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Hello everybody! We’re really excited to announce a new mini-series over at Motherhood: The Real to help you get fit, healthy and strong as lockdown eases. We’ve teamed up with Jemma Thomas – fitness expert, personal trainer, mum of two and founder of online fitness community for women – Jemma’s Health Hub – to provide a series of motivating posts to help you get back on track or stay on track as lockdown eases. So without further ado, here is part one of our Health Hub Sessions series, which focuses on the all-important topic of getting fit after lockdown.

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As lockdown eases it’s time to get your trainers on, get outside and enjoy whatever fine weather comes our way! Your lockdown might have been full of online workouts and eating healthily – and if so, well done!

But, if like the majority of the parenting population, you were too busy running around homeschooling your kids while trying to work a full-time job, eating what you could when you could – then please don’t feel bad.

This was a time of survival and priorities and while I can’t ever overestimate the power of exercise in making you feel better, I 100% understand that most people won’t have had the time or energy to maintain a healthy fitness routine over the past few months.

And so – for you who are one of the many finally venturing outside to exercise for the first time in weeks while your children are going back to school and you’re getting a little more ‘me time’, here are my top tips!

Take it easy

Don’t put too much pressure on yourself! Set yourself small goals, for example run and walk for 20 minutes and then build on that.

Exercise with a friend

This will motivate you to go further, work harder and most importantly, turn up!

Stretch, stretch and stretch again

Your muscles might be feeling a bit rusty so it’s important to make sure you stretch all your body before undertaking exercise, whatever that is, both before and after.

Mix it up

While it’s good to get into a routine, don’t get bored of doing the same old thing over and over again as it might make you resent working out. Try different exercises – yoga, pilates, aerobics, running, netball, tennis, swimming – whatever you enjoy.

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Online workouts are your friend

If you don’t feel like going outside in the rain there are thousands of awesome online workouts available. At Jemma’s Health Hub we’re a subscribe only fitness community where dozens of mums log in and work out with me at 6.30am three times a week.

People love it because it’s a sense of community where we all post our ‘sweaty selfies’ after and it gives a sense of accountability as I can see who has logged in and welcome everyone! However, Joe Wicks does some amazing workouts on YouTube and there are some great Instagrams you can follow like ShaunT.

Don’t focus on weight loss and body shape

The most important thing about exercise is the way it makes you feel mentally and emotionally. Getting those endorphins flowing is an incredible experience and you will feel so much better. However, if you’re checking the scales each week to see what difference your new routine has made – please don’t. There are so many things that affect weight it’s impossible to judge fitness by it so simply think about how you’re feeling.

Listen to your body

If something hurts, don’t push it. The last thing you want to do is pull a muscle in your first week!

Be kit ready

While you don’t want to be the person with ‘all the gear and no idea’, it’s important to make sure you have some decent trainers to work out in – and sports bra! And if you’re exercising alone – some great headphones to listen to your favourite motivational playlist.  And of course, if you’re running at dusk make sure you’ve got some lovely fluorescent clothing so that drivers and cyclists can see you coming!

Author bio

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Jemma Thomas is a Personal Trainer and owner of Jemma’s Health Hub, an online fitness community for women established in 2015. She is Mum to two lively boys – Jude, 8, and Buddy, 4. 

Membership to Jemma’s Health Hub is £29 per month and for that you receive three or four workouts a week taking place on facebook live at 6.30am. (Monday – leg day, Wednesday – arm day, Friday – cardio day, and kettlebells thrown in for good measure!). However, if you can’t make the 6.30am wake up call, you can log in and do it when it suits you.  

You also receive a downloadable ‘How To’ guide including over 35 wholesome recipes to try out, as well as a downloadable ‘tick chart’ for you to print up every 4 weeks and stick to the fridge so you can see your progress. But, most importantly, it gives you an amazing support network and an instructor who will be there for you, helping you feel supported and mentally stronger as time goes on.   Connect with Jemma on Instagram.