Fitness for Moms with a Baby: Exercises with a Child in Your Arms

Joint Exercises for Mom and Baby

Not all women manage to find time for fitness with a baby in their arms. The problem for young mothers is that besides them, often no one else can occupy or understand the baby. In such cases, joint exercises for mom and baby become a salvation.

Precautions

Do not rush to start exercises after childbirth with a baby in your arms. A woman in any case needs time to recover her body. Typically, after a natural birth, all systems return to normal within 5-8 weeks. In the case of a cesarean section, recovery will take 8-12 weeks, and you can start exercising only with a doctor’s permission.

It’s not necessary to start exercising at these specific times: if a woman feels ready for fitness later, there’s nothing wrong with that.

Additionally, there are a few extra rules for exercising with children after childbirth:

1. Avoid exercising immediately after feeding – it can lead to regurgitation.
2. Mothers can perform exercises with their infants only when both are feeling well.
3. Exercises for mothers with nursing infants should be gentle and smooth, without jumps, sudden movements, or shaking – all of these can harm the child’s spine health.
4. Do not exercise to exhaustion: after childbirth, minimal exertion is sufficient, which will gradually increase over time.

Fitness with a Child in Arms

Any workout should begin with a warm-up that includes active movements to warm up the muscles. It’s best to perform this part of the session alone, while the baby rests in the crib, stroller, or another comfortable place.

Exercises for a mom holding her baby can be chosen from regular gymnastics or from yoga. A sample list of exercises looks as follows:

1. Lunges. The baby should be held close to the chest, serving as a weight in this situation.
2. Lifting the baby with arms. You can raise your arms with the infant upward or forward, either standing or lying on your back.
3. Lying on your back with bent legs, place the baby on your shins. By bending and straightening your knees, you can create a real swing for the little one.
4. Hip lifts from lying on your back with knees bent. The baby should be sitting on your abdomen during this exercise.

If a woman has fully recovered after childbirth, she can include push-ups, squats, and baby curls in her fitness program. Trainer Kseniya Vlasova from the online course can help select the right exercise program.

It is important to remember that most exercises are suitable for children from 3 months old, who can already hold their head confidently. Before this, it is permissible only to hold the baby to the chest during workout or keep them in a sling.

Benefits of Fitness with a Baby in Your Arms

Exercises with a baby for moms are a way to spend time beneficially without leaving the child with relatives. Moreover, it will help strengthen the spiritual bond with your baby, spark more interest in the surrounding world, and entertain.

An important advantage is the fact that a child, observing mom’s workouts from an early age, will grow up with a firm understanding of sports and may take it as an example.

The child’s vestibular system and sense of balance develop during activities.