Pilates and Lattés

My health and fitness goals have slipped (as I sit here eating leftover chocolate mud birthday cake). When the girls were almost 4 months I remember having a good sob as my body was alien and I selfishly wanted to find some resemblance of my body. Like most new mums, I had unrecognizable breasts, and saggy tummy and no clothes fit.

I would have loved to have gone with all the other mums to baby yoga, baby pilates, baby swimming classes or even baby bootcamp. But it is completely impossible to attend any of these fitness inspired baby classes with twins. You need another partner and then it is double the cost.

When I was pregnant I had daydreamed of moving to the beach and going for daily walks with my double stroller in the morning accompanying the bikes and runners before relaxing

"Holiday at the beach" entertaining 4 week old twin girls.

with other mums by the beachside sipping their lattes under a bright Queensland sun. It did not happen mind you. When the girls were 4 weeks old we packed up the house, car, bottles, double bazooka breast pump, clothes, bibs, nappies, blankets, bouncers and every other baby paraphernalia and trundled down to the beach to stay with my parents. It was a week of leaking boobs, and tired and cranky babies, and 4 hourly feeds. I remember MM sneaking off home for a night so he could have 24 hours of uninterrupted sleep while I had my parents help. My walks were short as the pram was still uncomfortable in my grasp and the girls were so small.

One who once hiked 96km across the Kokoda Track was now having a heart attack pushing a double pram up the hill home.

So my next search was to find a gym. I compared three local gyms – Fernwood, Goodlife and Fitness First. I attended the membership interviews and filled out their surveys. What I wanted was long opening hours, varied fitness program, preferably a pool and sauna (but willing to comprimise), TV or some sort of entrainment, clean and nice touches to the bathrooms and locker rooms, a good crèche with low adult to child ratios and crèche prices (I would have to factor in 2 additional crèche prices to the membership), membership price and general atmosphere. In the end I joined Fitness First as they topped all my criteria plus they waived the joining fee, gave a discount for private health care,  gave me three free personal training sessions, and 30 free crèche visits. Now I am back to work I am lucky to get there one day a week but I’ll get there.

Do you have any tips or exercises to get back into shape at home with your baby?

Getting out and about with the twins 4 months