Fit for the festive season
Feeling overwhelmed by the festive season? Lisa Yates
and Fiona Ross have a fitness plan to empower you to make your
holiday memorable for all the right reasons.
As if juggling the responsibilities of life with young
children isn't hectic enough, the festive season has a way of
making mothers feel busier and more anxious than usual. As you're
rushing around making holiday plans, shopping, planning family
events, with a seemingly endless array of obligations and
commitments, it's easy to let the things that help you to de-stress
simply fall off of your to-do list. Exercise, relaxation, and even
sitting down to read a book are the first items to be abandoned in
the quest to get everything done. The irony is, exercise is one of
the best ways to help you deal with stress, not to mention its many
other benefits (weight loss, improved muscle tone, increased
cardiovascular fitness, improved core strength and spinal
stability, reduced stress, and enhanced sleep patterns, not to
mention improved posture, increased energy, and enhanced
self-esteem!).
Besides the increased activity and stress
levels of the holiday season, there's a constant supply of
chocolates, gingerbread, mince pies, home baking, and rich meals to
completely wreck any semblance of healthy eating. The result of all
this overindulgence coupled with lack of me-time and exercise?
You're feeling frumpy, frazzled, and more than a little terrified
at the thought of squeezing into a swimsuit. What's a mum to
do?
Make yourself a priority
Unless you believe that you're worth it, you'll continue to put
your own needs last. This Chistmas, give yourself the gift of time
and promise yourself that you'll make a little bit of time every
day for exercise. Even if this means getting up 20 minutes earlier,
or cutting back on the post-meal flop-down-in-front-of-the-TV
experience, the results will be worthwhile.
Start as you mean to go on
Whether you are already a regular exerciser or not, heading into
the festive season with a plan will set you up to succeed. This
time of year can bring even the most orderly of people to a crisis
point. The saying "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" is so
true. There are very few people who just happen to look and feel
fantastic without some sort of plan. Sit down tonight and write
down your health and fitness plan for the next few months.
If you are not already exercising
regularly, then now is the time to start! Try something easy and
functional, such as a walk or cycle for 20-30 minutes three to four
times a week. It is best to start gradually and build up slowly,
rather than establishing unachievable goals and setting yourself up
for failure. Find a friend to encourage you and to help you stay
accountable. For further ideas on how to get started, see "Fitting in fitness"
And remember, if you are pregnant,
post-natal, or you haven't exercised in a little while, then do
check with your health care professional before commencing a new
exercise programme.
Find something you like doing
Don't torture yourself on the elliptical trainer if you hate
running - choose a form of exercise that you actually like! Check
out exercise classes at your local swimming pool, gym, or community
education centre. Don't force yourself to do something you don't
enjoy, or you won't keep it up long enough to see
results.
Consistency is the key to success
One of the most common reasons for women not achieving their
fitness goals is lack of consistency. We often start out with
amazing exercise plans and unrealistic goals. When young children
are added to the picture, things never really go to schedule, and
the first thing to give is the two-hour gym workouts.
When it comes to exercise plans for busy
mothers, we are firm believers in the "little but often" approach.
Too many women think that a 60-minute session once a fortnight
counts as regular exercise. Most women (if they are honest) could
find an extra 20-30 minutes five times per week. The most important
thing here is that the exercise must be regular. It's perfectly
okay to have an easy session if you're feeling tired one day, but
do still make the effort to get out there and do it anyway. This
approach works beautifully if you promise yourself the time and
make exercise a necessity, not a luxury.
Everything in moderation
Regular exercise and healthy eating are vital to a healthy body and
mind. But being overly obsessive about either of these things can
prove to be unhealthy also. We like the 80:20 rule. Try and make
sure you eat healthily and exercise well 80% of the time, and then
give yourself a break 20% of the time, and do make sure you enjoy
that Christmas pudding with no guilt attached!
