New moms are always busy taking care of the new baby and the home. But it doesn’t mean you can’t squeeze in a workout. You might not be able to hit the gym for a little while but there are “quickie” routines that you can get started with that doesn’t require you to go to Planet Fitness. In fact, there are some workouts you can do while taking care of your baby.
But before we go into the details, please keep in mind these safety reminders:
- When doing exercises that let your little one hold his head up on his own, they need to be of the right age (3-4 months old).
- Always do some warm ups and stretches before doing any exercise.
- Exhale through your mouth, inhale through your nose.
Dancing with Baby
Dancing offers a light cardiovascular workout for the whole body, and at the same time help improve balance and coordination. You can dance while holding your baby or place him in a front carrier that has sufficient head support. Just put on some music, keeping your core engaged, sing the lyrics and dance away!
An alternative to carrying your baby is placing him in a bouncy seat while you dance around him.
Baby Curl-Ups
Curl ups strengthen your core muscles. Lie on your back with your feet flat and knees bent. Place your baby securely in a reclined position above your pubic bone, with your hands wrapped around his body. Lift your head, neck and shoulders off the floor while contracting your abs. Hold for 2 seconds. Then lower back down slowly. You can do 15 repetitions of this exercise at a time.
Reverse Baby Curl
Lie on your back with your knees close to your chest. Securely place baby on your shins and slowly tilt your hips off the floor as you lift your head, and contract your abs. Gold for 2 seconds. Lower back down slowly. You can do 15 repetitions of this exercise at a time.
Overhead Press Exercise
Press exercises strengthen the middle and upper back, shoulders, biceps and triceps. To do this exercise, sit with your legs crossed and with elbows bent, hold your baby in front of your chest. Straighten your arms upward. Hold for 2 seconds. Then lower your arms (and your baby) to the starting position. You can do 15 repetitions of this exercise at a time.
Baby Bench Press
Lie flat on your back with your knees bent. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and keep your core engaged. Hold your baby and bring him close to your chest. Hold this position for 2 seconds and then place your baby back to the starting position. You can do 15 repetitions of this exercise at a time.
Pliés
Pliés tone the hamstrings, buttocks, quadriceps and calves. To do plies, stand with your feet a bit wider than hip-width distance, turning feet out slightly. Keep your core engaged and bend your knees, pressing your weight into the heels and lowering your hips. Straighten your legs slowly and squeeze your buttocks as you go back to standing.
Walking Lunges
Just like Plies, lunges also tone the hamstrings, buttocks, quadriceps and calves. To do this exercise, stand tall and face straight. Take a large step forward with your left leg and bend both knees. Place the front knee over your ankle as the back knee lowers to the floor with the heels slightly lifted. Push off the back leg and place both feet together. Do the same with the right leg.
For more mom and baby exercises, check out this video: