5 Postpartum Fitness Ideas for Mom and Baby

“Self-compassion is simply giving the same kindness to ourselves that we would give to others.”
– Christopher Germer

If you’re a mom like me who just had a baby, you might be struggling to find Postpartum Fitness Ideas. It’s mostly because your time is limited to do other things or your body is just not ready yet. As we all know, our body goes through a lot of changes during pregnancy. Getting back to postpartum recovery through fitness is even harder to accomplish.

THE POSTPARTUM PERIOD

When does postpartum begin? It begins after the delivery of the baby and ends when the mother’s body has nearly returned to its pre-pregnant state. This usually lasts from six to eight weeks.

As the mother experiences both emotional and physical changes, she’s also learning how to deal with the adjustments during her transition to motherhood. She’s learning how to care for her newborn and her family is now a changed unit. Thus, part of her is missing an essential piece to postpartum recovery and that is Self-Care.

With Self-Care, we also need some motivation in order to get back and push ourselves. In here, I have listed a few Self-Affirmations to promote Self-Love.

POSTPARTUM FITNESS

The idea of Self-care is actually broad. Postpartum Fitness is just one piece of it and it can be overwhelming. It’s not because we don’t like to do it but because as moms, we now have different priorities and time-management is very crucial. However, always remember that there is no set timeline when to get back into your pre-pregnancy body so never rush doing it. Every woman is different and it’s important to recover slowly and comfortably.

Since it’s Mental Health Awareness month, I thought of sharing this article to give you some postpartum fitness ideas that you can do with your little one. Aside from taking care of yourself, you also get a fun-bonding experience with your baby. It may take a little longer but reassure yourself that with rest, exercise, sleep and good nutrition, your body will soon gain its recovery.

Within the first six months, I am happy to share that I was able to do several postpartum fitness exercises with my baby and I am happy that the benefits are not just for myself but also for him.  

Here are 5 Postpartum Fitness Exercises and Ideas that we have been doing and I’m sure you can do it too!

1. STROLLER WALKS

Strollercise, as they call it has been so far, one of our favorites. Aside from the fact that you don’t spend anything while doing it, you experience a different perspective of yourself as you take it as your alone time while pushing your baby on the stroller. Usually, babies sleep when in movement and it helps them calm down. In winter, I even tried to push myself to go out since being stuck at home in the cold weather just made me feel sad and unproductive at home. My baby loves this and as much as we do it by ourselves every day, we also find ways to go for meet-ups with the Mom community which is also an awesome idea to connect with others.

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2. YOGA

If you want a low-impact postpartum fitness idea, Mom and Baby Yoga is your answer. Not only that it helps rebuild your pelvic muscle floor, but it also covers most of your postpartum concerns such as poor posture, neck and back pain, and your body’s reduced stability.

Both Prenatal and Postnatal yoga are highly recommended nowadays. I was doing it in a Yoga studio while I was pregnant and after having a baby, I have been doing it at home as I join challenges online and gathered some resources on how to correctly do it. Most Fitness studios include Mom and Baby yoga programs so be sure to check it out but you can also do it at home. Setting aside 10-15 minutes in a state of mindfulness every day greatly impacts your overall health.

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3. DANCING

Babies love being snuggled by Mom, and baby-wearing through dance promotes Maternal bonding. During the early days of my postpartum period, I was enjoying my time dancing with Little M while I follow Zumba dance videos on Youtube. I was also doing it with my own steps as I play Nursery rhymes in the background. It was a win-win!

Through dance, you are able to connect with your baby with the swaying and rocking movement. Just make sure that when dancing, you use a secure carrier that supports the baby’s head and neck. Salsa Babies have great programs that you can check out. Zumbini classes are also starting to grow. If you want a healthier, happier and more enjoyable start, these classes will help nurture your child and your inner self too. You can search online for these mom and baby dance fitness classes near you and you can give it a try. If not, you can definitely do it in the comfort of your own home.

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4. MOM AND BABY BALLET

At around 8 weeks postpartum, I introduced Little M to a routine which we both liked. It’s my baby-wearing journey through dancing. It was in December that we tried a Mom and Baby Ballet class offered by Balletiques and this has been so far the best decision I made when it comes to trying out some Postpartum Fitness Ideas.  He likes the beat of the music, the rhythm, the swaying and rocking, and of course, the cuddles of his Mama.

Balletiques classes provide a total body workout that combines the strength and elegance of ballet with the power and endurance of a traditional workout. It is a combination of ballet and fitness together making it more accessible, fun, and approachable for all.

With Balletiques Mom and Baby class, you get to increase your energy and confidence by moving your body back to fitness while bonding with your baby and getting to know other moms in the community. Following a series of calorie torching, fat burning and muscle sculpting exercises at the barre and in the centre, the cool-down will focus on stretching your muscles and relaxing with snuggles with your baby.

Read more of my original post here on “It’s never too late to try something new: the Benefits of Mom and Baby Ballet”

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5. SWIMMING

Swimming is a fun way to bond with your baby while gaining strength and endurance of your postpartum body. Time in the pool encourages baby to explore her natural instincts for water, while mom enjoys a low-impact routine that’s kind to her healing body. At 5 months, we brought Little M for the Red Cross Preschool Swimming Program at Vecova Recreation Centre. They offer multiple levels for kids depending on their age.

We started with the Starfish level, an introductory class for babies and their parent or caregiver. To enter, babies must be able to hold his head up without support. It helps babies experience buoyancy and movement through songs and play in the water and teaches the parent/caregiver age-specific water safety.

Indeed, Swimming is a great family activity to get the family out and into the community for some fun. Both parents can participate alternatively and it allows cuddles, and skin to skin contact.

If you’re looking for some tips when you are planning to bring your baby to swimming lessons, I’ve outlined various ideas here based on my personal experiences. Read my original post here on 5 Tips for Baby Swimming lessons.

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There you have it. I have listed 5 Postpartum Fitness Ideas that you can do both at home or in class. If you’re into Mom and Baby classes, I’ve outlined the Top 5 Benefits in the Fab Working Mom Life blog. Read the post here.

If you are also looking for some tips in Finding a Good Mom’s Group, here’s a resource from Smart Parent Advice. I personally gained new Mom friends in my community because of Meet-Ups and Playdates. This is really great!

I hope you were able to find some great inspiration on how to start your Postpartum Fitness journey. Self-Care is very important and while you are taking caring of yourself, you know that you are also taking care of another human being who is solely dependent on you.

Any other ideas you have for Postpartum Fitness? Feel free to comment and share your thoughts!

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