The August heat coupled with the exhaustion of being a new mom may tempt moms to keep baby indoors. But don’t! Geting outside and playing with your new baby from the get-go will not only instill fitness in your child at the earliest age, but it will help you regain your fitness after your pregnancy.
"Parents need to be proactive about fitness," says Matt Hendison, an executive at My Gym Children's Fitness Center, the #1-ranking fitness center destination for children ages 6 weeks to 13 years. "Healthy and fit children are much more likely to become healthy and fit adults," said Hendison. "Being active is the secret to fitness success." Fitness for a baby and new mom doesn’t have to mean mommy-and-me aerobics or a jogging stroller, it can be as simple as a walk in the park--literally.
"Many people," says Dr. Eeva Karjalainen of the Finnish Forest Research Institute, Metla, "feel relaxed and good when they are out in nature. But not many of us know that there is also scientific evidence about the healing effects of nature.”
According to new research, simply looking at forests and other green settings can reduce stress, improve moods, reduce anger and aggressiveness, and increase overall happiness. Getting to the great outdoors is an easy way to elevate your self-esteem and overall wellness! Forest visits can even strengthen our immune system by increasing the activity and number of natural killer cells that destroy cancer cells.
This summer, walk whenever possible -- to parks, to the library, to the grocery store for a snack. For babies, take a favorite teddy bear or doll along with you in a stroller or wagon to make the walk even more fun. Make sure you have the right gear (click here for help) and lots of sun protection for you and your baby.
If you’ve got older tots tagging along, make walking fun by collecting different objects like rocks or leaves, playing Eye Spy or the color game, making tree bark rubbings, counting different objects, or singing songs.
As a kid, I played “Funny Walks” with my mom and brother, and game we invented where each person got to choose how we walked for ten feet. Mom always chose lunges or something fitness-y, while my favorite was crab-walking backwards.
You can also dance indoors or out. Dancing is a fun way to get kids, even young babies, moving. Put on their favorite songs and let them cut a rug—or wave a binky!
By staying active this summer, new mom and baby will be happy, relaxed, and on an easy road to future health and wellness.
Comments
This is interesting. I'm a mother of 2 and just recently just gave birth to my 3-month old baby. Will try this with her. Will buy a new Salomon XT Hawk 2 first.