Exercising with a baby

I like to exercise. I especially like the way I feel after I exercise. Before I got pregnant with Little, I had a gym membership and I went almost every day. When I got pregnant, I started planning for different types of exercise. I knew I wouldn't want to leave Little with strangers and I didn't want to exercise alone during the precious time that Husband was home. Here is what I have discovered thus far.

1. My BOB stroller is amazing. Little loves to go for a run or a walk. I don't run as often as I would like to but it seems to be the easiest cardio for me to do with Little.  When she was younger, I used to try to take Little for runs only when she was asleep but I have since realized that she is happy in the stroller when she is awake so I generally try to save nap times to use for other things.

Walking is also great and I can run errands while I walk with the stroller.  The grocery store is less than a mile from my home so sometimes I will walk there for a small shopping trip.  Make sure that your baby has some sort of sun protection in the stroller.  We are using the BOB sunshield right now.  I don't bring my whole diaper bag on walks or runs, I have found that the essentials for us are a pacifier, water for me, and a small diaper kit (wipes, one diaper, a small changing pad).

2.  Floor exercises are something that Little often likes to watch me do.  If she is in a good mood, I can set her down on the floor with her toys and I can do abs exercises next to her.  I don't do this enough, especially considering I actually have some physical therapy exercises that I am supposed to be doing to fix the separation of my abdominal muscles caused by my pregnancy.

3.  Some exercises are well suited for doing while wearing a fussy baby.  I love my Moby Wrap.  I have found that Little is almost always happy when she is in it and I can do things like walking, squats, and lunges while wearing her.  I also use the Moby Wrap to get housework done when Little is fussy.

4.  Lift that baby!  Little is six months old and already 20 lbs and 12 oz.  She loves to be lifted high into the air again and again.  She will be laughing and laughing while my arms are burning.  I have found many variations that allow me to work different muscles.  If you are going to do this,  remember that your exercise needs to be appropriate for your baby's stage of development.  Little can hold her head up well but not well enough to be thrown and caught again.

Enjoy working out with your baby!  I love working out with Little and I'm hoping that watching Husband and I exercise will help her to see it as a fun thing as she grows up.