The "perfect woman" is a myth
Once you've embarked on your lifestyle change incorporating healthy
eating and regular exercise, here's another concept that's worth
some thought. There really are no perfect people in this world,
only perfect intentions. Even though we hear it all the time, very
few women really seem to embrace this theory. Remind yourself
regularly that it is okay not to be perfect. It is okay to have a
day off from exercise. It is okay to eat cake and enjoy it
(occasionally!). What is not okay is be overly-self critical and to
expect perfection.
The media bombards us with feminine images
that aren't real. The models adorning glamourous advertisements are
fantasies - airbrushed to the point of being a lie. Even before the
touching up, many of these women diet and exercise to unhealthy
extremes.
Most women have cellulite. Real and
healthy women have body fat. This is not to say that being
overweight is healthy either, but make sure you aren't being too
hard on yourself. Pregnancy and motherhood cause amazing life and
body transformations. Avoid focusing entirely on what you look
like. Instead, embrace the concept of good health, making this your
focus. By coming to terms with this notion, you'll be sending out
the right message to your children and helping them to develop into
adults with good body image and well balanced
self-esteem.
Hit the floor
The pelvic floor, that is! One in three women who has ever had a
baby suffers from some sort of incontinence. Pelvic floor problems
often cause women to stop exercising, and can lead to increased
weight gain and depression. So don't forget to include pelvic floor
exercises in your routine. Check out www.filifit.com
and click on "pelvic floor" to learn more about these vital
exercises for all women.
Less is more
If keeping your family happy and healthy is a priority, then
learning to say no will be necessary at times. Take a close look at
your priorities. Write down all of your regular time commitments
then scan the list. Which activities or commitments are most
important? If you feel you are always running late and have no time
to relax, then something has to go. Get ruthless. An amazing sense
of freedom comes with simplifying your life.
Eat wonder foods
When it comes to feeling and looking your best, food is equally as
important as exercise. We often treat our bodies with less respect
than our cars! We pump our cars with super-optimum fuel, but feed
our bodies sugar, pre-packaged snacks, and pizza, and then we're
surprised they stop functioning at an optimum level. This fast-food
approach to life might work for a short time, but eventually you'll
be left feeling depleted and depressed. The more natural foods you
consume, the more your body will thank you. By this we mean the
foods that haven't been tampered with. Next time you are grocery
shopping, take the outside aisle challenge. Spend most of your time
on the outer aisles of the supermarket and less time in the
processed inner areas (or avoid them altogether!)
Snack guilt-free
Snacks can make the difference between fitting or not fitting your
favourite jeans. the trick here is not to avoid snacking, but to
actually listen to your body. Try not to eat out of habit or just
because you're stressed. Ask yourself the question, "Am I actually
hungry?" If the answer is yes, then go for it - but try to make it
something healthy: an apple, raw carrots, plain rice crackers
(avoid the ones with MSG - flavour enhancer 621), skim-milk
yoghurt, and small handfuls of nuts are wonderfully nutritious
snacks that fit easily into your handbag when you're on the
run.
Think ahead
At this time of year, the opportunities to overindulge are
plentiful. Our best advice is to plan ahead. If you know you'll be
out all night surrounded by tempting food, then make sure you don't
go out hungry. Eat sensibly throughout the day, so you don't gorge
on high-calorie treats later on. Alternate alcoholic drinks with
soda water or mineral water, and both your head and your conscience
will thank you the next day. Most importantly, make sure you take
some time just to be. Enjoy this time of year with your family and
don't be overly hard on yourself. Commit to giving your family the
gift of time together and you'll be pleasantly reminded of what is
truly most important in life.
Lisa Yates is a mother of two young girls and an experienced
physiotherapist with a special interest in women's health. She is
passionate about obstetric and continence pyhsiotherapy and is also
a women's personal trainer and wellness coach. Together with Fiona
Ross, she founded FiliFit to help nurture healthy lifestyles. The
Core and the Floor (www.filifit.com) is New Zealand's first
post-pregnancy exercise programme designed by health professionals.
This comprehensive DVD demonstrates everything you need to know to
safely and effectively get in shape. Lisa and Fiona share a passion
for educating and empowering women to "be the best they can
be".
As seen in OHbaby!
magazine Issue 8: 2010
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