Wishing you all a very Happy Valentine's Day!
Iyla and I decided to spread love to you all today by sharing our special mom and baby workout! Kaiser our boxer dog decided he didn't feel like moving so you will see him in most pictures chilling out by our side.
This workout is great for all you moms out there who want to tone up that post baby body of yours. In addition the workout is fun for your little one as they get to stand (with support), fly like a bird, sit strong, work on their tummy time and get tickled and kissed TONS.
For those without a baby you could do this with a weighted plate, kettle bell, and free weight. Iyla is now 18lbs of challenging fun for me to workout with.
When doing this workout I do 1 set with 20 reps and once I've gone through the full workout once I repeat it again. This allows for more fun with Iyla compared to trying to do 2 sets at once and her losing a bit of interest in the activities.
Workout 1:
In this first one hold your baby under the arms as they stand on your abs. Part 1, Feet begin on the mat with knees bent. Part 2, Raise feet and knees so that your calves are parallel with the ground.
Workout 2:
You are still laying with your back on the mat while baby stands on your abs. Part 1, Start with your legs in the air, toes pointed to the ceiling. Part 2, Slowly lower your legs down to the ground (You can do this with your knees slightly bent too). Part 3, Hold your legs a few inches off the ground for a count of 2 (keep the small of your back against the mat). If you have the energy, raise your baby into the air while your legs are floating above the ground.
Iyla loves to laugh at me and my breathing during this one!
Workout 3:
Get those tickle fingers ready! Make a diamond shape with your legs by bringing your heels together. This allows a space for baby to sit and have your legs for support. Part 1: Raise your shoulder blades off the ground and reach towards baby while breathing out. Part 2: Reach as far as you can towards baby. Part 3: Tickle baby for a count of 2 before slowly lowering down.
Workout 4:
Fun with tummy time. Place baby on lower legs while supporting them under the arms. Part 1, Heels begin as close to your butt as you can get them, with the top of your knees pointed to the ceiling. Shoulders are off the mat. Part 2, Slowly lift your feet/lower legs towards the ceiling. Part 3 & 4, Raise your lower legs till they are parallel to the ground, for fun I raised mine a big higher so I could get closer to my baby girl. Slowly lower your legs back down.
Iyla loves this form of tummy time and pretends to fly with her arms out.
Workout 5:
For this workout I did 20 reps on each side. If short on time you can split it. For each part, I just gave different options for holding your baby. The lunge is a pulsing lunge, so you will stay in the same position and do gentle pulses up and down. Part 1: One arm under babies legs, and the other wrapped around the tummy/side. Part 2: Baby is supported on your thigh while holding baby under the arms. Part 3: To add a bit more upper body workout into this you can hold baby straight out in front of you.
Workout 6:
I switched out my mat here for a more supportive one that has 5mm of cushioning and stability for Iyla.
Push up kisses! Part 1: Lay baby at the top of your mat in the middle. You will begin in a plank position, with your hands under your shoulders and baby underneath your face. Part 2: Lower your plank down ( you can do this from your toes or knees) and kiss baby before pushing up.
Workout 7:
Drop down to a low squat so that babies feet are touching the ground. Have your feet wide enough so your arms can fit between to hold baby. Toes facing straight ahead and back flat, make sure your knees don't go over your toes. Hold this squat for a count of 30 seconds (just 1 rep).
Workout 8:
Baby is back on her back at the top of your mat. Grab her/his favourite plush toy. Part 1, begin in a plank over baby. Part 2, Raise the plush toy up into the air with one arm so that you are in a side plank. Hold for a count of 2. Part 3, Lower the plush toy towards baby for big smiles. Part 4, After 20 reps switch sides.
Iyla just thinks having her bunny fly towards her is the funniest thing. She kicks and moves her arms so much, and she is ready each time to grab her bunny.
As mentioned above I would go through the workout once more before finishing with a classic and well needed 'Child's Pose'.
Iyla and I hope you enjoy your workout together as much as we do. We hope you leave your workout feeling stronger and full of love! Feel free to modify it to best suit yourself and your baby.
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