The Gym Babes

Oh yeah, baby, you know you want to work out with me at The Gym.  When I had my second child, forever ago, our midwife gave me a very simple but useful handout.  It was a sheet of exercises that I could do with my baby that would give me vital interaction and bonding with my newborn and help me regain that tight little tummy that I had lost without having to go to The Gym.

Now, I am not an expert from the gym or a dietitian but I am an experienced mother of 6 (OK, only 4 biological and 2 adopted).  Also, I look in great shape for having gone through all that and being over 40, even though I do not go to the gym to work out.

So, without trying to copy someone else's work, I am going to try to remember those exercises for you.  Of course, you will find that you can Google exercise for new mom's and newborns and find lots more on your own and begin immediately to tone and have fun without spending lots of money on going to the gym.  Don't forget, if you child is older than a newborn, there are still lots of ways to adapt or create your own ways to get exercise with your infant, toddler and/or child without going to the gym.

Before you begin these simple exercises, remember this is just like going to the gym: you only want to do as much as you can, don't go until it hurts.  You must start slow and add a little each day.  If you are a brand new mom, don't continue if this causes any excess bleeding.  Wait until your body is ready to begin exercising, and take this as serious as if you were with a trainer at the gym.

Are you ready to begin your workout?

Laying down on your back, place your infant securely on your calves and gently lift her up and down 10 times, remembering to breathe in and out rhythmically.

Place your infant on the floor beside you and rotate back and forth, playing peek-a-boo with your wee one.

Sit cross legged on the floor and hold your infant to your chest. Then rock back and forth 20 times, or as many times as you can take.

Stand up with your child cradled on her tummy across your arms.  Gently swing her back and forth with a twisting motion at your waist.  This is an exercise that was very calming for my infants when they had tummy aches as well.

I hope these have helped you begin to see that you can take you exercise knowledge that you learned at the gym and use it to bond with your baby.  If you would like to share your ideas for how we can save money on the gym and spend more time bonding with our babies, please share with us in the comment section below.

REMEMBER: Why spend your time and your money on the gym, putting your child in daycare, when you can spend your time and your money on your child and your family, building bonds that will last a lifetime!

Children at The Gym

I have never seen this young of a child working out at the gym.   It is very important for children to learn healthy habits for caring for their bodies by balancing appropriate cardio, and muscle development.  With younger children it is important to limit the amount of weight and reps they do with muscle building workouts to avoid damages to their bones and joints while they still have developing growth plates.
A good gym should have a trainer who is qualified to work with children and developing a plan for a healthy life as a young person.  The gym should be a place that children  are comfortable so that later in life the gym won't be an emotionally threatening place like the gym is for many adults.  All of this is very important with the many changes in our lifestyles.  A century ago everyone including young children were much more active.  They were busy with farming, gardening, and many other chores.  Even the common chores we still have were much more physically demanding (like the gym workout) because of the lack of electric equipment.   Plus everyone walked everywhere or rode a horse both of which were much more active than sitting in a car.
Helping the next generation understand the value of the gym at a young age will go a long ways to helping them have a positive view of maintaining their bodies.