What better way to tone your biceps than 'baby curls'. As you tend to pick your baby up several times each day, my suggestion is the following:
1) Place your hands under your baby's arms. Preferably under the armpits to get the best grip and balance.
2) Stand up straight as you lift your baby up of the ground.
3) Extend / Lower your arms so that they come down below your waist. Hold for 3 seconds.
4) Raise your arms up to a 90 degree angle at your elbows. Hold for 3 seconds.
5) Repeat for 10 reps. Relax for 60 seconds then repeat. Complete at least 3 sets.
As your baby grows older, his/her weight will definitely increase. So, while continuing your 'baby curls', you'll also be increasing your muscle as they get trained to lift more weight!
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Thursday, July 19, 2012
Baby Exercise - Suggestion 2: Swimming Lesson 2
Swimming is a great way to get your child familiar with water.
Swim Attire: Remember to have your child wear swim diapers as opposed to regular diapers. Although there may not be much difference in preventing your child from relieving themselves in the diaper, there is a significant difference in comfort as the swim diapers do not soak up the water. So, they remain their normal size.
Early Exposure: If you can walk with them and play some games (as mentioned below), you will see them laugh and smile. The younger the better. As my son is 8 months old, he had a smile on his face and enjoyed splashing around. I hope he continues this excitement as he moves on to the toddler class next year. Otherwise, it seems as though if you wait too long, you may have some children that are afraid of the water and will scream and shout until they get out. I'm sure these kids will love swimming eventually...in my case, I am hoping the early exposure will prevent a future episode of a child running out of the water :)
Lessons v. Pool Time: Although I love seeing my son enjoy the swimming lessons, I am also aware that at 8 months, he doesn't really follow along. With the other kids in the same group being about 18 months - 2 years old, they were able to follow general directions...for instance, if the teacher said to "hang on" to the railing and move from right to left, they would follow along. However, in the case of my son, obviously directions are ignored as they have no idea what you are saying at 8 months old.
Although the actual lessons were not of any benefit, the pool time was great and the smile on his face was worth going back. My suggestion for other parents is to take the young one's to the pool and play with them there, but forgo the cost of the lessons until they are a bit older.
I'll follow up next year when we figure out the best age for a child to follow along...
Swim Attire: Remember to have your child wear swim diapers as opposed to regular diapers. Although there may not be much difference in preventing your child from relieving themselves in the diaper, there is a significant difference in comfort as the swim diapers do not soak up the water. So, they remain their normal size.
Early Exposure: If you can walk with them and play some games (as mentioned below), you will see them laugh and smile. The younger the better. As my son is 8 months old, he had a smile on his face and enjoyed splashing around. I hope he continues this excitement as he moves on to the toddler class next year. Otherwise, it seems as though if you wait too long, you may have some children that are afraid of the water and will scream and shout until they get out. I'm sure these kids will love swimming eventually...in my case, I am hoping the early exposure will prevent a future episode of a child running out of the water :)
Lessons v. Pool Time: Although I love seeing my son enjoy the swimming lessons, I am also aware that at 8 months, he doesn't really follow along. With the other kids in the same group being about 18 months - 2 years old, they were able to follow general directions...for instance, if the teacher said to "hang on" to the railing and move from right to left, they would follow along. However, in the case of my son, obviously directions are ignored as they have no idea what you are saying at 8 months old.
Although the actual lessons were not of any benefit, the pool time was great and the smile on his face was worth going back. My suggestion for other parents is to take the young one's to the pool and play with them there, but forgo the cost of the lessons until they are a bit older.
I'll follow up next year when we figure out the best age for a child to follow along...
Monday, July 9, 2012
Baby Exercise - Suggestion 1: Swimming Lesson 1
Although some of the posts on this site focus on how you can exercise with your baby, this post is targeted towards your baby exercising with you.
During the summer months, there are a lot of classes offered for children. One in particular that I have just started is swim class. My son is 8 months old and loves water. So, this is a great opportunity to see how much he loves it.
For the first class / lesson, here are some exercises + tips - but definitely consult a local swim instructor and have them accompany you when conducting these activities to ensure the safety of your baby:
1) "Wheels on the Bus": In a 3 foot pool, you can kneel / squat down and place your baby on your knee(s) so that their head is sticking out of the water. Hold on to both of your baby's hands, separately, and:
3) "Superman": Grab your baby's hands and place them on the wall so that your baby is 'hanging on' to the wall. Lift your baby's body so that it is parallel to the water and then pull them away from the wall so that they appear to be 'Superman' flying backward.
4) "Jump": Throw some pool water onto the walkway in front of you so that you cool the area off. Lift your baby up so that they sit or stand on the edge of the pool. Hold your baby's hands and ask your baby to jump into the pool. Depending upon your baby's comfort level, for the first day, you can catch them so that they do not go above their shoulders when they land in the pool.
