New moms are very busy, however, you can make time for effective newborn exercises. Postpartum activities provide several health benefits including, boosting energy plus toning and strengthening abdominal muscles. Getting up and moving after giving birth can also help you relieve stress and sleep better.
However, you might not feel ready due to an achy body, weak muscles, and exhaustion. Sometimes, you may even feel scared about starting to work out again. But, you don’t need to worry. There are simple newborn exercises that you can perform which don’t need hours of effort.
And since your baby is the focus, you can bond while working out. So let’s find out the six newborn exercises with your baby as a new mom.
1. Walking Is A Great Newborn Exercise
This newborn exercise is very obvious and simply involves pushing urban strollers with your baby around your block. It is also a terrific excuse to leave the house.
After a go-ahead from your doctor for strenuous activities, you can turn this into a light jog.
So, place your baby in the stroller and hit the sidewalk.
However, before starting this process, you must ensure that the baby is at least a year old to use a stroller. Before 12 months of age you must use a newborn baby pram.
2. Floor Squat Ball Squeeze
These newborn exercises involve kneeling on a mat with a squishy plate or pillow between your thighs. Then you simply sit back on your heels. If baby is awake, lie them close to your mat or hold them to your chest.
It is best to inhale as you release your core muscles and pelvic floor. Then, lift and squeeze the pelvic floor and exhale while engaging your abs.
Squeeze the ball between your legs while rising to an upright kneeling position as you exhale. These are fantastic newborn exercises as you control the stress placed on muscles used during birth.
3. Dead Bug Newborn Exercise
This newborn exercise begins lying on your back with baby on your chest or next to you.
Next, engage your abs to bring a single leg to a tabletop position. Repeat this with the other leg while trying to keep your body stable and not rocking to either side.
Your lower legs should be parallel with the floor, knees over your hips and legs bent.
Return your legs to the floor one at a time keeping the core long.
You can repeat this process, but ensure you don’t disengage your core.
Start with about four sets in 1 to 2 minutes reps.
4. Perform Yoga And Pilates With Your Baby
Easy newborn exercises that help strengthen and increase flexibility, using your body for resistance. In addition, they combine to give an excellent mom-and-baby workout.
These two exercise types include poses that help strengthen your pelvic floor. Of course, they offer a full body workout if that is what you are looking for.
The best part of using these as newborn exercises is that they are easily done at home. Simply search on YouTube for many variations of programs for new moms.
If you have any pelvic floor dysfunction or diastasis recti, you need to be careful as some moves may aggravate your condition. Therefore, consult a medical doctor before you proceed with Pilates or yoga workouts.
5. Rollback Newborn Exercise
Begin on all fours with the knees under your hips, toes tucked and palms under your shoulders. Ensure your spine is neutral. Have baby lying on the mat facing in the opposite direction with their head under yours (good for making eye contact).
Then, sit back slowly towards your heels while keeping your spine neutral. Ensure you only go as far as possible without changing your spine curvature.
To have better control, squeeze a block between your knees. Target your glutes in this newborn exercise by wrapping a small resistance band around your thighs, just above the knees.
Complete 2 to 4 sets of one to two minutes reps.
6. Hip Bridge With Ball Squeeze Newborn Excercise
To start, lay on your back on a mat, with baby close to you. If old enough, you can rest them on your hips for an added challenge. Ensure you hold them properly and keep a careful grip.
Next, bend your knees so feet are flat on the mat and place your arms on the floor. Tuck your pelvis, so the lower back is not arched but rests on the floor.
Place a squishy pilates ball or pillow between your knees, then squeeze and lift to engage your pelvic floor. While doing this, simultaneously drive through your heels to lift your hips into a bridge position. Continue to keep the ball squeezed between your knees. Ensure your body forms a straight line from your shoulder to your knees.
When at the top, pause for a moment then slowly, but with control, lower your back down to the starting position. Complete 2 to 4 sets of one to two minutes reps.
Finally, you can make the challenge harder by resting your heels on a table or elevated surface like a sofa, chair, or bench.
That’s A Wrap
Most new moms have trouble finding time to perform an exercise. This is based on fatigue and fear of pain after birth. However, these newborn exercises offer several benefits that every mom needs.
These can include relieving stress, ensuring you sleep properly, strengthening your core, and boosting energy. However, before starting, ensure you speak to your healthcare provider at your postpartum checkup.
Once you start exercising, you will find yourself feeling refreshed and energized after some easy newborn exercises.
Check out more postpartum recovery tips.
Our super author here at Famous Parenting and an absolute wealth of knowledge. She has studied many topics including creative writing, psychology and journalism but her real passion lies in raising her 3 children. Between working from home, homeschooling her youngest 2 children and navigating the world of teenagers she is a guru for parents.
