Not only does having a baby do a number on your body, once the baby arrives you literally have no time to do much for yourself. My first month having a toddler and a baby seemed like one long nursing session sometimes! But it is so important to recharge your batteries by staying active and getting outdoors for everyone’s sake. It will improve your mental outlook, your physical appearance and your patience with your children.

This is a sponsored post for The Walking Company and Abeo Footwear. I received this product from the company for free. However, all opinions and reviews are entirely my own.

10 Ways To Stay Active With A Baby

Please be sure to consult your doctor before starting any type of exercise routine. Most times your body will be healed enough after 6 weeks to start some more strenuous work outs, but remember you just had a baby! Take it slow.

Going for a walk

This is one of the easiest things you can do and the best way to get you started being active after you have a baby. You and your baby are cooped up in the house for days and you just need to GET OUT. Pack up baby in the stroller and just head out for a quick walk around the block.

Running with a stroller

I fell in love with these these ABEO AEROsystem Raelon running shoes before I even tried them on. The pink and yellow is so striking and fashionable that I knew I had to wear them. Once I tried them on – I just knew. The store manager said that finding the right shoe is like love at first sight – you just know they’re the one and every other shoe you try after that just doesn’t measure up. I’ve never felt this way about a shoe before!

If you can get away from the house for half an hour, go try these on. I’m not exaggerating when I say it’s an event! The Walking Company employees know about the science behind the way shoes are built. They have you walk on a computerized mat that takes your foot’s exact measurements and also measures the way you walk. So you don’t just have a generic shoe size, there is a second layer to the shoe sizing that is based on your arch type. This means yours shoes fit you better and help your overall health more by strengthening your balance and improving your stance.

Once you have your fabulous ABEO running shoes, take your baby out for a run. You might feel a little awkward at first pushing a stroller and running, but you will get the hang of it. Also, by pushing the stroller, you are adding some upper body strength training to a normal run.

Yoga

Yoga can be a very meditative practice and if you include your baby it is even better for the two of you. I love these yoga poses with baby because they are so playful. You get to stretch and relax and your baby has some wonderful one on one play time with mommy.

Weight lifting with baby

No, I don’t mean using your baby as the weight – although as they get older, sometimes it does feel like weight lifting every time you pick them up! Get some small weights and pick them up when you have an extra 5 minutes. It really only takes 5-10 minutes to create a habit for yourself and you can easily do this before bed or while your kids are napping.

Use a work out movie

Consider getting a work out movie that you can use while your baby is napping or after they go to bed at night. You wouldn’t have to leave the house, but you could follow someone’s tried and true system to stay active.

Daycare at the gym

I just love gyms that offer daycare. Check out your local gym to see what age requirements and costs they have in particular as they can vary. This is also a great option to slowly ease into daycare, since you will be close and only away from your child for a short amount of time.

Drop off daycare

I’m not afraid to say that I love dropping my kids off at daycare. There are some fabulous drop off daycares near us that we know, love and trust and I can drop off my kids for an hour or two any time I want. So, if I feel like heading out to the gym, I can just drop them off there for a little while. It is actually a treat for them – they LOVE playing with all their little friends. So it truly is a win-win situation.

Bending to pick up toys

Is it a wonder that you are exhausted at the end of each day? You don’t sit around and eat bon bons all day – you are running after kids, doing laundry, dishes and constantly picking up toys. Change your mindset a little with these every day tasks and see if you can elevate them just a little to make them more of a ” work out.” For example, when you toss toys into the toy bin, can you pick up the toy bin and do a few lifts before setting it down? Get creative!

Run up and down stairs

I do so much running up and down stairs in my house that it should just be considered a work out in itself. Get a pedometer or a Fitbit to track your movements and see how much you actually do all day long.

Time with Daddy

When all else fails – get Daddy involved. Let him know you need some personal time to get out of the house and get active and you need his help. It is OK to ask for help! Sometimes I have a tendency to feel guilty when I take some “me time” but you need to keep yourself strong and healthy to be the best mom for your children.

What ways do you use to stay active with your little ones? Let me know in the comments or over on Facebook.

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