5) "Freestyle" - Using a squishy / squirting bath toy, you can have your baby play around with it and then throw it away from them. While supporting their body with one hand, you can attempt assist one arm to do the freestyle motion OR one leg to do the kicking motion as your child moves toward the bath toy.
6) "Hang On" - Place both hands along the side of the pool wall. Move them one at a time towards the right for 5 feet and then back to the left for 5 feet to help your baby realize that they can move along the side of the pool if they get too deep or scared.
Let's see how my son does on day 2...I'll try to provide more tips in the comments section...
During the summer months, there are a lot of classes offered for children. One in particular that I have just started is swim class. My son is 8 months old and loves water. So, this is a great opportunity to see how much he loves it.
For the first class / lesson, here are some exercises + tips - but definitely consult a local swim instructor and have them accompany you when conducting these activities to ensure the safety of your baby:
1) "Wheels on the Bus": In a 3 foot pool, you can kneel / squat down and place your baby on your knee(s) so that their head is sticking out of the water. Hold on to both of your baby's hands, separately, and:
- Wheels - Round and Round - Move the hands in a circular / forward / freestyle stroke motion.
- Wipers - Swish, Swish, Swish - Move the hands side to side, as if you were waving goodbye to someone with both hands.
- Parents - Shh, Shh, Shh - Move the hands, one at a time, towards the face in the 'shh' motion.
- Horn - Beep, Beep, Beep - Splash the hands in the water.
3) "Superman": Grab your baby's hands and place them on the wall so that your baby is 'hanging on' to the wall. Lift your baby's body so that it is parallel to the water and then pull them away from the wall so that they appear to be 'Superman' flying backward.
4) "Jump": Throw some pool water onto the walkway in front of you so that you cool the area off. Lift your baby up so that they sit or stand on the edge of the pool. Hold your baby's hands and ask your baby to jump into the pool. Depending upon your baby's comfort level, for the first day, you can catch them so that they do not go above their shoulders when they land in the pool.
5) "Freestyle" - Using a squishy / squirting bath toy, you can have your baby play around with it and then throw it away from them. While supporting their body with one hand, you can attempt assist one arm to do the freestyle motion OR one leg to do the kicking motion as your child moves toward the bath toy.
6) "Hang On" - Place both hands along the side of the pool wall. Move them one at a time towards the right for 5 feet and then back to the left for 5 feet to help your baby realize that they can move along the side of the pool if they get too deep or scared.
Let's see how my son does on day 2...I'll try to provide more tips in the comments section...
Monday, July 2, 2012
Exercise With Your Baby - Suggestion 2: Walk With Baby Weight
Two Words: Baby Bjorn.
As a parent, one of the best inventions I have utilized on a regular basis is the Baby Bjorn. There are other varieties of this type of baby carrier that places the baby in front of you, rather than on your back. However, the Babybjorn Baby Carrier Active is the one I have used and I have had a great experience with it.
I have taken the Baby Bjorn to Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and other local trips. In all instances, it has been a life saver. After watching other parents try to carry their young children for a long trek, and experiencing small trips in the grocery store without the Baby Bjorn, I can confidently say the carrier has a lot of value.
The biggest benefit is that your arms are not tired. This results in you being able to continue on your walk without feeling fatigued in a short period of time. With the reduced 'rest time' needed, you can enjoy a long leisurely walk and get the added benefit of 'walking with weights'.
You can do your own research on 'ankle weights' and other weights that you can use while walking to increase the intensity of your workout. However, I would promote the use of 'baby weight' in a carrier to get the benefit of increasing your work load while interacting with your baby at the same time.
Although young babies should face inward, as they gain neck strength, your baby will enjoy facing outward and looking at the world from a different perspective - a few feet off of the ground. All of this while you get to burn some calories!
As a parent, one of the best inventions I have utilized on a regular basis is the Baby Bjorn. There are other varieties of this type of baby carrier that places the baby in front of you, rather than on your back. However, the Babybjorn Baby Carrier Active is the one I have used and I have had a great experience with it.
I have taken the Baby Bjorn to Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and other local trips. In all instances, it has been a life saver. After watching other parents try to carry their young children for a long trek, and experiencing small trips in the grocery store without the Baby Bjorn, I can confidently say the carrier has a lot of value.
The biggest benefit is that your arms are not tired. This results in you being able to continue on your walk without feeling fatigued in a short period of time. With the reduced 'rest time' needed, you can enjoy a long leisurely walk and get the added benefit of 'walking with weights'.
You can do your own research on 'ankle weights' and other weights that you can use while walking to increase the intensity of your workout. However, I would promote the use of 'baby weight' in a carrier to get the benefit of increasing your work load while interacting with your baby at the same time.
Although young babies should face inward, as they gain neck strength, your baby will enjoy facing outward and looking at the world from a different perspective - a few feet off of the ground. All of this while you get to burn some calories!
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