As you’re a busy parent with your kids to look after, this doesn’t necessarily mean that you can’t get a good workout every once and a while. We’ve put together some energizing and quick exercises that can be done within the home in a matter of minutes. These 5 simple moves will give your entire body a workout and won’t require you to move away from your baby at any point.
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1. Baby Dance
Dancing is a brilliant activity if you think about it. A light workout that targets every major muscle group in the body while improving coordination and balance at the same time. This activity is bound to elevate your mood, even if you’re stressed and tired. Physical activity for children and mom can go hand in hand.
To do this activity, simply hold your child either in your arms or in a front carrier, keeping them close to you and supporting their head. Put on whatever music you have that will get you in a dancing mood and move around while keeping your abdominals drawn inwards. For a change, you can opt for music with different tempos, from slow to fast. This will help keep your heart beating at different rates and provide various workout intensities. If your baby is in a carrier, be cautious of turning too quickly and avoid making any bouncing movements.
2. Baby Curl-Ups
Just like regular curl-ups, this exercise will strengthen the whole core plus help with lower back support. Lie on the floor with your face up, knees bent at an angle, and have your feet firmly flat on the ground. As you place your baby in a reclined or seated position, just above your pubic bone, you can carry out some regular curl-ups. Keep your child held securely under their arms, wrapping your fingers around their torso. Lift your head and contract your abdominal muscles, making sure to exhale through the mouth as you start to curl upwards.
3. The Baby Curl in Reverse
Lying with your face upwards, bring the knees upwards and towards the chest. Place your child right on your two shins. As you contract your abdominals to lift your hips upwards off the floor, you can lift up your shoulders and head at the same time. Lower, repeat, and enjoy your play here! Brilliant mother and children activity.
4. The Overhead Press
This kind of exercise is great for strengthening the shoulders, middle and upper back, amongst other muscles. When you sit cross-legged, you can hold your child in front of your chest. Remember to keep your arms bent and straighten them upward without locking. Soon you’ll have some killer muscles developing in your arms!
5. Baby and Mom Walking Lunges
Lunges are a great way of toning the buttocks, quads, calves, and hamstrings. It is also an excellent exercise for pregnant women. Stand up and look straight in front of you, then take one large step with either your left or right leg, bending both of your knees at a 90-degree angle. Put your front knee up and over your ankle, making sure that you lift your heel as your back knee approaches the floor. Push off of your back leg and step both of your feet together. You can then repeat with the opposite leg.
Conclusion on Fun and Effective Children Activity
We hope that all the activities we’ve presented will be fun and worthwhile for you and your kid. There’s no reason to think that you need to stop exercising because of a little one under your belt. The benefits of physical activity for children and parents together have been widely documented to be of value for both. Once they grow up, you can plan some activity days for children, but for now, keep these in mind!
In your opinion, why is physical activity important for children? Tell us in the comments section below.
