As a parent of a toddler, I have found it difficult to shed those last few pounds left after my son was born. As he’s gotten older, he goes to bed earlier. And with my husband on the road a lot for work, it means I can’t really leave the house once he’s asleep. At seven p.m.
While I still prefer going to the gym to take Pilates or yoga classes, I was happy to try out Rachelle’s regimen last night while my husband was gone. It’s not a long program — it took me about 15 minutes to complete — but it got my heart racing. My HR monitor said my average heart rate for those 15 minutes was 134 BPM and I burned 75 calories in those 15 minutes, so not a bad quarter of an hour. It would be the kind of workout I can add at home once or twice a week to bolster the regular classes I take 2 – 3 times a week. All while my son is asleep.
Working out while baby is sleeping
with advice from Rachelle Hill, PT, MSPT, CSCS and Ann Cowlin, MA, CSM, CCE
Any parent will tell you that taking care of young children can wear you out. They need constant care and attention, their schedule shifts from day to day and week to week, and their mood swings will definitely affect their parents’ demeanor.
While many moms (and dads) skip exercise because it’s too challenging to work into their schedule, exercise can help parents lose excess weight, minimize depression and feel better.
“Finding time to exercise is one of the biggest challenges for parents,” says Rachelle Hill (a physical therapist at Moreau Physical Therapy in Louisiana), “along with finding the energy to get going.” She recommends setting goals to help you stick to a routine. Whether the goal is losing weight, improving your health, or getting rid of back pain, she advises posting goals in highly visible areas, like the bathroom mirror or the front of the refrigerator, so they are hard to miss.