This time last year my little boy Noah was born! I love him with all my heart and he’s a pure bundle of joy, but being a parent is absolutely exhausting and very time consuming!

It’s difficult to get time to yourself and very easy to let your health and fitness deteriorate. Even somebody like myself who loves the gym and working out has found it difficult at times to motivate myself to train. 

I know exactly what it’s like to feel tired all the time and have zero energy! 

The truth is though that it doesn’t have to be this way, there are lots of things that can be done without taking up too much time and adding extra stress to your already hectic lifestyle!

In this blog post i’m going to share 4 tips that have worked for me and also the mum clients I work with at LEP Fitness…

#1 Two Types Of Training…

There are two styles of training that can really help mums get fit…

1) HIIT training – High Intensity Interval Training. Sessions are short and intense. For the busy mum, 10 minutes of HIIT training 3x per week will be plenty. 

2) LISS training – Low Intensity Steady State exercise. For example walking is a perfect example of LISS training.

By combining both of the above you will be able to boost your cardiovascular fitness, improve muscle definition and your bodies ability to burn fat. 

A good weekly routine could be…

• Monday – morning HIIT Workout (10 mins) + 30 minute pram walk later on in the day 
• Tuesday – 30-60 minute pram walk
• Wednesday – morning HIIT Workout (10 mins) + 30 minute pram walk later on in the day 
• Thursday – 30-60 minute pram walk
• Friday – morning HIIT Workout (10 mins) + 30 minute pram
• Saturday – 30-60 minute pram walk
• Sunday – 30-60 minute pram walk

I would recommend doing your HIIT workout first thing in the morning. It’s best to do HIIT training when you have more energy (presuming you had a good nights sleep that is!) 

#2 Fitness Classes…

There are plenty of organisations/business that offer affordable fitness classes for mums. It’s a great way to get out, meet other mums and complete a fun fitness workout. As it’s a class it will also be less expensive compared to hiring a private personal trainer.   

Most classes will only last 45 minutes so it wont take up much of the day and you’ll feel better for going. 

Take some time out today to google local fitness classes for mums and book yourself in. 

If you want some alone gym time – plenty of Virgin gyms have facilities for kids, i.e. a creche so that you can go to the gym whilst your child is being well looked after.  

#3 Hire a Personal trainer…

If you have the money then why not book in with a private personal trainer? Just make-sure they are happy for you to bring your kid(s). 

You’ll likely find that most private personal training studios will be more than happy to accommodate your situation and make both you and your children feel welcome. 

It’s something that I offer my clients, and they really appreciate the effort involved. It’s also pretty fun playing around with kids toys in between sets!

#4 Take The Stress Out Of Healthy Nutrition…

As I’m sure most of you know… nutrition is absolutely key. Not only to maintain a healthy weight but also for energy and mood. 

It’s very easy as a parent to get stuck in the fast food lifestyle, mainly because there’s little energy at the end of the day to cook for yourself.  It’s much easier to whack a pizza in the oven or order a takeaway!

The problem is that whilst this is easier to do in the short term it will make you feel sluggish the next day and you’ll likely reach for the quick fix sugary snacks/energy drinks again! It becomes a viscous cycle. 

I know what it’s like to live of caffeine and sugar! It keeps you going but also causes mood and energy swings – it’s like being on a rollercoaster at Alton Towers!

There are quite a few tips to make your life easier when it comes to eating healthy. Pick the ones that work best for you…

• Choose healthy snacks – for example things like nuts, protein shakes/bars, and fruit are all good quality foods to snack on throughout the day. 
• Limit your caffeine intake to 2x per day. The more caffeine you have the more you rely on it. Try and stick to under 2 cups per day. 
• Cook easy meals – the Body Coach and Jamie Oliver have some great recipes that don’t require spending hours in the kitchen, are healthy and extremely tasty. 
• Eat when your baby/child eats – get into a good routine of eating alongside them. For example when they have their morning milk or breakfast you have a protein bar, etc, etc throughout the day.
• Drink plenty of water – as a busy mum you’ll need to be having at least 3 litres of fluid per day (ideally 4). Get into the habit of regularly sipping on water throughout the day.
• Get somebody to meal prep for you – if you can afford it why not pay somebody to cook your meals? there are plenty of companies out there who will do all of the work for you.  

Thanks for reading,

Nick 🙂

Who Wants A Workout Plan to Follow At Home? 

Not everyone likes going to the gym to workout, for one they can be expensive (£180-£600 per year!) and it’s not always easy to find the time to go.

By the time you’ve travelled to the gym, got changed, worked out and then driven home you could be looking at 1-2 hours!

Not many people have 1-2 hours spare each day, especially mums, hardworking dads or anybody with lots of time consuming responsibilities.

Gym’s can also be sweaty and intimidating –  a bunch of bronzed men and women looking sculpted and wearing tight lycra pants!

One of the best ways to get fit, without spending a fortune and taking up too much time is to workout out from home. All you need is some basic equipment, like resistance bands and dumbbells and you can great results.

Lots of my 1-1 personal training clients prefer to workout in the comfort of their homes and they get just as good results.

Due to this demand I’ve designed an 8 Week Home Workout program which you can follow yourself.

The plan is suitable for both men and women and suitable for all fitness levels (there’s a different program for beginners, intermediates and advanced trainees)

The plan includes…

• An 8 week exercise plan
• 4 different home workouts
• 20 different exercises with full demonstrations

and everything you need to know to get fit and lose weight without spending hours working out!

In fact, the workout(s) only take 30 minutes per session! and you only have to train 4x per week! That’s just 2 hours per week out of 168 hours (1.2% of your weekly time!)

If you were to have a workout plan written up by a personal trainer or gym you would be looking at a minimum of £30 but i’m making this plan available for a small fee of just £3.99. 

If you’d like to shift some weight and get fit then swipe up your copy by clicking the blue button below…