Mom duties can leave you exhausted and with no time for yourself. In addition, the baby weight coupled with inadequate sleep, and frequent snacking has most moms feeling unsatisfied with their body size. Attending to your baby is important, but attending to yourself is also vital. You have to get creative with your workouts and use any opportunity you get to squeeze in a mom workout routines even when you’re busy. One such way is through stroller strides exercises.
The best thing about stroller strides is that unlike going to the gym, you don’t have to worry about having to leave your baby back home. Your baby can get sunlight, fresh air, and entertainment as you do some cardio, strength training, and toning.
1) Cardio Exercises
Run or Jog
There is no harm for a mom to run with her baby in the stroller as long as it’s over eight months and properly strapped in. The stroller strides you take and the extra weight of the stroller tones your arms and helps you torch more calories compared to running without the stroller.
Power walk
As you power walk, maintain good posture, pull your stomach in, and take long strides with varying speed. Alternate between pushing the stroller with both arms, and using one arm as the other arm swings in the opposite direction of your forward leg.
Skip
Stand facing the front of your stroller and engage its brakes. While alternating your legs, jump and touch the nose of the stroller with one leg at a time and repeat for two minutes. Your baby is sure to enjoy this.
See how this mom has uses her creative stroller strides for cardio.
2) Quadriceps, Hamstrings, and Glutes
Squats
To do a basic squat, hold the handlebars of your stroller and keep your feet shoulder-width apart. Drop your lower body as if reaching for a seat with your back straight and your knees above the ankle until your thighs are parallel to the ground. Push the stroller out as you go down and squeeze your butt. Go back up to a standing position as you pull the stroller back in towards your body. Have ten repetitions of this stroller strides.
Another great squat variation for moms is a plie squat. Have your right facing the stroller and your right hand on the stroller handlebar. Stand with feet 45 degrees outwards. Drop down to a squat with your back straight and knees aligned with your ankle. Get back to a starting position and pull your right leg to meet your left leg as your right hand pulls the stroller. Have ten repetitions on both sides.
Lunges
Place your arms on the stroller handlebars and use your right leg to take a huge stride forward while pushing your stroller forward. Bend the right knee so that your thigh is parallel to the ground and your knee directly above the ankle. Your left knee should be close to the ground. Alternate legs as you walk forward. To add some difficulty to your stroller strides exercise, use one hand to push the stroller. You can also add a leg raise by lifting the back leg backwards and upwards at the hip before taking the next lunge.
For a different variation of a strollers strides lunge, engage the brakes of your stroller and stand in front of it. Place the ball of your left foot on the nose of your stroller, rotate your body with your foot still on the nose of the stroller and have your back facing the stroller. Take a lunge position by bending your right foot to ninety degrees and keep the knee above your ankle. In this case, your back foot will be elevated. Do ten repetitions on both legs.
Watch how Fit4Mom guru teaches stroller squat variations.
3) Core Exercises
Oblique Crunches with a Leg Raise
With your left side facing the stroller, hold the stroller handlebar with your left arm and extend it straight so that the stroller is away from your body. Extend your right foot outwards towards the right, and your right hand extended overhead towards the left. Bring back your right hand towards your right side with your elbow pointing out while raising your right leg so that your right elbow meets your right knee and simultaneously use your left hand to pull the stroller towards you. Do ten repetitions of the crunches on both sides.
Plank Tap
Get on the ground face down with your head next to the nose of the stroller. Your hands should be straight, palms on the ground directly below the shoulders. Your toes should be grounded, and your body should form a straight line from your head to your back and legs. While holding this position, use your left hand to tap your baby’s feet, alternate hands and repetitively for one minute or more. A plank tap helps you play with your baby as you strengthen your core.
See how this fit mom exercises with a stroller doing core exercises.
4) Chest, Back and Shoulder Muscles
Single Arm Chest press
You are going to need to find a sloppy ground for this to have maximum impact. For this stroller strides exercise, have the stroller in front of you and push the stroller uphill. Focus on working the chest muscles. Repeat for two minutes.
Row
Next, have the stroller face downhill. With your legs shoulder-width apart, extend your arms to push the stroller downhill. Engage your back muscles to pull the stroller back towards you. Pause and repeat for two minutes.
Bent over shoulder press
With your spine at a neutral alignment, bend forward at your hips. Place your hands on the handlebars with your arms shoulder-width apart. Push your stroller uphill while engaging your shoulders and keeping your abs and back strong.
Check out creative stroller strides exercises by this mom.
5) Arms
Isometric Bicep Lift
Engage the brakes of the stroller. With your arms shoulder width apart, hold the handlebar of your stroller palms facing up. Carefully lift the back wheels of the stroller two inches above the ground while the front wheel remains firmly on the ground. Be sure to engage your biceps fully. Hold the position for a few seconds and slowly bring the stroller back to the grounder. Repeat ten times.
Pushups with Baby Tap
Position yourself on the ground facing the stroller. Your arms should be straight and palms facing down shoulder-width apart with your fingers pointing forward. Push your body up with your back straight, and reach out with one arm to tap the baby’s feet. Position your hand on the ground again, lower your body keeping your back straight, bring it back up and use your other arm to tap the baby’s feet. Repeat ten times.
As a mom, your baby’s safety should always come first. Stay alert and have the stroller within arm’s reach. Watch out for cars and always keep the baby seated and well buckled.
If you are a mom who hardly spends time outdoors with her baby, it’s about time you started. Get a BOB stroller and use it to burn some calories in creative ways, as your baby enjoys nature.
Photo by Ronnie George on Unsplash
