Well that went fast. Our little Sweet P is already one month old! Good Papa and I are continuing to adjust to life with two kids, but couldn’t be happier.
I really love to exercise, so I have been itching to get back into a fitness routine. I mentioned this to my parents a few days ago. My dad responds, “Oh! There’s a half marathon your brother and I are doing next week if you want to join,” to which my mom immediately shrieks, “NO! She’s not even supposed to drive yet!”
I’ve decided to approach fitness after baby somewhere in the middle of those two extremes.
That means initially taking things slow and steady before getting back to my normal exercise routine. I’m not going to head out and run 10 miles right away, but a nice brisk walk is a good place to start. And, no matter how ready I feel to get back to exercising full blast, I’ll wait until I get the go-ahead from my doctor.
Yet…
I have discovered there are some ways to get a workout in before you hit that six week mark. You may think I’m crazy, but it’s true. Unfortunately for those of you who aren’t feeling quite ready to workout, this is a newborn mom workout plan you may not be able to turn down.
The Newborn Mom Workout Plan
1. The Breastfeeding Crunch: This move is typically done during a middle of the night feeding. You are too tired to sit up to breastfeed, but your newborn has other plans. See steps below:
STEP 2: Lay back down and attempt to get a few minutes rest while your baby feeds.
STEP 3: Baby immediately pops off once your head hits the pillow.
STEP 4: Sit up to re-latch.
STEP 5: Repeat steps over and over again until you finally give up and feed her in the most uncomfortable, hunched over position.
2. The Sleeping Baby Bounce: It’s time to put your newborn to sleep. She’s doing a lot of yawning, but her eyes have never been wider. Begin the process of putting her to sleep by slowly walking through your house, bouncing her until she goes to sleep. Don’t forget to pat her back to give your arms and wrists a good workout. You should be able to get a good 30 minute workout in. This full body exercise is great for your arms AND legs!
3. The Baby Wearing Squat: Okay, so you did the sleeping baby bounce (see number 2) for over 45 minutes, your sweet baby girl is still yawning, but somehow her eyes have gotten wider. Now it’s time for exercise number 3. Plop her in the baby carrier. It doesn’t matter what kind- moby, ergo, k’tan, etc. Then, proceed to continue along with your day. If you have a toddler, you will need to pick up some things off the floor. No, you will need to pick up A LOT of things off the floor. If your newborn is in the carrier, you cannot simply bend over (the baby will fall out!). Instead, you must squat down. By the time the day is through, you most likely will get in somewhere close to 100 squats!
4. The Baby is Finally Asleep Calf Raisers: Yeah! Congratulations! You finally got the baby to sleep. Now you must complete the daunting task of escaping the baby’s room without waking her. Despite what you may have heard (“sleeping like a baby” Hah!), babies have hyper sensitive hearing when it comes to noises like floor creaks, ankle cracks and other seemingly insignificant house noises. Get up on your toes! Do not let your heels touch the ground! Visualize yourself as a prima ballerina and tiptoe out the door. You’ll be wishing it was capris season (is that a season?) by the time the baby is 2 months.
5. Personal Baby fitness coach: Some parents are blessed with their very own personal baby fitness coach. This baby is gifted with the unique talent of getting their weary parents back into shape. This baby is able to motivate their parents into staying active without any words at all. They refused to be put down, they refuse to let you sit down and the moment you think you can relax and put your feet up, they are up demanding you pick them up and bounce them for 20! Who needs a gym when you got a newborn?
Note: These are not serious workouts. Please make sure you get the okay from your doctor before returning to exercise after baby.
Your workout tips are very amusing! Love it. The picture is adorable.
Theresa recently posted…The Big Orange Splot Art Activity
This is so perfect. It made me laugh, but it also underscored how hard we work in those first few weeks postpartum and that there is no need to stress about exercise. Shared on facebook and am going to share everywhere else in the world now because this is so needed: a laugh with a strong message <3
Alana recently posted…Our Mother-Daughter Dance
Ha ha! These are hilarious. I totally remember most of them from my first son. Especially the breastfeeding one.
Shann Eva recently posted…My November Goals
So funny and so very true! I had a couple of those baby fitness coaches, wish I had read this back then so I could have realized the “blessing” lol.
LOL! I did a lot of baby wearing squats when my little guy was born. It was a workout! This list is hilarious… and true!
Mommy A to Z recently posted…Guest Post: A Letter to My Son on His 3rd Birthday
Hehehe so spot on! I remember doing most of these when my daughter was itty bitty!
So funny! Well done mama – don’t work too hard though in all seriousness.
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Ruth Kilmon recently posted…Ruth Kilmon
Thank you for sharing such helpful content! I would also like to suggest trying swimming to get in good shape after a baby. Swimming is a low-impact activity that won’t stress your body as other activities do. The buoyancy allows you to get some much-needed relief after carrying your baby 24/7. It may also help to bring relief to your aching joints.
What a fun and relatable take on incorporating fitness into new motherhood! Your creative “workout plan” highlights the everyday movements that can keep parents active, even in those early weeks. It’s a great reminder that even during the chaotic newborn
phase, we can find ways to stay moving and embrace the unique challenges that come with parenting.