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Exercising with your baby can be fun, fast and beneficial both physically and mentally. Incorporating your baby into your fitness routine is a simple way to get more exercise and become healthier. As a new parent, finding time to exercise might seem impossible as you adjust to the new evolving responsibilities and lack of sleep. A misconception that many tired parents have is that they need to wait until they have enough energy or motivation to start an exercise routine. The catch is that you have to start exercising first and the activity itself gives you the energy and motivation needed to establish a routine. Instead of waiting until you have a babysitter or gym membership, you can do short bursts of activity with your baby. Even a few minutes of activity per day will boost your fitness levels, give you more energy, and provide a greater sense of well-being to help you meet the demands of parenthood. Exercise is now recognized as an effective tool in combating depression (1), a common challenge for sleep deprived parents. Parents who exercise regularly know their ability to handle stress, focus, and be patient increases drastically. Feeling stronger, more energetic, and increasingly fit day-by-day will motivate you to make other health affirming choices for your family. Your new baby will also be delighted as you include them in your physical activity. Getting outdoors to breathe fresh air and enjoy nature’s sight and sounds are stimulating and invigorating for you and your baby. Starting early to combine exercise and playtime establishes habits and associations that support a healthy lifestyle for the whole family. Before long, your baby will be a toddler who will delight in mimicking your activity. Getting Started Small positive changes over time provide major results both mentally and physically. It only takes 21 days to create new habits. Below you will find a series of suggestions for exercising with your baby to elevate your heart rate and strengthen your muscles, both important components of a balanced exercise routine. Exercise that elevates your heart rate strengthens your heart and lungs, stimulates feel-good endorphins, and supports physiological changes that deliver more oxygen throughout your body. Any amount of cardiovascular exercise is beneficial and short intervals of high intensity exercise assist your body in handling and recovering from daily stress. Strengthening your muscles is also important to support your bones, tone your body, and give you the capability to safely carry a growing baby and associated baby-gear. If you focus on doing high repetitions using your own body weight, you will build muscular endurance and avoid bulking up. Strengthening your body will also increase your metabolism and assist in using fat stores in the same way that a car with a large engine uses more gasoline than a car with a small engine. Always finish with some stretching to keep muscles long and limber. You can begin incorporating your baby into your fitness routine once baby has the strength to support its neck safely. Holding your baby during stable exercises is an easy way to increase the intensity. As you baby grows, you will see your strength improve. During each exercise, be sure your abdomen is drawn in (below your belly button) to support your back while still breathing deeply into your diaphragm (above your belly button). You can practice breathing into your diaphragm by lying on the ground and watching your belly rise and fall (just like a baby breathes). Start by doing 2-3 sets of 15 repetitions for each exercise and then increase the repetitions and sets as your strength and endurance improve. Although outdoor exercise is ideal, you can do these exercises indoors or outdoors. Be sure to wear exercise shoes and comfortable clothing. r Snuggly Lunges (tones legs):Start standing feet together holding baby to your chest with one hand behind their neck and the other under their bottom. Draw in your abdomen and take a large step forward and bend your front knee. Hold that position before pushing off your front foot and repeat the lunges with both legs to the front, back and sides. r Baby-Raising Squats (strengths legs, back and arms): Start with your legs hip-width apart and slightly turned out while holding your baby around the waist at your chest (if baby can support its neck). Bend your knees and then straighten them while lifting your baby carefully above your head and then lowering the arms, keeping your abdomen drawn in throughout. Repeat and be sure your bent knees stay behind your toes. r Baby Wall/Tree Squats (strengthens legs and core stabilizing muscles): Find a stationary object that you can lean against like a wall or large tree. Lean your back against the wall/tree while holding your baby to your chest with one hand behind their neck and the other under their bottom. Take a few small steps away from the wall and bend your knees until your knees are bent at a 90 degree angle. Draw in your abdomen and breathe deeply into your diaphragm while holding this position until your legs begin to burn (also distract yourself by smiling and making silly faces at your baby). Walk your feet back towards the tree/wall and rest. r Baby Bridge (strengths core abdominal stabilizing muscles): Lay down on your back with feet on the floor and knees bent while holding your sitting baby on your belly. Draw in your abdomen and raise your hips up while holding your baby securely in this position for a few seconds before lowering and repeating. r Baby Sit Ups (strengthens core abdominals): Lay down on your back with feet on the floor and knees bent while holding your sitting baby on your belly. Draw in your abdomen while lifting your head and shoulders off the ground, and holding for a few seconds before lowering carefully. Repeat and let your baby’s weight remind you to keep your abdomen drawn-in. Visualize a string pulling your belly button towards your back. r Cardio Intervals with Baby (increases cardiovascular capacity): Set baby down and do a few sets of jumping jacks. Next try butt kicks by jumping up and bending knees under you so they hit your butt. Later progress to tuck jumps by jumping up while bending your knees towards your chest. Just a few of these exercises will get your heart beating fast. Rest and bring your heart rate down before starting your next set. Your baby will be impressed, amused and inspired. r Walks with Baby (increases cardiovascular endurance): Go for walks together around the block with a stroller or baby carrier. When baby is in the stroller, add 1-2 minute sprints to increase your cardiovascular stamina. These ideas provide some simple ways that you can incorporate your baby into a fitness routine. Consider trying the mommy and me yoga classes at your local yoga studio since the breathing, stretching, and relaxation techniques found in yoga are beneficial for adults and children alike. When it comes to fitness, even small incremental changes impact your health and vitality. A dedication to making exercise a fun family activity will benefit you and your children for life! (1) Mayo Clinic Staff (2007). Depression and Anxiety: Exercise Eases Symptoms. Abstract retrieved June 5, 2009 from http://mayoclinic.com/health/depression-and-exercise/MH00043 |
