How To Juggle Fitness, Pregnancy And Parenting

Kim Beach has been pursuing a career in health and fitness ever since walking away from a desk job in her native Australia in 2001. Today, the 39-year-old is a social media sensation with her own business and juggles being a mother to two young kids. Her training programs – based on a balanced 80:20 approach of exercise and healthy eating – have delivered tangible and long-lasting results for women worldwide.

TRAIN for HER caught up with Kim, who is releasing a book this month, to find out how she stayed on top of fitness during pregnancy and how she balances exercise and nutrition with being a mom.

How essential is fitness during pregnancy?

It’s important to continue exercising while pregnant but beware of overexertion. As your pregnancy progresses your body starts to produce a hormone that loosens up your ligaments in order to prepare your body for childbirth. Training during this time can put you at risk of pulling or straining a muscle as you’ll be able to take your body further then you are used to.

Due to previous miscarriages, I was very cautious of not overdoing it when I was pregnant but I still stayed active and embraced walking regularly. Also, if you have high or low blood pressure you need to strictly follow your doctor’s advice.

How can you avoid gaining weight during pregnancy?

The myth of needing to eat for two whilst you are pregnant is just that – a myth (sorry!). Your focus needs to be on embracing whole foods and staying active. Most pregnancies go swimmingly well, so as long as you are aware of your limits you can keep weight training and doing your cardio.

How did you motivate yourself to get back into shape after you gave birth?

I didn’t rush back into training after I gave birth; my focus was more on food. I had a baby who didn’t sleep so I was a walking zombie for a while. I eventually took to the pavement with the pram and started walking. The feeling you get when your body produces endorphins after exercising is amazing, which was enough to make me keep wanting more.

How do you advise busy mothers to persevere with fitness?

I always advise women that are flat out to embrace HIIT sessions. Set your alarm 20 minutes earlier and grab a skipping rope and start skipping. This can be done in your pajamas and in the comfort of your own home. The benefits will be huge: after 15-20 minutes of skipping you will be exhausted and your metabolism will be firing high for the rest of the day; this goes the same for stairs or sprints, too.

– RELATED: Brooke Erickson’s Busy Mom’s Workout Plan –

How do you balance having a family with your own fitness?

For me, being a parent is the best job in the world as well as the hardest. You can definitely do it all and I feel being a great role model is extremely important.

I have a rule when it comes to nutrition which works very well: when we are out and about the kids can have a treat and enjoy it, but when we get back home our house is only stocked full of good food. I feel this is a great balance. My kids are not obsessed with junk food as they know it’s available to them and they eat really well at home without being forced to, as this is the norm I have created.

No one is perfect with their food and if you try and enforce perfection you will fail. This leads to overindulging and gravitating to poor food choices out of curiosity or deprivation.

What makes your training plans stand out from others out there?

I believe my plans are different as there is no counting calories, weighing of food or tracking macros. My philosophy is all about teaching women how to eat to keep their blood sugar stable, explaining the importance of eating regularly throughout the day and instilling the concept that perfection does not exist. If you have a meal that is off plan or if you have had a bad day, it’s OK – focus on your next meal and make it better.

My book aims to cut through all the fads and quick fixes out there and offer some simple and sound nutrition and fitness advice for life. It will give you all the tools you need to live a fit and healthy life and also includes 50 simple nutritious and yummy recipes.

What’s the most important life lesson you’ve learnt?

Embracing the 80/20 mentality – aim to fuel your body with real food 80% of the time and allow yourself to indulge the other 20%. It’s crucial to know that being perfect 24/7 is an illusion. You will still get great results by being consistent and enjoying yourself occasionally.

Beachfit by Kim Beach is published by HarperCollins on 28th December, £18.99.  Available from Amazon.co.uk