To find it difficult to exercise with a baby

[Whiteinsteadofcream]

I’m just wondering what others manage to do, as I look a state!

I did Buggyfit in a local park. I often ended up wearing my baby in a sling during the session, which certainly added to the resistance!

After I went back to work I would get up early and go to the gym on the way. Or now while WFH I wedge in running and working out in the time I once spent commuting.

Apart from lots of walking while pushing the buggy I didn't do any exercise ehrm we had a baby. Took up Couch25k when he was about three.

We both work full time and have two small a - one of whom was born at the first lockdown last year. The only way I’ve found that doesn’t eat into work time or time with them is 6-645 am alas. I sleep early and wake early and leave house at 6 for running on Mon Weds and Fri and swimming on Tuesday and Thursdays - back by 7 to prepare for nursery and school run and start or work. Whilst I am out - spouse gets ready, gives baby her milk, is as quiet as possible so 5 year old stays asleep till 650 then gets him brushed and dressed. Only way I can get exercise fitted in…

I run in a morning with my 2 year old and one year old in the double buggy. They love it and I get my exercise in. We stop midway at a park for a break. I'm probably in the best shape ever! It's bloody hard pushing the pram but only way I can do some fitness in.

It’s very hard.

Me and my OH fit it in by taking turns at doing bath and bed time. So one of us get an hour every other day to exercise. As someone said up threat couch to 5k is perfect. Takes about half an hour, there is a training plan to keep you motivated, and it’s relatively easy to complete if you stick to it. I felt really good doing that as each week you can see some progression in your fitness.

How old is your baby? There are also some good postnatal exercise videos on YouTube which are about half an hour. Body Fit by Amy is good but you need some weights for most of them.

How old is baby & does it reliably go to bed at a set time? Are you a single parent?

I returned to cycling when mine was 6 weeks old. At first I just cycled at the weekend when DC with DH for a couple of hours. I breastfed & DH would sometimes come & meet me somewhere en route for feeds, although I was lucky DC accepted a bottle too (mixed fed) so there was no issue around feeding.

I also walked miles and miles with the buggy.

As DC started going to bed on her own at 7pm I introduced doing exercise bike at home some evenings.

Now DC is 3 and I’m back to one regular cycle at the weekend and a couple of evening clubs once DC in bed.

My 2nd DD grew up crawling around my feet whilst I did hasty joe wicks 15 min HIITs. Lots of sling walking or fast paced pushchair long walks.
It’s really hard unless you have a partner who’s very available or family to help with care. Especially when you’re so tired anyway.

Online (on demand/from youtube) yoga and Pilates classes during nap time, plus lots of walks with the pushchair.

I do have a running buggy but can't get on with it. We just use it for walks on more rugged paths!

I bought a sling, and walked miles with DS as a sleeping passenger. I got stronger and fitter gradually as the baby got heavier.

Being outside helped get rid of the baby blues too.

I have 4 month old twins. My husband and I made it non negotiable that each of us get morning exercise time (post 6.30am feed and before DH has to start work) so we each get a 30 min run 4 times a week. I also do youtube zumba once a week while they nap which is fun.

All depends I think on how supportive your OH is?

When my toddler is in daycare I go to a baby wearing work out class with DD2. That's quite good. Sadly it can only happen once a week due to logistics.

Other than that it's just walking with the baby either in the pram or in the baby carrier.

I'd love to get away on my own for a proper run and really sweat it out. I used to do that every day pre kids! DD2 is EBF so that isn't happening until she's a lot older.

I have just accepted the fact that I won't be doing any proper work outs until I'm done with breastfeeding, or at least at the stage where they are reliably not needing feeds for large chunks of the day.

buggyfit.co.uk/find-a-class/

Running buggy

im a fast walker and was out every day walking miles with my baby in the buggy.

I do a buggy fit class but back to work soon and it’s only once a week. Baby is seven months and doesn’t really have a set bedtime. I do a lot of walking but I do think I could do with a bit more.

I did lots of walking with carrier and pushchair but also carifit online - it’s an exercise program where you wear the baby in a carrier, so it’s a two birds one stone kind of thing. They have some free classes to try on YouTube

I do a YouTube work out whilst baby eats breakfast

I use an exercise ball to rock her to sleep. It's a small thing but it has helped my waist!

I used to walk with my baby in pram for one of her naps sometimes. But eventually she stopped napping in pram so couldn’t do this. I have a fold away exercise bike I would take out while she was on her jungle gym playing, but once she started crawling and moving couldn’t do this as she’d want to climb up it lol. So now I wait until bedtime and go on the bike while watching tv,until I burn 300 Calories on the monitor thingy. I do this most nights. I also go running on weekends when my DH is home as he can watch her but this only every other week at moment due to shifts. I’m thinking of starting swimming on these weekends as well since it’s not weather dependent (I’m a fair weather runner lol and where I live the weather is mostly awful 😂). When DH is home we try and do family walks and stuff too…when weather is nice

Also had a sling carrier too but pregnancy and birth was brutal and my back hasn’t been the same since. I could wear the sling but DD got bigger my back would ache a bit after. Same with pushing buggy too long. But when she slept in pram/pushchair I would walk for sometimes 1.5 hours total

Having a baby is no excuse. Apparently.

www.thebump.com/a/exercises-to-do-with-baby

I’m not looking for excuses but for suggestions.

Do you have a DP? If so you agree with him a couple of hours each of an evening that you get free to go to the gym or a class.

@Whiteinsteadofcream

I’m not looking for excuses but for suggestions.

And the post I linked has lots of suggestions - hence, having a baby is no excuse.

Also note the "apparently". Slightly touchy?