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Make Fitness Fun with Babies |
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Photo: Julie Hughes |
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Make Fitness Fun with Young Kids |
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Young children are naturally active as they learn to move and explore. We love to see their happiness and pride as they conquer new physical abilities to walk, run and jump. One of the joys of parenthood is to remember the wonder and excitement of childhood. This time is also ideal for parents to rediscover the fun of exercise. Parents can foster children’s natural desire to be active by providing meaningful and safe physical activities. Children learn through example, and kids are more likely to maintain their innate desire to run and play when they have fun exercising with their family and friends. These early experiences form patterns that contribute to a lifetime of healthy fitness habits. Kids who exercise regularly have better ability to focus and learn. Any amount of exercise is beneficial and even short intervals of exercise help parents in managing and recovering from stress. When families exercise together, everyone benefits with improved health and vitality. Getting Started There are many simple ways for families to spend quality time together exercising. Do these exercises in your living room, back yard or at the park. For repetitive exercises, start with 2-3 sets of 15 repetitions and then increase the sets over time. r Play tag with your children. r Skip, march and dance to your favorite music. r Pretend to be your favorite animals. Crawl like a lion, hop like a bunny and jump like a frog. r Encourage your child to copy your jumping jacks, and/or tuck jumps aiming your knees for your nose. r Practice sit-ups together, showing your kids the importance of pulling in their tummy muscles for balance and focus. r Tone your legs by doing lunges and squats while holding your young child. Repeat the lunges to the front, back and both sides. r Raise and lower your child above your head to strengthen your upper body while keeping your stomach muscles pulled in for support and balance. r Encourage your kids to walk or ride their bikes beside you while you walk. r Involve your children in the sports you enjoy such as soccer, basketball, tennis, cycling, running. r Practice the art of breathing deeply with your kids to show them the lifelong skill of calming themselves down. Breathing, stretching, and relaxation techniques found in yoga are beneficial for adults and children alike. Being a parent is as much about learning as it is about teaching. While we parents have much to offer our children, they can remind us of the joy of exercise. Together we can create a healthier and happier future! |
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Tips for Parents |
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r Children and parents should be wearing shoes that allow them to jump, hop, skip, etc. r Ensure there is sufficient space to do the exercises. r Children must be instructed to listen to their body and stop if they experience pain or discomfort. r All the exercise descriptions include variations for different fitness levels and challenges that can be done to provide flexibility for different people. To make the activity more difficulty, incorporate the variations, and increase the effort level and repetitions. r One or more Exercise Rhyme can be done at any given time. Multiple exercises can also be performed consecutively for sustained activity. The Exercise Rhymes provide a variety of physical activities that can be mixed and matched during any given exercise session. r Children can be given the opportunity to select, read and lead the Exercise Rhyme(s). r Parents can incorporate “Simon Says” instructions to make it a game. r Children can keep track of their progress on a progress chart. Motivate kids to have personal challenges (e.g. more repetitions) and then get awards when exceeding a personal best. r Young children will quickly learn the rhyming words that end each line, so pause before the rhyming word and let the child say it. The rhymes become a verbal cue for performing the exercise so the kids can do them on their own too. r Some children with special needs can benefit from doing Exercise Rhymes. The combined rhyme and exercise encourage routine, repetition and coordination both verbally and physically. Motor skill and coordination improvements can be transferred to other activities. Parents should start with just two lines in the rhyme, and later do the other two rhyming lines. See the Therapy page for other suggestions. |
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At Home |
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Exercise Rhymes™ are ideal for busy parents who want to incorporate exercise into their family activities. Exercise Rhymes can be done quickly almost anywhere including your living room, backyard, neighborhood park, etc. Exercise Rhymes help parents exercise with their children, promoting lifelong healthy fitness habits. Exercise Rhymes are fun for kids and adults, incorporating coordination, memory, rhyming and imagination. Rhyming is recommended by reading specialists to help provide a good foundation for reading. Doing Exercise Rhymes promotes the concept that exercise can be easily incorporated into daily life, either sustained, or with short bursts of activity a few times a day. Parents can do Exercise Rhymes at home with their children as fun family time. |
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Photo: Julie Hughes |
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Photo: Julie Hughes |
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Photo: Julie Hughes |
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Photo: Dave Chapman |
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Photo: Dave Chapman |
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© 2008-2011 Exercise Rhymes LLC. All rights reserved. 11/4/2011 3:57:02 PM |
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