There are many reasons that people don’t engage in a workout program. These reasons are what we may call “challenges” or barriers to working out. For many new moms, these challenges may seem too much at times, that they just simply decide to give up and abandon any plan of including a post pregnancy weight loss regimen after giving birth.

This happens, not just in Singapore, but the world over. With the reasons being universal, can the solutions also be applicable to all new moms, whether they reside in Singapore or not? Absolutely!

Time Constraints

If other people who have not experienced getting pregnant and delivering a baby already have a hard time complying with their goal to keep fit and lose weight, what more a woman who has become a new mom? A new mother no longer has complete liberty to do as she pleases, to go wherever she wants. Her baby is her top priority, as it should naturally be. However, this doesn’t mean that just because you have a new baby, you’ll have to put your own existence and needs on hold, until your child grows up.

If you are serious about keeping fit and dropping excess pounds that you gained during pregnancy, then one of the best times to seek the help of fitness trainer is not long after you give birth. That’s because your personal training will be easier to undertake when you have  professional guidance to look forward to, which includes scheduling.

One of the best ways to do this is to set aside a specific “me time” that means workout time for you. Discuss with your personal trainer your separate availabilities and find a compromise. That will greatly facilitate compliance with your schedule and your regimen.

Low Self-Esteem

Some people have a poor body image of themselves. Women who recently gave birth may experience insecurity about the condition of their postnatal  bodies in a more heightened way, particularly if they were shapely before they got pregnant. The state of their bodies after giving birth may make them feel embarrassed to go to a gym to workout, because they know that their being out of shape will be seen by others who are there, and who may already have toned bodies.

This is incongruity at its worst, because by having a workout program, it becomes easier to gain one’s former body shape and weight before pregnancy. But how can you do that if you avoid the very things that are supposed to help you?

There are two solutions to this and both of them can be done with the help of your personal trainer: one, if there’s sufficient space and assuming your fitness trainer is amenable to doing so, your weight loss workout program may be done in the comfort of your own home.  Your personal training  can be managed by your trainer, without the need for you to go out. With this solution, you’d need to be certain about your training requirements, whether you and your trainer can manage without any special gym equipment.

Another solution would be to frankly discuss what you feel with your trainer, so that it becomes possible for him to gradually help you boost your self-confidence as you go along. Remember that open communication between your trainer and you does a lot towards the achievement of your goal to lose weight.

Fatigue and Distractions

Getting fatigued and getting distracted usually go hand-in-hand, as far as non-compliance or lack of interest in workout programs are concerned. Distractions – of which there are many in the life of a new mother – can wear out even the average person in the long run. This tired feeling can get multiplied many times over in the life of a new mother, who is doing her best to cope with the demands of her new baby, and the need to keep herself and possibly, the rest of her household, in good condition.

Conversely, fatigue, in itself, can also be a distraction, especially when it becomes a convenient reason to avoid exercise altogether. A solution would be to ask recommendations from your trainer about exercises that will combat fatigue, increase energy and promote a healthier outlook in life.

Hopefully, you will also be able to overcome your own barriers so you can work out and become fit once again.

Yours in health,

Sharm, MSc
sharm@gurufitness.com