I waited till my child went to pre-school before I was able to get back to the gym without any hassles. If you have a babysitter or family member willing to step in, you can use that time to get back into a fitness routine.

I wouldn’t say I was stunningly successful, but gentle walking is possible for most of your pregnancy and pretty early post natal – it helps with weight management and with keeping your fitness at a reasonable level.

A friend of mine went to a gym once a week for awhile at the same time as being given and sticking to a diet given to her. Initially she gained a bit of weight but it didn’t really show. The gym instructor told her when you build up more muscle size and strength your weight can increase. She later managed to lose some weight.

Take a friend along with you for motivation!

Mum’s and bubs is a great way to get back into it. And you can take you baby with you

I found it helpful to sign up to a gym which has a creche. I am able to go and have some quality time to myself doing group fitness classes while knowing my children were being cared for too. I find that doing the group classes keeps me motivated and I don’t get bored because I choose something different for each day of the week.

Walking is good on the budget too!

Some gyms have child minding services. But remember the world can be your gym too. Walking with bub is great and there may be exercises you can do outdoors in a park or at home. There may be mum’s groups around you too that gather to exercise.

I am not into gyms and prefer to be outside walking.
Walking is a form of exercise I enjoy and it has so many benefits.
Exercise and a well balanced diet work for me in staying healthy and full of energy.

I was cleared to exercise when my daughter was 3 months old. She recently turned 1 and I have lost 32kg and I am the fittest and strongest I have ever been in my life. I go to a gym with child minding so I can see my children the whole time but somebody else is watching them so I can focus. To start with though I jogged on the treadmill while baby slept, went for long walks with the pram, did body weight exercises around the house etc. There are plenty of mums and bubs classes available. There is a free kid friendly boot camp with heaps of locations around Australia, it is called Live Life Get Active.

Firstly, I would research TVA exercises in conjuction with pelvic floor exercises. It is best to start these while still pregnant. Even if you do nothing else, I recommend these. This helps you build a strong base from the inside out.
Secondly, are you self motivated enough to do a quick workout at home because going to the gym regularly may not be feasible. I know once I got the all clear, I used a baby carrier and did my workouts in my lounge room. Trust me a growing baby adds plenty of resistance for exercise(to start). Some days the only exercise I could was while moving around the house. Lunges here, squats there, glute bridges, arm raises, pushups, curls, presses all while holding baby.
If you are quite active before pregnancy, you can continue to exercise while pregnant, just adjusting as needed as you get further along. Postpartum your body will be different and you might feel like a beginner again and that’s ok. Just start small, even walking will help.
Also, you don’t have to bounce back after baby. I am active, have been before, during and after my 2 babies. I am far from my prebaby body, but that’s ok. I love exercise and I love my kids. Some women take 9 months, some take a few years.