Get Moving! Mom and Baby Exercise

Exercise for You and Baby

There are a plethora of fun exercise routines for you and your little one to enjoy together. Here are just a few ideas to get you started:

• Stroller exercises: No matter how old, your baby can benefit from taking walks with you in the stroller. There are also specific stroller exercise programs, similar to aerobics, that give moms a cardiovascular workout and a muscle-toning experience all at the same time.
• Yoga: By stretching and practicing deep breathing, yoga increases your range of movement, and fosters good posture, breathing, and muscle tone—all vital for your baby's development and for you to balance your metabolism, helping you trim the waistline.
• Pilates: These exercises increase your flexibility and strength your muscles through gentle body conditioning, using your own body for resistance. Pilates is a safe way for you and your baby to exercise, enabling you to be more active. You will find relief from joint or muscle pains from proper practice. Recommended for babies age 4 months and older.
• Land and Water Aerobics: These are excellent ways for you and baby to get moving, developing bone strength, and fostering a love for physical activity. The cardiovascular workouts will also release endorphins—boosting your mood.

Your little one may love floating around in a specially designed "boat" while you get some great aqua exercise. Water aerobics help prevent muscle soreness, due to water's ability to decrease your body's weight.

• Gymnastics and Dance: Simple tumbling and balance exercises combined with music and repetition come together for a stimulating experience for you to share with your baby from the very beginning. By dancing and singing along with your baby or toddler, you can achieve fitness through fun activity, rather than regular exercise routines. Over time, your child will learn how to increase his motor skills, cognitive skills, and flexibility in unique activities, creating a love for music and learning—and you benefit through cardiovascular exercise, too.