At 7 months post partum, I now feel that my body is complaining about my lack of exercise.  Other than the obvious fact that I have not lost the extra pounds I gained during pregnancy, I feel heavy and lethargic every time I move.

Honestly, I am not a sporty person.  When I was single, however, I made sure I engaged in moderate physical activity at least 30 minutes a day for fitness’ sake.  Since I was no good in competitive team sports like volleyball or badminton, I chose to engage in Fitness activities that I could do at my own pace (Without anyone blaming me for not hitting the ball again! Haha!).  So I became a fan of brisk walking, Zumba classes and other aerobic fitness sessions. When I got pregnant, I managed to practice pre-natal yoga at least three times a week from second trimester onwards.

After giving birth via CS delivery, I wasn’t able to resume my activities for fitness as I was afraid my wound hasn’t totally healed yet.  So for the last seven months, putting aside breastfeeding and light walking, I have been missing one important part of my life – exercise!  That’s probably the reason that the level of my energy and stamina prior pregnancy have not returned.

So despite the many mommy constraints, I forced myself to get back to working out!  Last week, I joined a one-hour Zumba session near our home.  I really missed the feeling of working out.  For an hour, I felt motivated to take care of my physical fitness again.

But of course, this doesn’t come without a cost.  For a mom (especially without a yaya/helper/nanny), an hour away from Baby is a lot!!!  Though her grandmom was there to take care of her, I couldn’t keep myself from thinking of a lot of things while I was doing Zumba and my baby was away from me. Plus, I kept on thinking about the pile of used milk bottles that I need to clean when I reach home.  Another cost of this one-hour sesh was a literal cost – a humble PHP200.  Though it may seem affordable for a one-time payment, it’ll actually cost me a lot if I’m going to join the class everyday or at least three times a week!  I’d rather spend that on baby’s milk and diapers.

In short, I wasn’t able to sustain my Zumba class in that nearby fitness studio.  But that doesn’t mean I wasn’t able to sustain my fitness resolution.

I found a way to work out without being away from baby and without shelling out a Peso! Practical moms, read on!

The millennial mom that I am, I browsed Youtube for Workout videos, and it led me to 20-minute workout with baby video,  care of Jessica Smith TV.  Jessica Smith is a certified personal trainer, instructor and wellness coach with over 15 years of experience.

The great thing about this workout video is it’s customized to help moms move (and groove) again post baby.  You can do the workout while carrying the baby using a carrier or you can do it solo.  There’s no equipment needed.  Just you, your baby and the laptop/tablet/cellphone you’ll use to watch this Youtube workout video.

This low impact cardio session “targets the muscles in the entire body including the hips, thighs, abs, stomach, arms, legs, calves, inner thighs, back (and more) with cardio and aerobics focused moves like: Drawing In Manuever, Kegels, Marching with Baby, Side to Side Taps, Walking in place, Side Climber for Obliques, Wide Marches, Standing Mountain Climber”, and many more.

Since not every movement might be suitable for everyone, please be sure to get your OB Gyne’s clearance before working out after giving birth.

This 20-minute workout is really heaven-sent.  It saved me a lot of time and money.  Now, I can workout at home right after work.  No more excuses!

Looks like the workout is beneficial for Baby Tash too.  Our every session, so far, made her fall asleep.

So whether you choose to use video workouts like this or you prefer to go to the gym or get into sports, we need the will to find a way to look after our physical wellbeing. A fit and healthy mom is a great gift for hubby and the children.