Get Your Groove Back—With Baby!

By Judi Ketteler

You’ve done nine months of hard work making a baby, and you’re anxious to get your body back. Exercising with your baby is actually a great way to get that recovery process started. “It can be a tough balance because your body has gone through something significant; at the same time, a little activity can help with your energy level and with baby blues,” says Jen Mueller, a trainer certified in postpartum fitness at Spark People.

The signals from your own body are your best guide for when to start exercising, says Jeremy M. Crouch, MD of Women’s Health Specialists and Midwives of Dayton. Start slowly and build, he advises. “Some physicians may say to wait 4–6 weeks, and I wouldn't contradict this counsel; however there doesn't seem to be any problem with starting an exercise program as soon as a woman feels up to it.”

Walk, Baby, walk!

“Walking is one of the easiest things to do right away,” Mueller says. You’ve got a built-in companion in your new baby, who will most likely love the motion of the stroller and the sights and sounds of outdoors. Here are ways to make your walks with baby more challenging:

Add intervals. An interval is a short burst of speed. Start with 1 minute of fast walking followed by 2 minutes of regular-pace walking. Repeat 5–6 times. Gradually increase the length of your fast interval (2–3 minutes) and the amount.
Walk uphill. Pushing a 15-pound stroller—plus baby—up a hill is an excellent workout, Mueller says. Find a hill that takes 5–6 minutes to climb, and repeat the climb, increasing reps and speed as you increase endurance. (Walk at a normal pace downhill after each climb.)
Run steps. Once you feel up to higher impact cardio, find a set of outdoor steps at a park. Park your baby near the bottom (with brake firmly on). Sprint up the steps and jog back down to give her a quick kiss on the cheek each time. A flight of 10 steps repeated 10 times is a great cardio workout.

Baby on board

Don’t have a gym membership or time to go to the gym? No problem! There are plenty of exercises you can do at home:

Squats and lunges holding baby. Cradle a baby without head control close to you; once he has head control, hold him out in front of you for a greater challenge.
Kiss-the-baby pushups. Plant the baby on a mat under you, and kiss his cheek each time you lower, either from a full plank position or a modified one with knees on the mat. Try a side plank: Lie on your side, extending legs straight out, with feet staggered. Support upper body with elbow, then elevate hips so your body forms a triangle with the ground. Twist upper body toward the floor, flashing baby a smile.
Triceps dip with baby in carrier. Sit on the edge of a sturdy chair or couch with your palms facing down next to your bottom. Secure baby in a front carrier. Keeping legs bent, take two steps forward, bending arms to 90 degrees, then move back to the chair. Great for core and quads too!
Chest presses with baby. Lie down and hold baby flat above you, supporting her head and bottom. Carefully lower her as your elbows extend out, and then press back up.

Breastfeeding and Exercise

Some breastfeeding women are concerned that exercise and weight loss might affect their milk supply. “Studies haven’t shown any decrease in the quality or quantity of milk produced between those women who are exercising and those who aren’t,” says Crouch. “There are also some studies that show a decreased incidence of childhood obesity and diabetes in the children of women who exercised during breastfeeding.”