Local parks turning cash cows

London councils are hitting personal trainers with charge of over £350 to work in public parks and say it would be easily recovered as trainers charge clients circa £50/hour.

What a way to recoup cash for councils. This added cost most certainly makes a difference to the trainer and is likely to be passed onto the customer anyway. Our Buggyfit classes have gone up £1 which may not be a lot but adds up. Fitness trainers holding classes in various parks have it worst and would have to cut back on local authority areas served or live with significantly reduced margins (Yes I'm sympathetic to entrepreneurial fitties).

Personal trainers already have to pay insurance and an extra £350 a year for the privilege to work in a park is a bit steep. My Buggyfit trainer - the very amiable Jackie - suggests an annual registration fee similar to their current insurance fee which is under the £100 mark, giving the trainers a license they can produce on request. Simples.

In this age of catapulting obesity how is this encouraging fitness? The parks are there to be enjoyed by everyone and it's just mean for Councils to try and scrimp money from anywhere possible. Richmond-upon-Thames already has one of the highest council taxes in London and that pays for the upkeep of the parks already right?

Parks are public domain and I've never felt as if they are swamped with personal trainers and when I do see people working out it's a bit of an inspiration... I would perhaps agree should these groups be taking over the free tennis courts and footie fields disallowing regular people to use them. Buggyfit is highly beneficial to local post-natal mums who wouldn't otherwise have the opportunity to have a work out with baby/toddler in tow. It's not full of shouting and grunting as other more hardcore groups may indicate. I suppose this is where the problem lies. Some people can get peed off about the invasion of their public space.

Nanny's, childminders and dog walkers often use parks as part of their daily routine and there are suggestions that they too will be charged. What on earth...? Who knows how park police will identify them I don't know - will they have to wear a big badge saying "I've paid £350 for the privilege of passing through the park for my work". In any case the council will probably end up paying for extra park policing. I heavily doubt that this extra revenue will go towards the parks anyway.
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Beating the Baby bulge II : 5 Housework Workout tips

11 months post birth and there's enough to keep me on my feet, but I'm not really exercising anymore, have neglected any sort of 'crunch' and I feel, well blobby. My weight is fine - but all skin, bones, fat and no toning anywhere!

I'd love to find an exercise class of a mix between ballet, aerobics, yoga and pole dancing while the babies are occupied in a playpen or something, but don't want to commit to any classes and well - rather have the cash for other things. Buggyfit is brilliant in that you don't worry about what to do with the baby and you don't commit - but I feel like I want to be pushed more and baby isn't keen on staying in his buggy for too long and has a mighty cough that it would be unfair to leave him open to the harsh winter.

I asked my Granny what she did for exercise in the 1950s and her response was "we didn't have all those machines doing the housework for us - THAT was our exercise". I suppose I'd never thought of it like that. So I've made an effort to 'put my back into it' and do the following FIVE housework workout exercises in cleaning my little flat

1. Techno turbo-tidying
Stretch, squat, reach, and suck in that tummy while turbo-tidying allocating 5 minutes per room. Hard-house or dirty beats helps to get you moving and makes it more fun to clear stuff from the tables, chairs, beds, clutter hotspots and BACK WHERE THEY BELONG! (If you don't use it - ask yourself why you have it...) and wiping surfaces.
Added benefit : Preps the home for the rest of the cleaning and gives you space to breathe. Good Chi.


2. SCRUB the kitchen floors
It's all too easy to mop from above but in a small kitchen like mine it won't get you moving. Getting down on one's knees, sucking in your tummy and stretching your body into all those corners can really feel good and you are close enough to see if the floor is really pristine ;) 50 calories for 10 minutes
Added benefit : Can slide around on the floor with socks on and fallen baby food/spoons can be given back to baby! 3-second rule still applies

The secret to Madonna's toned body is really from all that scrubbing

3. INTENSE hoovering
I love vacuuming. The sound of crumbs and crap wooshing up the hoover is so rewarding and the clean carpets make the rest of the house look clean even if not. Hoovering is great for upper body (I imagine) and repetitive lunges makes for better results! Try bouncing on a squat too whilst in the middle of a room and rotate on one foot - this really feels like exercise and is fun! 50 calories for 10 minutes
Added  benefit : Vacuum noise will occupy baby for a while, can roll around with baby on the floor afterwards, know baby won't eat old peas from under table



