Having opened its doors to local families in Bath in November 2022, Busylizzy is fast becoming a popular resources for local new and expectant mums looking to stay in shape or regain their fitness whilst managing the infamous parent ‘juggle’.
“Even as a personal trainer myself, staying fit and squeezing in time to focus on recovery after having my son felt almost impossible at times,” says Vivian Lord, owner of Busylizzy. “Workouts stopped being about hour-long gym sessions, and started being more and more about where I could snatch small windows of opportunity in amongst the daily chaos.”
Here, Vivian gives her five top tips for new mums looking to stay fit:
Make hay while the sun shines
“In the very early days, finding time to do even basic tasks for yourself can be a struggle. With my own recovery, I started by doing simple movements as I did everyday activities – press-ups against the kitchen counter while I waited for the kettle to boil or basic squats while I brushed my teeth. It doesn’t sound like much, but it started to re-engage my mind with my body in a very straightforward way.
Use your village
“Constant holding, feeding and rocking a baby can wreak havoc on an already tired body. Remember that your baby relies on you to be able to do all of those things, and that you deserve to feel comfortable when you do so. Ask your partner, your mum or a friend, to take the baby even just for a few minutes so that you can stretch and start to unwind tense muscles.”
Don’t underestimate your TDEE
“Your TDEE is your Total Daily Energy Expenditure. This is the amount of calories you burn every day just by existing. This includes how much energy you need for your brain and muscles to work and repair themselves, how much energy you need to produce milk if you are breastfeeding, and how much energy you spend doing chores (walking up and down the stairs, walking the dog, rocking or pushing baby to sleep).
“New mums often don’t realise how much energy they are expending just by taking care of themselves and their baby, so they need to be extra mindful to listen to their bodies, eat as much as their body needs (which will likely be more than they are used to) and make sure that includes plenty of protein to help with the recovery process.”
Be a role model
“One of the things I love about Busylizzy is that you don’t have to worry about childcare. Your baby comes to all of your classes with you and in this process, your baby starts to grow up seeing that mum spends time taking care of her own needs as well as everyone else’s.
“It normalises seeing mums not just wanting to stay fit, but also listening to their own bodies, filling their own cups and asserting their own needs. Those are all really important attributes to model when we are trying to teach our own children those exact same things. So, don’t feel like you can’t exercise at home or in the park, or wherever you choose just because your baby is there – let them watch you and even get involved!”
Keep it simple
“Sometimes it’s hard to exercise because you just don’t know where to start. But I think that one of the good things that came out of lockdown was that online classes became so normalised, and good-quality professional-led exercise became so accessible.
“As well as in-person classes, Busylizzy offers online classes too – for pregnancy and postnatal fitness, and fun baby classes too. So, if you can’t or don’t want to leave the house, you can just log on and let one of our expert instructors lead you through a routine that you know is safe for pregnancy or postnatal recovery.
“We also offer classes of different lengths, so if you know you’re short on time or might not manage a full workout, we can cover that too!”
For more information on Busylizzy’s membership options, and online classes, head to its website – https://busylizzy.co.uk/bath/