Some exercise inspiration for a busy mom. You can do these exercises with your baby, making it fun and interesting for both of you! This workout can be used anywhere, even at a play date with a friend. Try to be aware of good posture, breathing technique, and core and pelvic floor activation throughout.
These exercises are advanced by using your baby as a weight and one needs to have first worked on basic postpartum stability exercises before attempting them.
1. Shoulder Press
- Start by sitting with good posture and an activated core.
- Hold your baby securely at shoulder level with your elbows bent.
- Keeping your torso straight, and without leaning backwards, exhale and activate your core and pelvic floor while straightening your elbows to lift your baby above your head, before slowly returning to the starting position.
- Repeat 5 times.
If your baby is too heavy, rather use your usual dumbbells to avoid risking injury.
2. Bridge
- Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
- Hold your baby while they sit on your tummy.
- Activate your core and pelvic floor while exhaling, and use your buttock muscles to lift your hips off the floor. Make sure your shoulders, hips and knees are in a straight line and hold the bridge for about 3 seconds before returning.
- Repeat 5-10 times.
3. Chest Press
- Lie on your back with your baby sitting on your chest, holding them under their arms.
- Your knees should be bent with your feet flat on the floor.
- Exhale while activating your core and pelvic floor, and straighten your elbows to push your baby up into the air so that your arms are directly over your shoulders.
- Lower them down slowly, back to the starting position.
- Repeat 5 times.
Lunge
- Start by standing and holding your baby securely against you while maintaining good posture.
- Take a large step forward with your right foot and bend your knees to lower yourself into a lunge.
- Your front hip and knee should be bent to about 90 degrees.
- Focus on keeping your hips straight throughout the movement, without allowing your torso to rotate.
- Keep the knee of your front leg from moving over your toes or from turning inward.
- Return to the starting position and repeat with your left leg.
- Repeat each side 5 times.
Squat
- Stand, holding your baby on your shoulders.
- Your legs should be shoulder-width apart with your toes rotated slightly outwards.
- Being aware of your posture and core, bend your hips and knees using your buttock muscles, hamstrings, and quads to sit back as if you are going to "sit" in a chair behind you, until your hips and knees are bent about 90 degrees (Without allowing your knees to move over your toes).
- Keep your feet flat on the floor and look straight ahead.
- Keep the contraction for about 3 seconds before squeezing your buttocks to return to the starting position.
- Keep your core active throughout the movement and repeat 5 times.
Check with your women's health physio if in doubt, and stop the exercise if you experience any pain, coning of the abdominals, heaviness in the pelvic floor, or leakage.
Enjoy yourself and have fun. Exercise with laughter sure is the best medicine!
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Christy Ann
xx
