Keeping fit is important, especially for young women and mums

Story sponsored by Genesis Fitness.

Keeping fit and healthy can be difficult at the best of times. It's even harder when you're a young mum. It is important nonetheless.

Not only is maintaining a healthy lifestyle essential for both physical and mental health, it also increases your energy levels, regulates your sleep patterns and helps with stress reduction.

Perhaps most importantly, regular exercise releases endorphins and makes you feel happier, meaning you can enjoy what are sure to be both the most challenging but simultaneously rewarding years of your life.

Few know this better than local personal trainer Lisa Wingrove. As a mother of three and somebody who works with dozens of young women each week, she knows first hand how important your fitness is to quality of life.

She also knows how difficult some women find it. Many try and slip up along the way. However, if you understand why you fail to meet your fitness goals, she says, you can adopt a routine which caters to your needs and helps you preemptively avoid these common pitfalls.

For most women, it's the same things that trip them up: it's that their diet isn't as nutritious as it could be, they're worn out at the end of the day and they struggle to find a minute to themselves.

"It's about looking at your current situation and looking for solutions," Ms Wingrove explained.

"There are always going to be barriers to getting to a training session or eating the right foods. It's just about pre-empting them and being realistic about them," she continued.

"If you know you've got a day where you've got a full day of work and the kids have sport after school and you're expecting to do all of that and then go to the gym and cook dinner, it's not going to happen.

"You need to say: I'm going to train on these days. You need to have your gym clothes ready too. Same thing with your evening meals. You need to plan them out and make sure you've got all of the ingredients in the house, ready to cook them, so it's as easy as possible to do it."

Another tip she had for young women and mums: don't diet! It's a short term measure that doesn't really work. You need to eat healthy nutritious meals that you enjoy. That's key she says.

Also, when you go to the supermarket, take a list and stick to it - and remember - will power decreases with exhaustion and stress. So, go at a time when you're not tired. If need be, don't take the kids if they're going to pester you.

This will help you get in and out without succumbing to the allure of the checkout isle's impulse confectionery stand or buying something you'll regret later. There are also some really good apps that help with this.

Likewise, when planning your workouts, make sure you're doing it at a time when you can take 45 minutes and make sure you're doing an activity you enjoy. Because again, she says, if you don't enjoy it, it won't be a priority.

Most importantly, you have to recognise that your health and wellbeing is important and give yourself permission to look after yourself.

"When you're a mum you tend to give, give, give. Your life becomes about everybody else but selfcare is really important," Ms Wingrove said.

"It's also really good for developing other relationships and friendships and it builds your self esteem..." she continued.

"You just need to maintain a positive mindset towards exercising. Some people view it through the lens of being deprived or that it's too hard. The way you need to look at it is: how lucky are we to be able to nourish our bodies with good food. How lucky are we to be able to move and look after our bodies."

Exercise promotes better mental health and has been proven effective in treating mild to moderate depression and anxiety. It also reduces risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and type two diabetes.

In addition, Ms Wingrove says, maintaining a healthy lifestyle pre-pregnancy is good during the process and the same is true post-pregnancy.

It can help to deal with some post birth symptoms such as a weak pelvic wall, separated abs and excess weight gain.

Story sponsored by Genesis Fitness.