LiveFit founder and expert in getting mums back to shape. James Hardy has the following diet and nutrition advice to give you a good chance of fitting into that dress for Christmas with his 8 step Fit-mas Countdown:
1. Do 3 core exercises – Prepare your body for change and avoid back pain with these exercises that only take 3 minutes to complete. Do them up to 3 times a day for tighter tums, bums and strong backs.
• Plank
• Floor Bridge
• Side Plank
2. Fit in some extra lunges and squats whenever you can. Walking lunges are great for the thighs, bum and calorie burning. Squats on the spot are just as good, fit them both in while you are getting through your daily routine and squeeze the most fitness possible out of your day.
3. Get in 30 minutes of exercise a day; you will soon see changes in your fitness and shape. Take advantage of the kids being asleep to try our “nap time” workout.
• First do the 3 core exercises above to prepare your core.
• Using 3-5kg Dumbells or 1.5l bottles of water perform these exercises as a circuit as many times as possible in 20 minutes:
a) Squat Curl Press x 15
b) Lunges x 20
c) Press ups on knees (If you’re feeling strong then no knees!) x 10
d) Deadlift x 20
e) Tricep Dips x 10
4. Get out there! Wrap up warm and walk as much as you can, pushing the buggy is a great way to burn some extra calories. Make it social and plan a longer walk with other mums to get even more active.
5. Switch to a protein based breakfast and bin the cereal. This may sound alien but, trust me, give it a try! Even the most resistant of mums in my classes have had to admit this one has really helped them get back their figure, and feel energized for longer. Start the day with some eggs, maybe with some smoked salmon and a bit of salad on the side for an easy, energy maintaining, non-fattening breakfast.
6. Sip a Soup. A lovely winter warmer – soup provides an excellent quick option for a snack when the alternatives might be less healthy.
7. Do a ‘detox’. If you are no longer breastfeeding and you feel up to it you can make a more dramatic change to your diet. Doing a full cleanse is the dramatic option; eating two meals of vegetable smoothies/soups plus one proper meal for lunch. Otherwise, try eliminating things like sugar, alcohol, soy, wheat and dairy from your diet for 3 weeks, it could make a huge difference to your waistline and gut health. If you want some advice on how to do this properly, look on our website for guidance.
8. Make sure you have high levels of magnesium in your diet. This will improve the quality of whatever sleep your little ones permit you to have, restore balance in your hormones and increase your fat burning. You can get it from spinach, broccoli, sea salt, black or white beans, almonds, cashews or a quality supplement.
So there it is – 8 steps to looking glamorous for Christmas. Don’t worry if some of it is not for you, each one will make a positive impact on your health and body so do as many as you can. Go for it!
LiveFit offers specialist classes for mums across London. For more information on these classes or personal training at home visit www.LiveFit.co.uk or call 0207 385 0688.
Baby London reader offer; A free trial class and 10% off the price of your training package! Just mention Baby London when booking.
