Alison gets buggy fit in her local park
Posted: 25 November 2010
by Alison Clarkson
Week three of the challenge and I'd been wondering how other mums manage to combine caring for their little one with finding time to exercise. Several of the mums in my mother and baby group had been to a local Buggy Fit class where a personal trainer qualified in pre- and postnatal fitness takes mums on a workout in the local park, with buggies and babies in tow. I thought I would shelve my fitness DVD for a session and give it a go. So having tracked down my nearest group at www.buggyfit.co.uk I signed up for a class.
As the day loomed closer I must admit I was feeling a little apprehensive, not only about my level of fitness but also the dank weather forecast. But when I peeped around the curtains on the morning of the class I had mixed emotions to see a bright sunny day. I wouldn't get wet but now I had no excuse not to go.
I got to the park and it was great to realise that lots of new mums are in the same position as me. They want to get fit again but are unable to drop everything to spend hours in the gym. They are also at the beginning or at best middle of their get-back-in-shape journey. The instructor, Vicki was terrific; she greeted baby Dan enthusiastically and got a smile out of him straight away so we were off to a good start. After a warm-up, we set off fast-walking or jogging around the park. The zigzag of paths that combined uphill, flat and downhill gave us a good interval session. I started off with much gusto but I'm afraid that by the last hill my pace had very much slowed. I was given lots of encouragement though, both from Vicki and the other mums. I was also impressed by how Vicki managed to flit between us to correct our postures- she made sure I was powering through my legs and keeping my core stable and upright rather than leaning into the buggy and putting strain on my back.
There were several more circuits of the park interspersed with sets of lunges, squats and bum clenches, and the buggy was a great grab when I needed a bit of extra stability. We finished with pelvic floor exercises and a warm down and whilst I'd found it hard work I also felt pleased I'd got through the whole session - and without a single peep from the pram. I realised how much I needed to step up my regular circuits in the park and have resolved to add a lot of extra pace and take routes with more hills.
Dan was perfectly happy throughout. It was great that the babies were completely integrated into the class too, with the instructor cooing over them in between giving training advice and instructions. I didn't feel worried that it might be difficult if Dan needed to be fed or if he cried, the instructor was obviously completely used to that kind of thing.
So I'm planning on going along next week but am definitely keeping a close eye on the weather forecast. I am a convert to Buggy Fit, but it is best for fair weather days - for Dan's sake of course.
Don't forget to check out the exercise plan for week 4, and come back on Tuesday for my next blog update on the exercise plan!
