Standing exercises to do with baby

Stand with a chair or use a counter top for balance.  You could hold the baby in an under arm sling, or pack on the front of the body for these exercises lower body and some upper body exercises.  This will give you some things to do at home before you get back to the gym!  Great to do standing since you’ll be sore, you can also hold baby in a carrier to do most of these, and make it a part of your daily routine with baby.  You’ll be setting a great example for your child with your exercise and it will be a fun activity to do together as your child grows!  Down the road, your child can do these exercises with you as part of a mommy and me exercise time!

Do 8-12 repetitions of each exercise below.  You can do these multiple times a day!

As always, please check with your doctor first to see if these are safe for you to do, and when post delivery you are able to start exercising again!

1.  ½ a snow angel – standing up straight, lift one leg out to the side as if to make ½ of the bottom part of a snow angel, do not tilt to the side.
2. Stand up straight and extend the leg, tightening the buttocks and pulling the leg back.  Hold at the end point and tighten the buttocks.
3. Squats and lunges, use a chair to balance – without baby – you can gradually add weight (1 pound then increase to baby)
4. Standing heel raises – calf strengthening, a set with toes ahead, a set with feet slightly out and slightly in.
5. Standing facing the chair, hamstring curls, bring your heel toward your buttocks, do not let your knee come forward and touch the chair.
6. Glut squeezes – stand and squeeze buttocks together, hold and release
7. March in place – lift knees high towards the chest, add in the arms with elbows bent to 90 degrees
8. Arm circles – bring your arms out to the sides, make 5 little circles then 5 big circles and 5 little circles…repeat forwards and backwards.
9. Overhead press (palms face your ears and alternate raising your arms overhead)
10. Alternating shoulder front and lateral raises – lift arms out in the front to 87 degrees just below shoulder height to activate the front deltoids and then arms out to the side to 87 degrees for the middle deltoids.
11. Wall push-ups – place hands on the wall shoulder height and width, feet away from the wall about 1-2 feet.  With control lower your nose towards the wall using the arms to slowly lower yourself to the wall, then push back from the wall.

Also do:

Kegel exercises

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