Workout With Your Baby!

Being a new mom can be a rough road. You’ve got countless new things on your plate that you didn’t have before. You’re tired, you’re constantly battling your emotions, and to top it off, your body… well… it’s not what it used to be.

Waking up early to go to the gym isn’t always the most appealing option, nor is dropping your little one off at the daycare- you went nine months wanting to see that baby after all! Here are five exercises you can do using your baby to help you feel the burn.

Note: Be sure and get your doc’s approval before starting to exercise again, and always make sure your baby is in a safe and secure position and that you are able to hold his or her body weight through the entire range of the exercise move.

My sweet friend Heather is my fitness model using my 20 lb. baby James to do her workout. You can get some serious calorie burning with a chunk like this guy!

1. Push-ups. This is a stand-by exercise, always easy to do and your baby loves it.

Lay your baby on his back, place your arms just wider than shoulder width, keep elbows close to your body, and slowly lower yourself down towards your baby’s face. Pause, maybe do some chatting and laughing, then slowly straighten your arms.

You can start on your knees and build up to the “toes” position when you feel up to it.

2. Shoulder press. Watch out for drool and spit up with this one, and make sure your baby is old enough to support his neck and head.

Start by holding your baby around his middle, his face close to yours, your elbows close to your body, legs bent with feet on the floor.

Slowly push your baby up and straighten your arms, then bring him slowly back down.

3. Chair squats. You won’t actually sit on the chair, but it’s a good way to measure how low to go into your squat, as well as a safety measure in case you lose your balance.

Start by standing, feet shoulder width a part, holding your baby in front of you. Slowly lower yourself down into an almost sitting position, then slowly raise back up to standing.

Be sure to keep your knees from going over your toes and to keep your back as straight as you can.

4. Glute-raise.

Lay on your back, legs bent and feet on the floor. Use your hands to support your baby sitting right on your pelvis. Raise your bottom up and lift as high as you can, then lower back down.

When you get to the peak, be sure to squeeze those glutes and suck in those abs!

5. Crunches.

This is another stand-by, but it’s a good one. Support your baby on your pelvis, then lift your head and shoulders off the ground, squeezing your abs to do so. Be sure you’re not straining your neck with this one, your abs should feel the burn, not your face and neck.

There you have it! Five easy ways to workout any time of day in the convenience of your own home while staring at your little bundle of joy. As always, flex your abs through each of these exercises for a maximum workout. Maybe you could add some cardio by playing some tunes and dancing around like a crazy person trying to make your baby laugh!