SHARED by: Sheryl Wilson, Founder and Owner of Fitnotic and York Avenue Preschool Mom

Despite our best intentions to exercise more and eat healthier, life often gets in the way and the time we need to spend on ourselves ends up being sacrificed for our family. With the following tips in mind, you’ll be armed with everything you need to achieve your health and fitness goals and make them ever-lasting.

1. Make it Fun –  You’ll be much more likely to get your workouts in if you’re doing something you enjoy. Many people who hate the gym love Hoopnotica Hoopdance – you can take group classes or do it at home with your kids. If hooping isn’t for you, give some thought to what would excite you and keep you coming back for more. Maybe you’d enjoy working out with your baby or older child, or teaming up with a friend for walks or jogs. There are countless options for fun workouts that will keep you motivated, especially here in NYC.

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2. Set Realistic Workout Goals – If you’re not making it to the gym at all now, don’t tell yourself that you need to go 3 times a week. Start with something more manageable and easier to achieve, like 1 or 2 workouts a week. Keep in mind that workouts don’t need to take place in a gym. If it’s easier to squeeze in quick workouts at home, they can be just as effective. Setting yourself up for success rather than failure will work wonders on your motivation and long term success. You also need to know yourself – if you know you need some help staying motivated, hire a trainer or even an online trainer who will cost less but will keep you accountable.
3. Set Realistic Nutrition Goals – When trying to lose weight, we often shift into a sudden deprivation mode – “I’m not going to eat this anymore,” “I’m going to totally cut that out…”. But when we deprive ourselves of what we love and set too many restrictions, it often backfires. Instead, try looking at what you’re eating and when. Identify how you could make some improvements and start slowly. Do you skip breakfast most days and end up snacking later? Try to eat a well balanced breakfast twice a week. Do you eat pasta, rice or another grain every night with dinner? Load your plate with veggies instead every now and then. Do you snack at night when the kids are in bed? Try to swap your snack with tea or warm water with lemon a couple times a week. When you see the effects of the small changes you’re making, you’ll be motivated to make even bigger ones.
4. Do Deep Abdominal Stretching Instead of Stretches and Sit-Ups – Whether you have diastasis recti or not (most moms do), strengthening your abdominals from the inside is imperative. Rather than crunches and sit ups that are less effective and can actually be damaging, start with simple ‘holds’ and ‘contractions’ of the transverse muscle and then you’ll be able to do more challenging core exercises safely and effectively, like planks. Once you learn how to properly engage your abdominals, you can make every exercise and all your everyday activities (like picking up the kids and pushing the stroller) a belly-blasting workout!
5. Don’t Neglect Resistant Training – When we’re able to squeeze in time for exercise we often do cardio, thinking it’ll be most effective. The truth is, resistance training is equally important. Developing more muscle means you’ll burn more fat even at rest. There are many exercises you can do to strengthen and tone your muscles whether you’re at the gym or home. Pushups and tricep pushups (even against a wall) and tricep dips sitting on a chair are great arm-sculpting exercises. And if you don’t have dumbbells or a resistance band, use 2 equally weighted objects (like cans) to do bicep curls, overhead presses and rows. Even if it means reducing the amount of time spent on cardio, try incorporating some resistance exercises into your workout regimen. Guaranteed it will pay off more than doing the same cardio machine again.

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Sheryl Wilson, founder and owner of Fitnotic and Fitmomease, is a mom of two children at York Avenue Preschool. She is a certified personal trainer specializing in prenatal/postpartum fitness, core rehabilitation and diastasis recti. She teaches Hoopnotica Hoopdance, Kickboxing and Body Sculpt classes a few blocks from Gymtime and trains clients in person and through online programs.

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