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Making New Year resolutions is a good thing. They help us think about our lives and
give us some positive goals to focus on. But many of us forget our resolutions within
the first few weeks of the year - perhaps day one if you've decided to eat healthily
but find yourself tucking into a bacon buttie on New Year's Day!
The secret is to make resolutions that are realistic and have a feel good factor. Even more
importantly, just because you don't stick to your resolution for a day or week, doesn't mean
you need to abandon it in an all or nothing approach. Just pick up where you left off and keep
going.
Fitness
After the Christmas indulgence, most people want to get fit. If this is your resolution,
find a friend who can join you. Motivate each other to keep going and make your sessions
fun so that you actually look forward to them.
Before the birth
- If you're pregnant, consult with your doctor first before embarking on any fitness regime. Some exercises worth doing include:
- Pelvic Floor exercises: A stronger pelvic floor can assist with improved control
of your bladder and bowel. Pelvic floor exercises are also recommended for improved
muscle tone during pregnancy and childbirth.
- Walking: Grab your headphones, put an energy boosting soundtrack on and crank
the volume up. Wear comfortable clothes and shoes and get walking. The music will
get you in a great mood and uplift your spirits.
- Gentle yoga: excellent for relaxation and flexibility. Hatha Yoga is good or,
if you're unsure, find a class especially for pregnant women.
- Swimming: If you're not excited by the thought of doing laps then why not join
a water aerobics class? Water will support your weight and you can work at your own pace.
After the birth
- Ask your doctor when you can begin exercising again. For most women it's generally within four to
six weeks, but if you've had a Caesarean, you'll probably need longer to recover. Bear in mind that it
takes time to fully recover from childbirth, and it could take up to one year for your body to return
to the way it was before you became pregnant. Don't be too hard on yourself and have realistic expectations
about what you can achieve. Exercise could include:
- Core muscle training: yoga and pilates are excellent for that post-baby tummy and can be
done at your own level. There are even mum and baby classes now where you can bring your baby
with you.
- Walking: Who needs a gym when you've got a pram loaded with baby and shopping? Pushing that
pram uphill is an excellent calorie burner but make sure you pay attention to your posture:
don't lean over or slouch. Walking with a friend turns it into a great social outing too.
- Swimming or water aerobics: Ideal for toning and improving your cardio vascular ability
without any jarring impact.
- Exercise Videos - If you're really pushed for time and you haven't got anyone to help out,
you could try an exercise video - there are several on the market aimed at new mums.
- Dancing - if you don't have time or the inclination for anything more structured, put your
baby in their bouncer, put on a high energy CD and dance around the room. Your baby will watch
you fascinated and you'll feel better and you'll be burning calories!
Healthy eating
Being pregnant or breastfeeding is often a great excuse to get stuck into the chocolate biscuits.
But it's important to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. Healthy doesn't have to mean boring though.
Keep the following basic principles for a balanced diet in mind:
- One third fruit and vegetables
- One third energy-packed starchy carbohydrate foods like bread, potatoes and pasta
- One sixth protein foods like meat, poultry, cheese, pulses and dairy products
- The tiniest amount of sugar and fat
- All washed down with plenty of water
Make healthy eating more fun:
- Hold cooking parties with your friends where you each bring a healthy recipe to get new ideas.
- Order an organic veg box. You'll be supporting local farmers but the increased
variety of veg will stop you relying on the same old things.
- Plan meals that include a wide palette of colours and shapes for eye-appeal,
and a variety of textures and temperatures for tongue-appeal.
- Perk up food flavours with small amounts of intense-flavoured ingredients such as sharp
cheese (pasteurised if pregnant), toasted nuts or fruity olive oil.
- Book a summer holiday and buy a new bikini. Hang it on the fridge. Use it as inspiration
everytime you're looking for a snack.
Making friends
If you've spent years socialising with work colleagues or the same old circle of friends,
you might find the prospect of making new friends quite daunting. But being pregnant or
having a baby is a great way to meet new people. And they may well become your best
friends. Here's how to do it:
- Go to local mum and baby groups, your local NCT or ante-natal class.
- Pluck up the courage and talk to someone. They're probably just as
nervous as you and will be very thankful that you chatted to them.
- Show an interest in their children/pregnancy. They will immediately warm to you.
- Suggest you meet for a playdate or coffee - again, they're probably just as keen to make friends as you are.
- End each get together by arranging another.
- Get to know your neighbours. You'll probably be spending far more time at home now and this might be your
first real chance to get to meet your neighbours. So be neighbourly and pop round with some homemade biscuits
or simply invite them round for a coffee.
- Use one of the online parenting forums to meet mums in your local area.
Make time for yourself
For some reason we seem to think that resolutions are things we need to give up.
But this is a resolution to claim back, specifically reclaiming some 'Me Time':
- Book yourself into a regular class - whether it's fitness, cookery course, painting,
golf lessons - you name it! Just book it and stick to it. Even if it feels like a chore
to get there, once you're there you will rediscover how lovely it is to just be on your
own doing something for you. Ensure that someone can watch your child or find a class
that offers a creche facility.
- Have regular dates with your husband or partner. It's critical that you spend time alone as a couple.
- If you work, make sure you book all your holiday time - don't let it go unused. Even if you aren't
going away anywhere, use the time to relax and catch up on sleep.
- Nap when your baby naps - and enlist your partner or hire a cleaner to do the chores!
Wishing you all the best for a happy, healthy 2007.
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