How to workout with a baby - Seven Tips
How to workout with a baby in tow? With creche facilities in gyms limited, and partners not always around to help, how can you ensure you make that all-important time for yourself while still taking care of your little one?
Its a truth universally known that mums are short on time. Between the lack of sleep and having to physically and emotionally recover from one of the most demanding experiences the human body can go through, sometimes just leaving the house can feel like an achievement.
So even with the best of intentions, exercise can get pushed to the sidelines and ‘me time’ can feel unrealistic. In between the exhaustion of being a new mum and having a baby reliant on you for feeding and sleeping, fitting in even a 30 min workout away from the baby is hard. Here, then, are seven simple ways new mums can conveniently incorporate exercise back into their lives with their baby in tow.
CARiFiT
CARiFiT baby wearing workouts offer new mums scientifically proven mood-boosting, energising, baby bonding workouts that you can do anywhere. Backed by science and full of fun, CARiFiT started in a London Studio 5 years ago and is now followed by new mums world-wide.
CARiFiT has both on demand and live stream workouts so that you can get back into exercise safely and effectively, working out around your baby's schedule without the need for childcare. These workouts, which have been designed in partnership with Sport England and are even part of the Royal College of GPs clinical lifestyle toolkit, are also the only postnatal fitness method to have been independently evaluated for their positive mental and physical benefits for new mums.
Perfect for juggling both childcare and resistance training – this low-impact strength workout is suitable for babies aged 6 weeks to 18 months old. CARiFiT recommends that you ensure your carrier is safe and properly fitted before starting your first class.
Stream live classes with founder and postnatal fitness specialist Vern Hill and his team from just £11 per month.
Walk this way
It may sound incredibly simple, but walking still counts as a form of exercise and is a great way to workout with a baby. Pop your baby in your pram and powerwalk to the park. If you can’t quite manage 30 minutes a day in one go, start with six sets of 5-minute or three sets of 10-minute power walks and build it up. Or, if you fancy meeting new mum friends, check out BuggyFit – the largest buggy workout network in the UK – which consist of outdoor classes (with baby in the pram) led by instructors specialising in postnatal fitness.
Run with your buggy
Walking not giving you quite the endorphin hit you need? If you've built up a bit of your running fitness again, why not look at investing in a running buggy and going for a jog with your little one instead? A great way to fit a run in at any time and to get your baby to nap, this is a really easy way to get a workout in to your day. Can't justify the cost of a brand new one? Ebay is a great place to find second hand buggies at great prices. Check out our top tips on getting set to start buggy running here...
Busy Lizzie fitness classes
Busy Lizzie has hundreds of classes across the UK for expectant and new mums. Available both online and as in-person classes, their postnatal sessions provide a great opportunity to get fit, meet other mums and entertain your baby while working out. With memberships starting at £20 month, including access to 20 live-streamed classes a week, it’s also great value for money.
Mumhood
Created by the founders of boutique fitness gym, Frame fitness – Pip and Joan decided to create a series of safe, simple and effective workouts, specific to each stage of pre-and-post pregnancy, after feeling overwhelmed with the amount of misinformation around exercise when they were pregnant with their first children.
Based on pilates, you can follow various programmes online – and Frame fitness studios also offer Mumhood bring-a-baby classes in HIIT, yoga and 'postnatal tums'.
BABYBARRE
Founded by celebrity trainer and owner of BodyBarre, Paola Di Lanzo, BabyBarre is a yoga meets pilates class designed for both pre and postnatal women. Workout with your baby (on the mat) either at home, or in the studio, while focusing on core muscles, lower back muscles and the weakened pelvic floor.
Get fit at home
If you can’t find a local class to incorporate your baby, and baby specific home workouts aren’t for you, find a space in your home to set up your equipment, and a baby bouncer, playpen or iPad depending on their age, anything to keep them entertained for a short while and take that time out for YOU.
Even at a young age babies benefit from playing independently and will enjoy watching you. It gets a little harder as they get more mobile but never feel guilty about a little TV to keep them occupied while you take that time to fit in a workout. It’s amazing what you can achieve in a double bill of Peppa Pig and how much better you will feel for it!
