat
• Make sure that unrefined starchy foods (e.g. bread, other cereals, pasta, rice and potatoes) should also make up about a third of your food intake
• Eat smaller portions
• Reduce processed food
• Limit fatty and sugary foods (burgers and sweets)

A lot of advice is available on the web sites I have listed below.  Much of it goes into a lot more detail.


Food Standards Agency
Weight Wise
BBC Nutrition
Department of Health – 5 a day