From books to bootcamps, getting fit after having a baby has never been so easy, writes FIONA REDDAN
IN YEARS gone by, new mothers typically enjoyed grace periods of at least six months – if not six years – from getting involved in fitness activities. Now there are no excuses. Can’t find a babysitter? Bring the baby along. Had a Caesarean section? No problem, you just have to wait an extra few weeks. But while there may now be an unwelcome emphasis on keeping your figure during and after pregnancy thanks to all the celebrity mums, making fitness activities accessible for everyone is surely to be welcomed. So, if you’re looking forward to a new arrival or have recently welcomed one, what are your options?
FOR DANCING MOTHERS: If you’re missing your weekly fix of throwing some moves in the local nightclub, you might be interested to learn that Activemum runs a series of dance classes aimed at both mothers-to-be, and new mothers. Taking place across Dublin, mothers are encouraged to bring their babies in slings so that they can enjoy the movements also. Those who have yet to give birth are asked to bring a note from their GP indicating that they are cleared to exercise.
Cost: €10 a class
For details: activemum.ie
FOR FRESH-AIR LOVERS:If you need a little bit of motivation to get out walking with your new arrival, signing up for a class can help you exercise while you push your buggy.
Buggy Bootcamp offers classes in north and south Dublin, and involves a 60-minute workout aimed at burning excess baby fat and toning and strengthening muscles. And the older the child in the buggy, the more strenuous the work-out. In Wexford, Buggy Body Tone offers similar classes.
Cost: €8-€10 a class
For details: buggybootcamp.ie/ facebook.com/BuggyBodyTone
FOR THOSE WHO LIKE TO STRETCH:For many mothers-to-be, yoga and pilates are an enjoyable way of preparing for the birth, while postnatal classes can help restore the body.
Reform in south Dublin offers pilates classes for mothers at either side of the birth. Expectant mothers can start classes once they pass the 12-week mark and are classified as a low-risk pregnancy. The aim of such classes is to maintain core strength to support the back, hips and stomach during childbirth.
At Pilates Physiotherapy in Cork, postnatal classes are offered aimed at helping women retrain weakened tummy muscles and strengthen the pelvic floor. And babies are welcome.
Cost: From about €13 a class
For details: reformdublin.ie/ pilatesphysiocork.ie
FOR BOOK LOVERS:If you're unable or not inclined to attend a fitness class, you can still try to keep in shape in the comfort of your own home by reading a book.
Belfast-born Marie Behenna runs antenatal fitness classes which aim to take mums-to-be from the early days of pregnancy through to the delivery and beyond, and has now put her “Fitmama Method” down on paper in a new book.
The book goes through the various exercises she recommends at different stages of pregnancy, such as good posture techniques, abdominal exercises and pelvic floor strengthening. It also comes with recipes and personal soundbites from mothers.
Cost: £10.50 ( amazon.co.uk)
For details: fitmama.org
FOR BEFORE AND AFTER THE BIRTH: If you're looking to commit to a fitness programme that will bring you up to the birth and beyond, then Baby Body Fit, a three-stage maternity fitness plan, might be for you. It is designed initially to strengthen the body while pregnant; then adapted to get back into exercise and lose unwanted weight soon after the birth, and, thirdly, to help keep up a healthy lifestyle after returning to work and a normal life.
The exercise programme combines an effective cardio workout during pregnancy, combined with yoga and pilates exercises, and classes are held outdoors in the summer, moving into local community centres and gyms in winter time. Babies are welcome in the postnatal classes.
Cost: €10 a class
For details: babybodyfit.ie
For budding yoga fans: But it’s not all about the mother’s fitness. Baby is important too, and yoga classes aimed at helping them stretch out and stimulate their little bodies now take place all around the country. Parents can join in too of course, and there are usually exercises aimed at helping them relax.
Beautiful Beginnings holds classes in the Caritas Centre in Dublin 4, and each session is followed by coffee and scones.
Cost: €150 for 5 weeks
For details: beautifulbeginnings.ie
FIT FOR ACTION: TRIM UP WITH BABY IN TOW
FOR MARIE-LOUISE Moher, the arrival of her baby daughter Olivia in July 2011 came as a shock.
Prior to her pregnancy, she had always been pretty fit and healthy, and exercised until she was six months pregnant, keeping up aerobics classes in her local gym. But once Olivia was born, she was advised not to exercise until she was 10 weeks post-natal because Olivia had been delivered by Caesarean section.
“I was dying to get out by then. I was going stir crazy and was ready to start doing something,” Moher recalls.
For Moher, her outlet came through Baby Body Fit, which is a three-stage pre and postnatal fitness plan. The best thing about the classes was that the baby could come too.
“That was the benefit of it, you didn’t have to go to the gym and get someone to mind the baby. You could bring the baby in the pram and take time out from the class if you needed to tend the baby,” she says, adding that if the babies kicked up a crying chorus, they would go for a jog with the buggies.
The classes focus on interval training, which Moher has found extremely effective in helping her shrug off the baby weight and restore her fitness.
“I’m slimmer now than I’ve ever been, and I’m in better shape,” she says.
But it’s not just about the exercise. A post-class coffee with the other mothers is also important.
“I’m a psychologist myself and I think it’s really important for your own sense of self and mental health that you get out of the house and make contact with other people. Otherwise you can feel isolated and it can be a long day at home with a baby,” notes Moher.
Olivia is now 15 months old but Moher is still keeping up her classes. She works part-time so finds the times convenient – and it means that Olivia can come too.
KILKENNY HEALTHY TOWN: UPCOMING EVENTS
30th: Irish Cancer Society talk on cancer risk reduction at Langton’s Hotel at 7pm.
1st: Talk by Dr Sarah O’Doherty, clinical psychologist on Preserving your own positive mental health as a parent at 7pm, at River Court Hotel, John Street.
3rd: Mayor’s Walk at 11am from the Parade.
Let Dance: Leadership skills Dance Workshop for teenagers in Mooncoin – Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 11am to 2pm
For more details of The Irish Times/Pfizer Healthcare healthy towns initiative, see irishtimes.com/healthytowns
