Exercise & Mommyhood
Woody_11
Posts: 12 Member
HOW? WHEN? HOW?!?!?
How do you (assuming you are a mom/ parent of a newborn) find the time to workout with a newborn in the home? I have the energy but don't seem to have the time. I'm wanting to make this work and my diet has changed drastically so I know that will help. I just want to be active and become healthier that much faster! HELP!
Sincerely,
Over-exhausted, under-exercised, newly mother
How do you (assuming you are a mom/ parent of a newborn) find the time to workout with a newborn in the home? I have the energy but don't seem to have the time. I'm wanting to make this work and my diet has changed drastically so I know that will help. I just want to be active and become healthier that much faster! HELP!
Sincerely,
Over-exhausted, under-exercised, newly mother
0
Replies
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Are you a single parent?0
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No, I'm not.0
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Dad can take care of the baby for a half hour while you work out, can't he?0
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How old is Baby? Being a parent is hard, you're adjusting to a new schedule, new demands, and a body that has changed since pre-baby. Start by just putting Kiddo in a stroller and going for a walk - a little fresh air and a leg stretch will make you feel great and help with some of the stress you might be feeling. If you're only a couple months post-partum, ease back into things. Were you working out hard before, or is it a new thing? If you were fit before, you'll find time to get back to it when you're getting some more sleep. If you're making changes and embracing a more active lifestyle, that's great! But it's not going to happen overnight, especially when those overnights have diaper changes and feedings.
TL;DR: Go easy on yourself, mama.
Baby steps!
More constructively: I have several apps on my phone that have short workouts -- I like Sworkit and there are a few other "7 minute workout" type apps -- squeeze in one or two rounds while Baby is napping and you're making a great start!
-- mom of 2.5 yr old twins1 -
I put my newborn in his bouncy chair or swing and put a video on for my toddler or get out a special activity for her during that time. Sometimes it just doesn't work out in the end and that is OK I will plan a walk or get my excercise in elsewhere.1
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Put baby in a stroller or carrier and walk/run while they nap. I do this several times a week. It's hard when they're tiny, but around 5/6 months they stop eating so frequently and naps are more consistent. My little guy is 7 months now and I've been able to have a good walk or hike nearly every day for more than a month. I also have a barbell and hand weights that i use. That only takes a few minutes so I can do it while he sleeps or when hubby gets home from work. It doesn't always work out, but you will fall into a routine eventually.0
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Newborns sleep a lot.0
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A treadmill is a great way to exercise while still at home. On the ithervgand, it might be nice to get out for a bit and exercise in peace! I always liked the walk around the block every evening. Good luck and congrats on your new baby!0
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jofjltncb6 wrote: »
Hey man, you don't speak for all of us. All this worthlessness is hard work.0 -
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Jogging stroller and a high school track or paved path. Walking gives you and baby time in fresh air and exercise. Some of our best walks were at a golf course that had a paved walking public path.0
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jofjltncb6 wrote: »
It's not like raising my kids and seeing my wife succeed are some sort of rewarding experiences.0 -
I workout when they sleep. I've got four my youngest are one and two, I still go by that rule of doing it when they sleep. I get up early for a few hours in the AM all to myself. Time management is your enemy not mommyhood.0
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jofjltncb6 wrote: »
It's not like raising my kids and seeing my wife succeed are some sort of rewarding experiences.
It tends to interfere with watching sports and spending time at the bar though.0 -
I know exactly how you feel! Here are some things I have done that work for my family and I:
- get in quick 25-30 minute workouts while your sweet little one is napping. I use Jamie Eason's Post Pregnancy Fitness Trainer. The thing I really like about it is that you can take most of the early workouts and stretch them throughout the day. My guy didn't really nap well at first, so being able to do a little here and a little there helped. I will link the plan at the bottom.
- find a place where you can walk with your baby.
- My husband and I have decided to start building a home gym. His work schedule isn't really conducive to either of us being able to make it to the gym consistently.
- I have my husband watch our little man for a little while on the weekend so I can go do something fun and active.
- Be sure to deal with any pelvic floor or diastasis recti issues before you jump into an exercise program.
- Some days are going to be better than others and that's OK. If you are exhausted, the best thing you can do for your body is sleep and eat healthy food.
http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/jamie-eason-post-pregnancy-trainer.html0 -
I did mini workouts during naps.
There are 2 ladies at my gym who just had babies. They currently walk the track with their babies in a wrap style carrier on their chests.
I also did lots of walks with a stroller (I had the graco stroller that you can snap the infant carrier into and when they are to big for that use it as a regular stroller....ended up getting a double made like that when my second was born).0 -
When my baby was a newborn, I would workout during her morning nap while my husband held her. I would also take walks with her in the stroller while she slept in the afternoon. Now that she is 1, and sleeping at night, I wake up early to workout before she wakes up.
Go easy on yourself. Your baby won't be little forever, and you'll get back into it as baby gets older.0 -
jofjltncb6 wrote: »
Definitely true.0 -
It's hard...I remember feeling guilty just putting my LO on the floor or bouncer so I could workout.. but try it and try it again and it will get easier... they love watching you do jumping jacks and all that stuff. Or if you go to the gym, it's only an hour someone has to watch the baby! Do you live in an area where it's nice out? Even just walking is good to get yourself back in to activity! Plus, nap time is perfect too!! (Though, I would nap when baby naps... which is probably why 2 years later I am still working on the baby weight...haha)0
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I agree with many of the moms above. I am a new mom of a 3 month old. He doesn't nap during the day anymore, so I put him in the bouncy chair and he watches me while I work out at home. It took awhile to get him used to sitting on his own for a bit, but now he is really good at it and thinks it's a game (and yes you do feel horribly guilty as a mom, not holding or playing with the LO 24/7, even for 30-60 minutes, when you are staring right at him singing nursery rhymes). I also did Jamie Eason post-pregnancy plan early on, as mentioned by a post above. I also go on walks with him and my dog. I hope to maybe get a running stroller and do runs with him outside in the future. My husband works insane long hours so I can't have him look after the little one. I am looking into a gym with childcare for the future.0
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I have a 6 month old now. Up until now I would just make sure I kept busy walking, I did all the household errands to get in steps and make sure your calories are 100% accurate and on point. I am down from 204 to 157 since her birth. Pre pregnancy I was 155 or so. With basically 0 workout. Now my body isn't the same BF% as I lifted heavy pre pregnancy.
I bought 1 set of adjustable dumbbells ($100), excesice ball ($15), resistance band set ($25), and a jogging stroller ($0 of yardsale site).
That's all you really need. $200 worth of stuff and you can workout at home easy and lift weights. Free wise, youtube channel be-fit.
You child should be napping. You will want to get them on a schedule sooner then later for daytime naps. My newborn was a nighttime awake daytime napper till about 2 months so I know the frustration and lack of sleep. I also went back to work at 3 weeks. My daughter goes to work with me and I work 11 hour days.
Diet is 90% of the weight loss, working out is only 10%. You can workout enough to fix a bad diet.0 -
Depending where you live, look into Stroller Strides or other similar programs. I did this when my 1st was about 3 months old. It helped me connect with other moms ease back into working out. Now with 2, double jogging stroller is awesome and we turned our garage into a gym with an Olympic weight set etc. Dad watches the girls while I work out. Before our garage conversion, I was going to a gym that had child care for only $15/month ($5 for the 2nd kid). Totally worth it.1
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