HIIT – Create You Coaching

Finding your Happy at home

Most of my blog’s focus has been on the children and what we do in our day, and while that makes for fun and interesting writing there is a lot more going on in people’s lives.

As it happens this morning, we did a Joe Wicks P.E session together as a family, they are rather challenging so that will be my exercise for today and I will commit to doing a hardcore HIIT session tomorrow. Mostly within a day I do at least one work out, whether that is a calming yoga, quick core workout by MadFit or a Peloton session with my husband.

We need to take the time to keep our heads straight, I can confirm that some days this has been so hard! You still have all the normal work to do coupled with all this fitness ‘malark’ and being a full-time good wife. It’s a lot so make sure to also cordon off time for you away from it all. Even the fitness, yes it will help but you need time to think or not think. On Monday after the children went down for a nap, I ran myself a bath and popped a Lush bath bomb( I cut it in half so I had some for another day) in and listened to a Podcast, Happy Place with Fearne Cotton and Russel Brand, confession I actually loves what he has to say! Yes, he makes it sound preachy and talks very fast but at least he is saying something and thinking about others.

While I know many people have been spring cleaning, decluttering and getting the garden ready we have not been that productive, well we have done the garden but it was only this morning that I gave our shelves in the lounge a sort. It seems that each time the babies can reach higher we just move items and after months it looked beyond messy. Giving areas in your home a freshen up can quickly and easily lift your spirits, like with most things you just need to set the time aside to do it. I tackled ours while in PJ’s and just did it!

Now the dust has settled it seems more and more social events are popping up. This evening we are enjoying a bottle of wine with above mentioned neighbours’ this evening. There is a garden between us, so safe distance sorted! Similarly, we have calls set up with some friends from our NCT group on Friday and Matt with the NCT guys on Thursday.

My lovely neighbour and Godmother to my children gave us a great idea that should have come to mind but in busy lives… They are ordering a takeaway and doing a date night every Saturday. Setting the table up like a restuarant and enjoying time together. We are looking forward to ‘going out’ for Japanese on Saturday night.

Casey from Sensoryland has scheduled Cuppa Club for the Moms or Dads to log in and have a chat on Zoom. We get the chance to talk about something that you struggled with/ found difficult that week or share an activity that was fun. I found it super helpful to just say out load what was bothering me and saying it to someone that isn’t my husband. I have been struggling to sleep or get back to sleep after waking up for the babies, one of the members had a tip to think of your thoughts as a train and each carriage is a thought. If the thought isn’t something you want to explore or that will serve you jump it and move to the next. So, go on connect with groups that you belonged to you never know if you can offer some support to someone out there too.

Remember your life before the lockdown and the things that made you happy and try recreating or adapt the things that made you happy. Create your own happy.

Return to Exercise

The story of my return to exercise comes with a bit of a twist. I was feeling much better and ready for some light work-outs, I had delivered our babies 4 weeks ago. Of course, what I do next is to accept the invite to the Christmas Party of the company I was working for. Feeling like I could fit into a nice dress, with some spanks to smooth the lines some, I got ready and ordered the Uber. At the party I committed to myself to a two-drink maximum, 3 at most…

On the dance floor I made sure not to go too nuts but as the night wore on and I was looking at the clock thinking I should really go now. Then a song came on and I decided to not join but start a conga line! Great idea, about half way in it felt like my hip gave way and I hobbled to the side and sat at a different company’s table. What could I do by call my director to rescue me, as I knew he would answer. Very embarrassing! Two of the company Directors carried me to where the first aid staff were. After checking my range of motion, they said it is not broken and sent my home with a colleague as I couldn’t walk.

Getting home my husband that stayed with the babies came down to help me get up the stairs. ‘I’m injured not drunk’ Much to his amusement and kept teasing me that I had too good a time. Hereby setting myself back another 4 weeks plus of no exercise, walking was the main goal at that point.

When I did return to exercise, I had to take it easy and build my strength. My much loved HIIT sessions would have to wait. I did this by working with a personal trainer, she guided me through various routines and increased my pace and reps. Learning the right way to do the different exercises and also how many of each and how many repetitions was so useful and something I will always use in my fitness regime.

The idea is that you do a kinetic or dynamic warm up to raise the heart rate and then do two or three groups of three to four exercises. You could take a minute rest between circuits or see how fast you can do all of them at a minutes per exercise and repeat 3-4 times. The best way I found to get workout programs was to search it on YouTube and Pinterest.

I do short workouts in the lounge, 15 –25minutes, so the kids can be involved or do some self-play on the play mat. Then 1 good gym workout a week and long walks with the pram. Yes long walks count, pick up the pace and get where you are going!

My children playing while Mommy exercises

This is a very rough guide of what I did and what worked for me, know your own body and limits. Please consult with your doctor before starting any new exercise following having your baby.

About us

It has been on my mind for a while to start this blog; the time is now. I became a mom of two amazing babies, Aria and Austin, and that really made me realize I wanted to share my experience of this crazy thing we call life. As the title suggests I’m doing what comes naturally and it may not always be perfect to everyone but it is perfect for me and my family.

My interests have always been varied and the blog will testify to this, everything from food, exercise and now parenting. The latter being the least predictable experience to date. I hope to share things that work and others that don’t, good days and bad days and how I make this work for me and my family. Because on the days that don’t go to plan and you feel alone, woman (and men) should know you are not, we are all part of the same big world.