No pain, no gain, so the expression goes. But at this exact moment of time I’m wondering if it is really worth the effort!
This week I have decided it is time to take charge of my body and start to get myself into my normal routine of exercise for the first time since having my baby girl.
I think it was probably watching the Olympics which guilted me into it.
Seeing the ridiculously-toned abs of the likes of Jess Ennis, and the physical efforts of all the athletes, has made me feel really unfit and inadequate in my efforts of exercise.
Not that running around after two small children is not exhausting enough.
I had planned to do lots of walks with the buggy over the past four months to get myself fit again, but it seems I missed the British summer.
So, tired of waiting for the weather I unfroze my gym membership and headed off to my first class on Monday night.
Now I decided to be sensible and tackled a gentle body balance class (yoga, pilates and tai chi). Taking it easy, under the very strict eyes of my instructor, I didn’t push myself too hard, did all the low options and did the most pathetic sit-up exercises known to man.
I even went for a walk the next morning just to make sure I was not too stiff after my efforts. Cue Tuesday night – ouch! My legs feel like they are filled with lead, my back and ribs completely ache and my shoulders feel like I have four small children jumping on them.
It’s not as though I abandoned exercise as soon as I found out I was expecting again. I carried on doing body combat (not anywhere near as enthusiastically of course) until I was five months pregnant, I still took my little man swimming and I carried on with body balance until a few weeks before I had my daughter.
But it seems my body has forgotten how to do anything other than carry children and lift pushchairs, toys and the vast array of bags, coats, snacks and toys I seem to be taking with me wherever I go. I was planning on embarking on some cardio exercise next month, but I might be more successful at weightlifting instead!
*As part of my ‘getting my body back’ efforts this week my little lady had her first taste of formula milk – and she was not impressed.
She has been absolutely fine with drinking bottles of expressed milk, but instantly spat out all attempts of being given anything other than the real stuff.
But I’m back to work at the end of next month so she is going to have to give in – eventually!