Ryan Cross, B.A. Hons (Kin), MScPT, FCAMPT
Registered Physiotherapist in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada
My wife and I were blessed with the birth of our first child about 8 weeks ago. Becoming a parent is an experience that is difficult to put into words. There are so many emotions that flow over you when you hold your child for the first time. Getting home from the hospital you realize immediately that everything has changed. This little bundle of joy is in charge most of the time. He will dictate when we eat, sleep, shower, and clean.
Even going out to visit his grandparents takes an extra production of planning: feed the baby, change the baby, dress the baby, pack up everything you need (including planning for diaper disasters and baby meltdowns!). We learned quickly that we had a new normal routine. Going to the gym and Saturday morning exercise classes weren’t as easily attainable with Nathan running the show. Having a cute baby around requires additional planning, but it doesn’t mean you have to stop some of the things you did before he was here. You just need to be a little creative with some things, including your workout routine.
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All babies will cry, some more than others. The way to calm the baby is different for each one. What seemed to work with Nathan was walking and bouncing while you hold him tightly. After pacing the house for a few weeks, I realized I could turn this pacing into a mini work out for me. I started to try exercises while I held him and rocked him to sleep. It is similar to a circuit training type of routine; I will complete each exercise for 1 minute and cycle through the circuit twice. He will sometimes be fussy for one exercise, in which case I will only do a few reps and then move on to the next. As he gains better head control, the plan will be to progress to other exercises!
(Alternatively, a kettlebell or dumbbell could be used to do these exercises)
Baby Workout:
Foot Rocking
This exercise helps to strengthen the muscles of the arch of your foot. As you rock to one side lift the arch of your foot up.
Heel and Toe Raises
Lift up on your toes and then rock back on your heels as you lift your toes off the ground.
Groin Stretch
Shift your weight to one side as you stretch your other leg out as far as possible.
Squat
Sink into your heels as you reach your hips back. Keep your chest up.
Hip flexor and Hamstring Alternating Stretch
In a stride stance, shift your weight to the front leg and push the back leg hip forward. Shift your weight to the back leg and stretch the hamstrings of the front leg.
Lunge
This can be done statically in the stride position and just move up and down. You can also do walking lunges.
Single Leg Balance
Step to the side and lift the opposite leg off the ground and repeat on the other side. You can also to do this as you walk forward.
Hip hinge
From a standing position (single leg or double leg), maintain the natural curve of your spine as you bend forward as far as you feel comfortable, rotating only at your hip joint.
Return to the standing position.
Golf swing rotation
Hold your core muscles tight as your rotate side to side similar to the golf swing.
Chin Tuck and Shoulder Blade Squeeze
Holding your baby tends to keep you in a rounded forward position. This exercise helps you get out of that position and into a better posture.
Stand up tall, bring your chin back, and squeeze your shoulder blades together.
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In addition to these exercises, walking is another component of the work out plan. The goal is to walk for 30 minutes each day. The main idea behind the workout plan is to keep active and be creative in how you fit in a work out after welcoming a baby into the family. It is easy to follow and will be progressed to different exercises as he gets older. Starting to get him involved in an exercise routine at an early age will hopefully instill a desire to maintain an active lifestyle when he grows up.
