Benefits of Walking

Walking is one of the easiest ways to lose baby weight. It’s a gentle exercise that’s natural and safe - perfect for mums of all fitness levels. Along with burning calories and increasing your metabolism, walking releases endorphins which are the feel good hormones our body makes during exercise. These hormones give us feelings of well-being and also relieve stress and can help avoid any postpartum blues.

• Simple – anyone can put one foot in front of the other. You don’t need trendy classes, expensive gyms or complicated workouts. You need a simple routine you can build on week by week to make you stronger and fitter at a pace you can manage.
• Bonding - walking is an exercise you can do with your baby. Most babies enjoy a ride in the pram or carrier, so if you have trouble settling your baby, taking a walk can not only make your baby happier, but is also likely to make you feel better. Your baby’s brain will be stimulated in the process by all the variety of sights and sounds during your daily walk. Walking can also help to increase the bond between you and your baby.
• Connecting - not only will you feel better physically, you might also combat those feelings of isolation that are common in the early days at home alone with a little baby.
• Flexible – if it’s too hard to carve out a 30 minute block for exercise, fitting in three ten-minute walks is just as effective. The key is to burn as many calories as you can in each short period of time by increasing the intensity - try walking faster and moving your arms.
• Social - walking can be a fun social event. Rather than catching up for a coffee with a friend, plan to go for a walk instead and you will both feel better. Walking with a friend also helps keep you accountable as you're less likely to let your friend down by not showing up. You may not even notice you're exercising when deep in conversation!
• Healing - helps with your cardiovascular fitness and recovery of the muscles that were stretched during pregnancy. Although if you've had significant DRAM (diastasis recti of the abdominal muscles or, more simply, a separation) it is important that you have a check of this with a physiotherapist or health care professional before you start a vigorous walking program with a pram.
• Preventative - dramatically reduces your risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, stroke, depression, osteoporosis, diabetes, high cholesterol and helps to clear artery-clogging plaque.