Oh Baby! Part 2: Babywearing Exercises

Ask any mama how essential multi-tasking is to survival (especially in the first years) and they'll tell you it's key. Once you bring home a baby, you suddenly possess these mom super powers that allow you to simultaneously make dinner while feeding the baby, answering the phone, letting the dog out, sending an e-mail, folding the laundry, and unloading the dishwasher all in the blink of an eye. For new mamas like me, it’s one heck of an initiation process that leaves little time for anything else…like working out.

This week I actually broke up with the gym and canceled my membership. While getting back in shape and staying healthy is important to me, I just can’t justify heading to the gym after work and cutting those few precious hours at home with the baby (and my husband) in half just so I can squeeze in a workout. So I’ve been improvising. Some days I run at work on my lunch hour like I discussed last week, and some days I have happy hours after work. Except this kind of happy hour is BYOB – Bring Your Own Baby – and it involves working out instead of drink specials… 

Meet Brady, pictured above, my 3-month-old bundle of baby joy. Not only is he my motivation for staying healthy, he’s also quite the workout partner. Working out with Brady is beneficial for both of us. We get to spend time together, mama gets some exercise, and both of us get the benefits from babywearing. Here are a few of our favorite exercises together, all possible both inside and out, and without any fancy gym equipment needed:

• Squats
• Walking lunges
• Tricep dips
• Step-ups
• Wall sits
• Glute bridges 

Last week I talked about the importance of monitoring my heart rate while running with the Forerunner 225, and the same applies for non-running activities too. Being able to see my heart rate on my watch helps me make the most of my workouts. I can do all of the things listed above in the comfort of my own home or backyard, and can easily look down at my wrist to make sure I’m pushing myself out of the “easy” zone. Bonus: it doesn't take much when you're toting around an extra 13-plus-pound baby!

In addition to tracking running metrics like distance and pace, the 225 also doubles as an activity tracker, and counts steps and calories that I burn while I’m babywearing, or even while I’m just taking the baby for a walk in the stroller. Speaking of walks, pushing a stroller around isn’t as easy as it looks, and thanks to the 225, I get “credit” for that activity and can see how it effects my overall daily goal. And when I’m at the office, the 225 also gives me a friendly reminder when I’ve been sitting for more than an hour, which I use as extra motivation to take the stairs instead of the elevator, or to park the car a little further away from the door.

Being a mom is the best and most important job I’ll ever have, but it’s also important to me to stay healthy and to stay in shape. With the help of the Forerunner 225 (and a comfortable baby carrier), I can work out smarter and track all of my activities without having to spend hours at the gym away from home (and Brady). 

Do you have a favorite exercise while babywearing? Or a tip for using heart rate to exercise smarter? Show us what you do to help stay in shape while spending time with your baby using #UpForMore. You go, mama! 

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