Motherhood comes with its own challenges, and one of those is weight management. Whether a woman has given birth recently and wants to get back to her prepregnancy weight, or has had several children and is just getting back in shape, trainers and mentors should be sensitive and encouraging to help moms lose weight and improve their overall sense of well-being.
Start Slow
Weight loss doesn't happen overnight, and moms should make sure to ease into a regular workout. Moms with unhealthy eating habits and a sedentary lifestyle should be especially careful to make gradual changes. Start with simple steps like eliminating high-calorie snacks and taking daily walks. These initial steps will provide a bit of momentum for larger lifestyle changes in the future. If your client has given birth within the last year, make sure that she has her doctor's permission to exercise and doesn't have any dietary restrictions.
Tracking Success
Encourage your client to keep a fitness journal that she can show you during your meetings. The journal can track her daily meals and the amount of calories she consumes from food sources. Women in the postpartum period should avoid dieting and focus instead on a balanced, nutritious diet. All moms should avoid foods that contain high amounts of refined white flour, sugar, sodium and saturated fat. Keeping a journal will help your client identify unhealthy eating patterns. Moms can also record the type and amount of exercise that they do in their journal.
Workout With Kids
Help moms find time for exercise by encouraging them to exercise with their children. New moms might benefit from programs like Stroller Strides and other exercise routines designed for mothers with babies. Brisk walks are ideal for moms with older children at home, since they provide a way to get out of the house and burn calories. Workout videos that require minimal equipment are also effective for mothers, or you can create your own short at-home workout for your client.
Safety Counts
Part of mentoring moms is teaching them what is safe and what isn't. If your client has had a child recently, make sure that she has her doctor's permission to exercise. Always check for diastasis recti, a common separation in the abdominal muscles, before assigning abdominal exercises. Moms who breastfeed should be sure to consume enough calories each day, since inadequate calorie intake can affect milk production. Finally, monitor your client carefully for excessive weight loss. Losing more than 1 or 2 pounds per week can increase your chances of gaining it back in the long term, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
