One of the most difficult times for mums to live a health-conscious life is after giving birth. The mum has just gone through childbirth and the stress on the body is undeniable. This can make healthy living a challenge. You will have to take care of a baby now. This means less time to work out. You’ll also have to breastfeed your baby, so you’ll have to eat a good amount of calories to replenish your strength. Overall, living a health-conscious life could be difficult, but it is not impossible. You just need to include your newborn child into your health routines. Here are 6 ways to live a health-conscious life with your newborn child.
6 Ways to Live a Health-Conscious Life With Your Newborn Child
1. Eat a balanced diet
Most people who try to lose weight or live a more healthy lifestyle tend to try out diets such as the Keto diet or intermittent fasting. But because you are breastfeeding, you won’t be able to diet as you used to. Instead, it is better if you eat a more balanced diet. This means that you eat meals that have more fibre and vitamins. You are breastfeeding, so a lot of your energy is being used to that. You will need to eat carbs to keep up your energy. But if you are going to eat carbs, you should eat unprocessed carbs. Stay away from sugar and complex carbs, because they don’t really have any nutritional value and have a very high glycemic index. You should also eat white meat instead of red meat. White meat is less fatty and has less cholesterol than red meat.
2. Go for light jogs with your little one
Your body is still recovering from childbirth so you should really avoid doing exercises that are too stressful for your body. Instead, it is better to just go on light jogs. This is a fun activity and you can do it with your little one. You can place your baby on a stroller and run for over 30 minutes. But if you are going to go for a run, you should make sure that your stroller is designed for jogs. Don’t use lightweight strollers because they are easy to tip over. Full-sized strollers should not be used for jogs either because they are meant for older babies. They may be the top strollers for 3 years olds, but they are not really meant for newborns. Instead, it is better to use jogging strollers.
3. Follow a high-fibre diet
One of the best ways to enhance your digestive system is to eat foods that have a lot of fibre. Examples of these foods are fruits and vegetables. By eating fibre-rich foods you will receive a lot of health benefits. Here are some common examples of these benefits.
- Fibre helps control your blood sugar and cholesterol levels.
- Helps improve cardiovascular health.
- Makes your bowel movement more efficient.
- Fibre is a much-needed component to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. High fibre foods are usually a lot more filling than foods with no fibre. This means you won’t crave or binge eat. Most fibre-rich foods also take a lot longer to digest, and have fewer calories than fatty or sugary foods.
The best thing about eating fibre-rich foods on a daily basis is that they are very easy to get a hold of. Fruits are a lot cheaper than junk foods and sweets. They are great ingredients for delicious dishes. It is also an opportunity to teach your kids to eat fruits and vegetables. Kids are usually averse to eating fruits and vegetables, but if you get them started at a young age they will eventually acquire a taste for it.
4. Play games with the baby
Although you can’t go to the gym just yet, there are still many ways you can stay in shape. One way is to play with your little one. Newborn babies are usually immobile for the first few months of their lives. But once they are able to stand up, they usually become very active and love to play. There are many ways you can play with the baby. You can roughhouse, play peekaboo, or you can even play tag once they get mobile enough. Just be careful, babies are very fragile so you should treat them as delicately as possible.
5. Carrying the baby is a great toning exercise
Most parents prefer to use baby carriers when they go out with their kids. This is understandable because the longer you carry your little one, the more difficult it gets. But this is also a great way for you to exercise. Carrying your little one through the mall or the park for an hour or two is a great way to tone your arms and improve your cardiovascular endurance. It is also a great way to form a stronger bond with your child.
But if you feel your arms going numb, or you feel yourself running out of breath, you should put your baby back into the carrier or stroller just to be safe.
6. Stay consistent
You could get the best health tips and exercise equipment available. But if you don’t stay consistent with your health regimen, then you won’t be able to reach your full fitness potential. So don’t view your fitness journey as something temporary. Don’t say that you’ll follow this health regimen only until you could fit into your old swimsuit. This kind of mentality is half-hearted and it won’t help you reach your fitness goals. Instead, you should look at your fitness regimen as a way of life. Through your exercises, you will also be able to spend more time with your little one.
Conclusion
Getting back into shape after giving birth can be a challenge. You will need to manage your time wisely and use the opportunities to exercise that are available to you. But with these tips, you will have a much greater chance of success at living a health-conscious life.