4. Washing up and ironing Ballet
Seeing as you're not really able to go far; stand tall, suck everything in, check your posture, breathing and in first position (legs together, feet pointed outwards) do a few pliés, then in second position (heels shoulder width apart) a few leg lifts to the side and back. Classic FM often helps and really squeeze in those bumcheeks. 30 calories for 10 minutes
Added benefit : Inner calm, straight back and firm ass

5. Daily Bathroom BLITZ
Some more stretching, squatting, reaching to wipe clean your beloved bathroom for just 5mins a day means it will never get to that grimey stage. 
Added benefit : Sparkling bathroom is always welcome for visitors - and most importantly for you.



Finish this off with a speedy shower and then play with your baby in your squeaky clean home
A few 'Superbaby' lifts with your heavy baby on your legs, or using him as a weight for squat and lift is also rather fun. My baby always laughs when I dance - so get moving!

Tone it up

Sport and me never mixed well - I am not a gym bunny or a jogger, but have always loved dancing (at parties, clubs, at home!) to shake myself out a bit, jump and move! If possible, I like swimming or playing tennis but I don't make enough effort to go. My main problem I think, are my un-toned core muscles - I always feel the need to STREEEEETCH. Yoga is nice and all, but a bit too slow for me.

It's all about Ballet.

Ballet Tone seems to have it all, stretch, tone, grace and elegance! I'm enrolling in one of the "Ballet-Inspired Dance fitness and toning" local class at the adult college so hope it's good! Watch this space...



I'm not sure if the class I'm taking is the same as ballet-tone.co.uk but these points could inspire you too!
* For beautiful legs... "Tendus" really lengthen and tone up the legs, when done correctly
* For good bums... Ballet-tone will lift your spirits as well as your buttocks
* To walk tall...Take away with you after each class an elegant, confident posture

Beating the baby bulge

Buggyfit is Back on! After signing up, I have to use all 10 classes before July (10 classes = £50 and you need to use them within four months www.buggyfit.co.uk)





The weekly meetups in local parks give you an hour long exercise session with running, stretching, and general fitness for postnatal and beyond. It can get tough for someone that was unfit to begin and I think I still go red after running "to the 8th tree" for another lap. But I can take Leonsito with me in the pram so it's perfect for after feeds and nap time. It doesn't matter if you don't go every week but now I think I should go every week! It is energising and helps you focus on something else for a bit giving you a break from little one. It also is a challenge for me as I was never very sporty and it is a good work out!

Initially I thought it was quite straight-forward and that I could do that kind of thing on my own. I was actually a bit disappointed that it didn't include the buggy more, like I saw in the Strollercize Youtube clip of the New York version (mentioned in a previous post). After Thursday's class though, I realised that you need the motivation to get out to the park and run around- I'm not going to do that myself!), and the instructor Jackie, is motivating and still kind to all abilities.

I've been to three so far (the first class is free which is good!), but now am determined to go every week- Until the 10 classes run out, and by then it will be July and it's holiday time!

Working Out

I was lucky to not gain much wait during pregnancy - but I have no muscle tone whatsoever so really need to work out! My bottom is pretty much flat, I have a flabby belly, and I just need to feel energised! Yes yes, I could motivate myself at home and do something - but I lack self-motivation at the moment!

I signed up to a class of Buggyfit which is exercising in a park with a bunch of other mums and your babies are safe asleep in the pram. I must say that I was a bit disappointed as I imagined it to be more stroller oriented ie walk with your baby and do arm rotations like in this YouTube video or lunges and other things to do with pram. Buggyfit is more like- take your pram and mess up the wheels while they're dragged across the muddy park to a suitable spot to make you excercise... Sigh... At least it gets me out of bed. And to the park every week. Though when the classes are over, I need to find an alternative excercise that is more fun and gets me moving more!