Answers from Expert: Michelle Cederberg

Returning to exercise after the birth of a child can be a challenge. So often, women think back to 'life before baby' and when they can't attack exercise with the same energy and time lines, they choose to do nothing in the hopes the time will materialize. With a one-year-old to consider, you'll have to look at your available time and energy in a new light, and make a new plan for getting back to activity. I call it 'The Start Small Solution' to finding time for yourself. Start by looking for even small chunks of time that you can devote to doing something. Your initial goal is to create habit around your activity, even if it's happening 10 minutes at a time. Choose to simply get started. Post-baby, you need to build up your endurance once again, and walking can be a great way to get the ball rolling. The nice thing about walking is that you can put baby in the stroller and make it a family affair. Walk as long as you comfortably can, and if your knees start to bother you, take a rest and stretch out. Exercise videos can also be a good option. You can usually rent them from your local video outlet. These days you can choose from any exercise discipline. Try strength workouts, low impact aerobics, or yoga and pilates. See what you like the best. Don't feel obligated to complete the entire video either. Simply do what you can. For some more exercise tips check out an article that I wrote on this very topic. Read 7 ways to fit fitness into motherhood, posted on www.canadianliving.com. Good luck, Michelle Cederberg, www.liveoutloud.ca