This preys on the minds of just about every mom – how am I ever going to loose the baby weight? When there’s no time for a shower most days, how can there be time for exercise? And who are you going to get to look after baby when you go to the gym? And perhaps, how can you afford the gym membership if you have given up work?

OK, first of all, go easy on yourself, and this applies especially to moms who delivered very recently, and breastfeeding moms. Moms shouldn’t do anything strenuous until at least six weeks after delivery, and it’s best to wait for your obstetrician’s OK.

You need to eat and nourish yourself to recover from the delivery, and breastfeeding moms need extra calories to make milk. So eat healthy, and don’t go on any extreme diets.

It’s easiest to do exercise if you have someone who can watch your baby while you go to the gym. But many of us don’t have someone who can do that as often as we’d like. So here’s some ideas for exercise you can do with your baby.

Stroller Strides or Baby Bootcamp, or a local variant: Moms, with babies in strollers, running, doing squats, lunges, kicks, bends, in a big group. Pros: Being in a group makes it easier. Cons: not for the shy and retiring, because people will stare. Good thing there’s a lot of you. Also classes tend to run around $10 each so it can get expensive.

Walking: pushing baby in a stroller is good for you both. Or even better, put baby in a carrier and carry her around the block, or around the park. I took my son hiking in a carrier and he loved it. Pros: free, and anyone can do it. Cons: hard to get motivated, and can be impossible in the winter. Unless you live near a really large mall.

Cycling: Bike trailers are the hippest accessory in the city where I live – this is my bike trailer. My son loves riding in the trailer, and I get some pedaling in. Pros: Multitasking – can get exercise and also go to the supermarket. Cons: You need to buy equipment, and it’s weather dependent.

Exercise at Home: There’s several mom-and-baby videos on sale, and for thrifty moms, there’s many places to get free exercise videos on the internet. Shape Magazine has many videos, and Yoga Today has a free yoga video daily. Press play during naptime. Pros: free, and no need to leave the house. Cons: I’d rather sleep at naptime. And the risk of being distracted by the rest of the internet.

Toddler-cise: Do what your crawler or toddler does. 30 minutes of running up and down the hall, jumping on the bed and crawling under the dining room table, is as good a workout as any.

What exercise do you like to do with your baby? Have you got any more ideas of exercise to do with your baby or toddler? Please share your ideas!

Exercising while pregnant is so good for you – and it’s good for your baby too.

I attended a pre-natal yoga class once a week while I was pregnant, and it was one of the best things I did. You do need to have a little bit of the right mindset to appreciate it, but if you are open to things where you say ommmmm, then you’ll love it.

Why is yoga good for pregnant women? Yoga is beneficial to pregnant moms for many reasons. It’s low impact, and gentle on joints and muscles. Stretching can reduce muscle aches and pains. The poses can be adapted to almost any fitness level and stage of pregnancy. The emphasis on breathing will help during labor. And yoga is well known to help reduce stress, and pregnant mommies often need that, don’t we?

Prenatal yoga involves many of the same poses from traditional yoga, adapted for pregnant women. There’s the same focus on breathing, and posture, but no work for abdominal muscles (since they have gone on vacation).

As with traditional yoga, prenatal yoga classes usually involve a short meditation. In the class I took, we meditated with our babies, and I promise this is true, every week my unborn son woke up and started wriggling about. He knew what was happening. He knew I was talking to him. Then he went back to sleep for the rest of the class. Or perhaps he did some tree poses of his own.

It can be as easy, or as hard, as you want it. And you may be able to do more than you think. Our instructor had us all doing headstands. That’s right, headstands. Upside-down. With an eye for order, she lined up pregnant ladies against the wall by due date, we got upside-down (and getting there was not elegant at all) and formed a row of upside-down bumps from cute-just-showing to due-last-week-please-come-out-now. I wish I had a photo of that.

