Getting back into the swing of fitness is hard, let alone getting back in the swing of things after you've had a baby.
There's all those sleepless nights and days that feel like go on forever. We know it's not easy.
That's why we've asked local personal trainer Aimée Irons to walk mothers through some light to medium workout exercises that can be done at home.
Ready? You can do this!
1. Practice deep core breathing
Lie on the floor on your back and relax. Close your eyes so that you can focus on your breathing.
Take a deep breath in, so that you not only inflate your lungs but also your stomach, as much as you can.
Slowly exhale until you have completely emptied your breath.
You are aiming to feel your core muscles stretch as you inhale deeply, and as you exhale you will pull your core muscles in and contract them tight.
Repeat for 10 breaths.
2. Half kneeling lunge stretch
Go into a lunge position so that your back knee is resting on the floor.
Reach both arms overhead so that you feel the stretch in your chest muscles, down through your abdomen and at the front of your hips.
To increase difficulty, keep your back knee hovering off the floor. Repeat for 6 reps on each leg.
3. Squat
Stand with your feet hip width apart and toes slightly turned outwards.
Sit back, as though you are siting down on a chair; bum out and try to stay looking forward rather than downwards.
Lower yourself until your thighs are parallel with the floor, or your feel that your knees are at a 90-degree angle.
To increase difficulty, add some weight such as a baby or toddler! Repeat for 12-15 reps.
4. Push-Ups
Start by doing a wall push up so there won’t be too much strain on your abs.
Stand on your tiptoes about a foot away from a wall and place your hands a little lower than shoulder height.
Bend your elbows so that you lower yourself towards the wall, aiming to get your nose very close to the wall.
To increase difficulty, step a little further away, also adjusting your hand position.
When that becomes easier, kneel on the floor and place your hands on a step/low bench. Repeat for 10 reps.
5. Glute Bridge
Lie on the floor and bend your knees so that you can place your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart.
Push through your heels to lift your bum off the floor as much as you can. Squeeze your bum to engage the muscles.
To increase difficulty, raise your arms towards the ceiling so that you are not using them to balance. This will make your core work a little harder. Repeat for 15-20 reps.
These exercises will target most of your muscles to give you a gentle, yet challenging, full-body workout.
If you have time, aim to do 2-3 rounds of each exercise.
Start reintroducing exercise gently, and build up your strength at a steady pace. Something is better than nothing, so do what you can, when you can.
