Category: Health | Follow-up: ✓ Week 6 | Read time: 5 min
"I used to be fit. Now I can barely walk up the stairs without getting winded. I had my baby 8 months ago and I've done nothing since."
No guilt trip here. You grew a human. Your body did something incredible. Now let's get it moving again — gently, realistically, and without needing a gym membership or a babysitter.
The Rules
- Start embarrassingly small. If you think "that's too easy," good. That's the point.
- Consistency beats intensity. 10 minutes every day beats one hour once a week.
- Baby can come with you. Stroller walks count. Floor exercises while they nap count.
- If you miss a day, you haven't failed. You just do the next one.
The 8-Week Plan
Week 1-2: Just Walk
- That's it. Walk.
- 15 minutes a day. Stroller, no stroller, around the block, to the shop and back.
- No pace requirement. No step count. Just get outside and move.
- If 15 minutes feels like a lot, do 10. If 10 feels like a lot, do 5. The number doesn't matter. The habit does.
Week 3-4: Walk + Floor Work
- Walk 20 minutes a day
- Add 5 minutes of floor exercises at home. While baby is on their play mat: - 10 squats (bodyweight, hold the counter if you need to) - 10 glute bridges - 20-second plank (or as long as you can) - 10 wall push-ups
- That's it. 5 minutes. Set a timer.
Week 5-6: Build It Up
- Walk 25-30 minutes, pick up the pace a bit
- Floor work goes to 10 minutes: - 15 squats - 15 glute bridges - 30-second plank - 10 proper push-ups (knees down is fine) - 10 lunges each leg
- Try one "workout" that's not walking: a YouTube video, a jog, a swim, whatever sounds least terrible
Week 7-8: Find Your Thing
- By now you've been moving consistently for 6 weeks. Your body feels different.
- Try 2-3 different activities this fortnight: running, yoga, a class, cycling, home workout videos
- Pick the one you hate least. That's your thing. Do it 2-3 times a week plus your walks.
The Follow-Up: Week 6
She was walking 30 minutes daily and doing floor exercises 4 times a week. Tried a Couch to 5K app in week 5 and was running (slowly) 3 times a week by week 6.
"I don't recognize myself. Not because I look different — I don't really, not yet — but because I feel like me again. I have energy. I'm not dreading the stairs."
The Honest Bit
You won't feel motivated to start. Motivation comes AFTER you start, not before. The first week will feel pointless. The second week will feel slightly less pointless. By week 3, you'll notice you feel worse on the days you DON'T move. That's the habit forming.
Don't compare yourself to pre-baby you. That person didn't have a tiny human depending on them 24/7. You're starting from a different place, and that's fine.
Struggling to get moving? Ask Neady. No judgement, just a plan.
Share this post