Why in the world, I hear you ask? Being upside-down is alleged to have many benefits. Reduction in varicose veins, no hemorrhoids, and improved digestion are all cited as benefits. I am happy to report I didn’t get any of the first two. Yay!

And interesting, being upside-down is supposed to be an old remedy for breech babies. Getting yourself upside-down is alleged to encourage baby to turn the right way. If you both get upside-down, baby may realize they prefer it upside-down, and turn around. My son turned from breech to head-down one night after doing headstands. Coincidence? Possibly – or maybe there’s some truth to it?

For the love of God, do not do headstands without the guidance of a professional who works with pregnant women. And, certainly not for the first time in late pregnancy, no matter if your baby is breech.

I loved my pre-natal yoga classes and always felt wonderful after each class and I believe it helped physically, and mentally. I highly recommend a yoga class, or pick up a pre-natal yoga DVD and set aside a quiet hour at home once or twice a week.

Get the approval of your doctor or obstetrician before starting any exercise program at any stage of pregnancy. Exercise is safe and beneficial for most pregnant women, but it may be unsafe for those with certain medical conditions. So always talk with your doctor first, who will be able to give you guidelines of what, and how much, exercise is appropriate for you.

If you?ve been looking for a fun and loving way to help your children learn and improve their development, look no further than Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Toddlers and Preschoolers. New studies show that young kids learn best through play and need at least 30 minutes of structured physical activity each day. There?s no better way to engage your child than through the simple practice of yoga. Yoga can help your 18-month to five-year-old child have:

• Fewer tantrums
• Better and longer sleep
• Increased motor coordination
• Improved listening and ability to follow directions
• Better self-expression
• Higher self-esteem
• Easier relaxation

A healthy and physically fit lifestyle Named the ?Baby Yoga Expert? by Newsweek, Helen Garabedian, a certified yoga instructor, created her program with 8-minute sequences easy to fit into a young child?s day. Fully illustrated with beautiful photos, Itsy Bitsy Yoga for Toddlers and Preschoolers features more than 50 simple poses and games kids love, offering creative ways to get active. Yoga can even help your child throughout the day-from taming tantrums to teaching cooperation-On the Go advice and Super Duper Poses show you how. Enjoy the fun of yoga with your child today!

By Helen Garabedian

For more information see the ItsyBitsyYoga.com or Amazon.com to buy the book!

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Yoga and Pilates are both great exercise options for pregnancy, and many gyms offer classes geared specifically toward pregnant women. Tailoring yoga specifically for pregnancy is important because some poses aren’t safe for pregnant women. These poses include ones that have you lie flat on your back, which decreases blood flow to the baby. Downward-facing poses, like the downward dog, crane pose, cobra pose; upward facing poses, such as the upward dog; and inverted poses; backbends; and poses requiring you to lay flat on your stomach should all be avoided.

Wait! Don’t give up on prenatal yoga because of that long list! If you practice yoga in your home, you can try a prenatal yoga video; this is an easy way to ensure you perform safe poses. In addition, it might shake up your regular routine enough to work new muscles you might not usually work.

There are similar precautions for performing Pilates while pregnant. As long as you avoid the positions described under the yoga section, Pilates offers pregnant women a great workout to exercise and strengthen core muscles, many of which suffer increased strain during pregnancy and labor. If you work with an exercise ball or a reformer, be extra cautious as your changing weight can throw off you balance, this is not a good time for falling.

Another point to consider while doing either Pilates or yoga is that your ligaments and tendons become more pliable during pregnancy, due to hormones, so it’s wise to be cautious of overstretching. Try working in a small range of motion, and consider focusing more on your breathing techniques during this time.

Although there is a lot to consider, Pilates and yoga are two excellent choices for exercise throughout your pregnancy; both are extremely tailorable to a variety of situations. Just ensure to discuss exercise routines with your doctor or midwife, and get help from trained professionals if you are not familiar with Pilates and yoga to begin with.

References:

http://pilates.about.com/od/pilatesforeverybody/a/pregnancyBasics.htm

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