Happy & Healthy

HOW DO I CHANGE FROM A

FIT GIRL to A FIT MOM

Meet this natural beauty Stef van der Laan. From Dutch soil, stunningly beautiful and also very sporty. She knows better than anyone how to stay in shape.

Stef likes to combine a gym lesson with a round in Vondelpark. Twice a week she does Hot Pilates, sweating for 30 minutes in a cabin of 50 degrees Celsius resulting in a nice set of abs. We want that. So let’s hit that class.

Her favorite ab exercise is the plank. Hey, we’ve heard that before. Why? “Because I not only work on my abs with this, but my whole body gets a boost. I do this exercise for two minutes.”

Instructions for performing the plank correctly

1. Start the exercise in a push-up position: hands directly under your shoulders, toes on the ground, and a straight body.

2. Now place your forearms on the ground instead of your hands. Your elbows should be directly under your shoulders and your toes on the ground. When you perform the exercise for the first time, keep your knees on the ground and build it up slowly.

3. Keep your body in a straight line (no tents or hanging bridges, chuckle. What I mean is: no butt in the air but also not ‘hanging’ in your back), tighten your glutes and try to pull your navel in. Do you feel those abs coming?

4. During the exercise, keep looking at the floor to maintain a neutral neck and back position.

5. Create a straight, strong line from head to toe – a plank.

Now that mom Stef has the Bugaboo Runner, she happily swaps the treadmill for Vondelpark. She does this cheerfully with her little Fosje. Exercising and spending time with your little one, that’s what you want as a new mom, right? But when sweetheart Ferdi joins in, it’s a real party. He likes to step it up a notch, making her running session just a bit tougher.

And after all that effort, a bottle of water is no luxury, and fortunately, the Bugaboo Runner is equipped with all conveniences. One for mom Stef and one for baby Fos.