A few weeks ago I re-embarked on a fitness mission to get fit for summer. I took up running again as I haven’t done it regularly for a long time. I always put exercise until the end of the day and the kids would be in bed, and I would just then justify that I was too tired. I have embraced working out with Chloe more and walking a lot more on preschool runs and yes, even jogging one of the ways with Chloe in the pushchair!
I’m definitely feeling better for the extra exercise of course and along with eating better over the past few weeks I have lost 7lbs. I know it isn’t all about weight loss but feeling fitter and stronger is really important to me. It might have been because of the extra hot weather we’ve had down in Surrey over the past few weeks, but running with a buggy is hard!
If you want to run / jog with a buggy, Kiddicare have some advice when using carriers and pushchairs for exercise:
Walking with Pushchairs
When your baby is first born, any pushchair is suitable for getting outdoors, but if walks in the country are your thing then bigger wheels and suspension are important.
Phil & Teds offers some great 3 wheelers that would be a good starting point (Phil & Teds Mountain Buggy and OutnAbout also have suitable products).
Baby Carriers
Alternatively, baby carriers are a brilliant, hands-free way to carry your baby without having to take a pushchair. It also allows for a wonderful bonding experience between parent and baby. Please remember that carriers are not suitable for sporting activities!
Babybjorn is the market leader in soft carriers and, as baby grows, a brand like LittleLife offers a range of back carriers, starting at £99.99 with the Adventurer.
Jogging Buggies
If you want to take your child on a run with you then there are some great buggies which are specially adapted for running – check the product guidelines to ensure whether or not your buggy is suitable. The Mountain Buggy Terrain is suitable for jogging and also the OutnAbout Nipper Sport. The important features to look for are:
- A brake on the handle bar for easy breaking,
- A lockable front wheel
- Suspension for a comfortable ride for baby
- Pneumatic tyres
Postnatal Fitness Advice:
Baby Carriers are a brilliant way to carry your baby without having to take a buggy. It also allows for a wonderful bonding experience between person carrying and the baby. An area that the carrier needs to be aware of is the posture while carrying. Postnatal mums due to the pregnancy and labour tend to have week cores. At the start when your baby is a new born (a few weeks old) the carrier is great yet as the baby grows and becomes heavier mums tend to start leaning back and shunting their hips forward and rolling the shoulders forward so as to carry the ever heavier weight. If you have a weak core then this will cause you lower back ache, and pain between the shoulders.
It is important when carrying the baby no matter the weight that they are carried:
- with the straps and waist area tightly around mum.
- Mum needs to aware of how they are standing and makes sure hips are in line with the shoulders
- Shoulders are back and sliding down rather than coming forward.
- Contract abs in so as to give you stability
- Use your glutes (bum) when walking so that you are not putting all the pressure on your back and shoulders.
- Don’t lean back or arch back/shoulders
- Stop using if you have pain or discomfort in lower back, shoulders or pelvis.
Jogging is a great way to get fit which does not cost a fortune and you can do with your little one in tow!
If you have just had a baby rather than going straight in to a jog I would recommend you start of briskly walking. Build your strength up, build your core up, build your stamina. Once you feel ready jog short distances and build this up. Remember:
- When walking briskly make sure you use your glutes when walking.
- Don’t round your shoulders
- Keep your elbows tucked in
- Contract your core (abs)
As you build it up to running try to keep the same posture. As soon as you start leaning forward and hunching should shoulders you will start feeling it in your back as your core is not engaged.
Do you exercise with your little one in tow? Let me know in the comments below!
Rebecca x
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*Post in collaboration with Kiddicare and SportsShoes.
Looking back, I wish I’d done some kind of buggy fit class when Gwenn was really little, but at the time my confidence was through the floor.
Good Luck with the rest of your regime!!!
x
#bloggingtojogging
Well done on starting running again. I started after my second baby and now go to the gym to. A bit of exercise always makes me feel so much better #mummymonday xx
Well done! I don’t think mums realise how much weight they’re pushing in that buggy. I live somewhere with a lot of hills and one tip is to make sure you keep the buggy handles as close to your body as possible when going up hills, it really works your core.