Working out with a new baby in the house can feel like an impossible task, but it can actually be easier than you think.
When becoming a new mom, you might have the urge to get back into shape as soon as possible. Your body has just become yours again, after all! But how do you go about exercising when there is a new little life that needs your constant attention every hour of the day?
We’ve found six simple ways to exercise after you’ve become a new mom. Just make sure that you get the all clear from your doctor before doing too much exercise right away.
Get Outside
Walking is a popular way to exercise with a new baby because it isn’t too strenuous on your body and allows you both to get some fresh air. Your baby might even fall asleep in their stroller so that you don’t have to soothe them for as long when you get back home!
Pushing a stroller or carrying your baby in a body carrier will also aid your workout, putting a little more resistance on your body. There is such a thing as a stroller exercise class which can help you meet new mommy friends as well.
Getting out of the house might seem worrying in the early days of being a mom, but it can really help you connect with your baby and clear your mind. Many new moms say that light exercise and fresh air can help with baby blues as well, so stop being cooped up at home and go for a newborn bonding stroll.
Take Your Walk To The Next Level
Once you’ve been on a few walks and feel up to it, you can get your little family ready to go on a hike. A hike is more strenuous than a walk around your neighborhood, but you can also see some much more impressive sights as well.
A body carrier will be much better than a stroller for a hike so that you’re not pushing a heavy mass up lots of hills. So, make sure that your body carrier is designed for your baby’s size and weight.
Babies under six months old will need sufficient head support. The younger your baby is, the shorter your hike will need to be. Young babies will likely only last for up to 30 minutes in a carrier without beginning to fuss, which can squander your enjoyable hike.
So, make sure that you keep your baby’s needs in mind when planning a hike. However, don’t let this put you off using this form of exercise as wearing your baby can be excellent bonding time for you and your baby.
Go For A Dip
Swimming with your baby is excellent exercise for both of you. You will feel completely supported and weightless while your baby will get stronger by kicking and splashing in the water.
Babies develop excellently when exposed to swimming lessons, but teaching them to swim is not the best exercise for you. Instead, once you’ve let them have their fun, you can put them in a little flotation device designed for babies so that you can keep them close to you as you complete some easy lengths yourself.
You can also do some body weight exercises to finish off by lifting your baby into the air from the water, before lowering them back into it. This will be enough to get a little arm workout on depending on the size of your baby.
Work Them Muscles!
Yoga and Pilates are two excellent forms of exercise that you can do to strengthen your body and tone your muscles. They can also help you to improve your flexibility, which will be a welcomed change to your body after feeling so inflexible for the last nine months.
If you loved exercising before you got pregnant and were discouraged to learn all of the restrictions you had to follow during the second and third trimester (you never know how much you like lying on your back until you’re forbidden to do so), ab exercises will be a welcomed change.
You can even use your baby to add some weight to your workout! Lie on your back while holding your baby underneath their arms above you, and slowly lift your chest and head from the ground into an upright position. Then slowly roll back down to the floor. Your abs will burn but thank you later!
There are also plenty of baby yoga classes and videos online that you can do with them to spend some time bonding while getting your workout in. It will be nice to actually move your body rather than being confined to the couch with them for hours on end!
Have A Little Boogie
Perhaps the most fun form of exercise, why not put some of your favorite tunes on a playlist and have a dance party with your new baby? Not only will they love moving with you, but you’ll also get some cardio in without overworking your body.
Just remember that the music shouldn’t be too loud on their ears and to be safe - no matter how much you might want to tear up the dance floor, you should keep two hands on your baby at all times.
Depending on their age, their neck and head should also be properly supported. Refrain from headbanging just yet!
Summary
We hope that you’ve learned something valuable about how to exercise with your new baby. While it might seem like they are your entire life now, that doesn’t mean that you have to give up everything that you used to love before getting pregnant!
Enjoy your new body’s freedom and dare to do everything that you couldn’t while pregnant - lay on your back, twist your tummy and hips, and get your flexibility on! Not only is exercising great for you and your baby, it’s also a good way to bond and spend time with each other.