Many women may not feel confident with the new “baby weight,” seeking ways as to how they can not only incorporate exercise into their daily regimen but also include their new child. It’s essential to get the consultation of your healthcare provider before exercising. Typically, however, a woman will have to wait between 6 to 8 weeks after a postnatal check before picking up exercise other than walking or Kegels.
As a new mom, the last thing you want to do is to leave your baby behind when you head off to embark on your new exercise regimen. Exercising with your child makes it easier to fit fitness into your schedule. There’s also the added benefit of bonding with your baby while you work out.
How To Lose Weight While Including Baby
- Dancing With the Baby. Dancing provides a light cardiovascular workout, engaging most major muscle groups and improving balance and coordination. And like any child, your bundle of joy will appreciate being lightly swayed around. You can do this while holding your baby or any front carrier to keep them close to your body. Then put on some slow music that you love to dance to, and move about in slow and fast intervals to keep your heart rate elevated. Avoid turning too quickly and bouncing. A couple of minutes of slow dancing throughout the day adds up.
- Tummy Time. Children will spend the majority of their time on their backs — it engages their stomach and builds muscles in their necks, shoulders, and back. Tummy time is simply just that, lying down with your child and engaging them to look around, reach, and kick. You can lay your child adjacent to you as you do light anaerobic exercises like push-ups, Kegel exercises, and stretching. Periodically check on your child and lightly rub their tummy or sing to them whenever you are resting in the middle of your exercise.
- Lunges. Lunges is one of the best exercises to help tone major leg muscles. While pushing the stroller or holding your baby securely with the help of a body sling, bend forward at a 90° angle, sinking into a lunge position. Because of your baby’s weight, be sure to engage your abs and pull them tightly, so you don’t hurt your lower back.
- Your Baby Enjoys Lifting Weights as well. Picking up objects is a great way to build your child’s grasping ability, as well as improve hand-eye coordination. As soon as a child starts to grasp items, which usually happens sometime in the three or four-month mark, hand them small toys as personal weights as you use real weights a safe distance away from them.
- Brisk Walking Outside. You can start out by using the weight of your baby in an ergonomic baby carrier and then moving to a stroller which adds additional weight. A 30-minute circuit style workout alternates between five minutes of brisk walking and a couple of minutes of toning sessions with the help of a stroller or can help jumpstart your weight loss journey.
When using a stroller, you’ll want an ergonomically designed stroller that allows for one hand operation. While using, keep your wrists straight and elbows pointing slightly outward. Do not grip on the handle too tightly or you may become uncomfortable way before the completion of your workout. Start out by walking for five minutes, gradually picking up the pace into a brisk walk. As you walk, consciously extend each leg without sacrificing form. After about five minutes, stand with your feet hip-width apart, grab onto to your stroller to steady yourself, and slightly bend your knees into a squat position. Do a couple of reps building up to 20, and then resume the brisk walking. You may also consider cosmetic procedures like fat dissolvers or enroll in a weight loss coaching program to help you lose weight.