Returning to exercise after having children
Fitting everything in when you have a young family isn’t easy. We talk to Keith McNiven personal trainer at Right Path Fitness about getting back into a fitness routine after having a break to have children
The most important thing is to initially take things slowly and be sure to gradually ease yourself back into a full intensity training programme; if you’ve had a lengthy break you might hurt yourself if you try too much too soon. While this might prove difficult at first if you’ve been used to maintaining regular training done at high-intensity prior to having children, be sure to stay focused on the fact that any well- structured training programme that is effective over the longer term, is always based on slow and steady progression – so don’t get frustrated!
Take extra care to warm-up properly at the start of each workout, as you’ll be at higher risk of injury after not having trained for so long, and complete a proper cool-down – proper rest will be especially important at this early stage. Start with specific exercises that you remember enjoying most, as during these early stages the training is likely to be a shock to your body, so it’s important to have fun and make workouts enjoyable! Finally, listen to what your body is telling you – if you sense certain exercises are placing too much strain on your body, stop.
