Mom/Baby Work Outs!

January 22, 2020 /

Calling all my Mama’s with New Year’s Resolutions to get in shape or spend more time playing with your kids! Here is a little piece I wrote a while ago about all the ways I get my work out in while entertaining three babies:

 

There aren’t many things I do that don’t involve my kids – at least when they are awake, and I’ve got enough other things to do when they are sleeping – so I don’t always get a chance to work out or go for a run like I did in my pre-baby days. Hubby and I used to enjoy the Couch to 5k app or hit the gym together before work, but now sleep is so much more valuable and there is much less motivation to go at it alone.

Sure, I might be able to sneak out for a run with one of the babies in a stroller on a weekend but that gets old fast – especially when the one in the stroller tells you you’re going too fast or cries because you’re not running when you can’t catch your breath! So I’ve invented some fun ways to get a work out in without my kids knowing!

 

On the nice days when we can get outside we’ll take a walk around whatever pond we can find either in our wagon or the stroller (bonus pack weight of whichever kid ends up in the carrier since we’ve only got a double stroller!) or I’ll take my kids to a park or a field and just chase them around for as long as I can! They love the attention of me chasing them and will spend the whole time laughing and playing. And while I’m still “running” it feels much less dull than loops around a track.

 

Now that we are stuck indoors a little bit more due to the weather I’ve figured out how to get a lot of different types of work outs in at home!  Much of our “work out” involves walking around the table so I try to make sure that space is clear before we start. We’ve got a couple of favorites like the dinosaur song – where we march, jump, crawl, run, slide and tiptoe around the table. It may not seem like much but do a few laps with an energetic child!

We also LOVE baby push ups where you lie on your back and lift them up and down in the air! Like the motion of a push up, but into the sky rather than the ground. Get ready to do lots of these once you start! The heavier my babies get these days the more my arms are really feeling it.

I can manage to get lots of weighted squats in with another one of our marching songs – this one modified from our Rainbow Dance group!

It goes: “March around the circle picking up your two feet, march around the circle everybody STOP!”  (substitute “march” for run, crawl, jump etc. as you like to keep the kids entertained and intensify your work out!)

Then with basic stretches and toe touching: “up, up, up and down, down, down – to the sky and to the ground, – up, down, up, down”

The kids who aren’t with mom will march, raise their hands up to the sky and drum the ground as we sing while whoever’s turn it is gets lifted up and down by me! The squeals of laughter are nothing if not motivating to keep you going – and if that doesn’t do it the screams of “more, more” “my turn, my turn” sure will.

As my kids get more and more coordinated we have tried some kid friendly yoga and even done jumping jacks together, but this tends to feel less playful. Personally my kids prefer to stick to games and I’m all for that. If anything the multitude of elevator songs or leg bouncing songs with a toddler on board will always get your arm/leg day going strong.

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