

Whether you are prepping for your baby, have a recent arrival, or are in the beyond stages of raising your children, exercise is necessary to get you through the daily grind and physical demands of parenting, not to mention, it adds a whole lot of mental stimulation. Here is a list of five moves you can do anywhere, at any stage of pregnancy or fitness level, that will strengthen, tone and trim the essentials:
1. Plie Squats - A great exercise for new or expectant moms to strengthen inner/outer thighs and quads. Stand with your feet much wider than hip width apart. Turn your toes out like a ballerina. Bend your knees, shooting your perineum straight down, and roll your knees outwards. Keep your chest open and your core engaged. Straighten your legs and engage your glutes. Repeat 15 to 20 times, and end with a 10 second hold in the squat position. For an added bonus, put your baby in a carrier! (See image).
2. Power Strides- The perfect non-impact cardiovascular exercise for any stage. Push a stroller, or pump your arms. Start in a lunge position. Tuck your pelvis under from your transverse abdominals and kegel. Stay low in the lunge position, push off from your back foot and take a long stride. Continue this motion across a field, park or on the sidewalk. Maintaining the lunge throughout (without a bounce) will get right into your quads....and you will feel the burn!
3. Push-Ups into Downward Dog- (If all you can’t muster is a basic push-up, then start with one or two from the knees.) Make sure your arms are spread wider than the edges of a mat. Start in downward dog (see picture). Release your body weight forward and lower yourself down into a push-up leading with your chest. Push-up back into downward dog. Repeat. If you can do two at first, then do two full cycles through. Work your way up to 10.
4. Walking Lunges- The best leg exercise you can do that works inner/outer thighs, glutes, quads and hamstrings! Make sure your form is correct before trying to walk it. Keep your upper body tall, engage your core and tuck your pelvis under, step forward into a lunge, lowering your back knee towards the ground, making sure your front knee doesn’t roll over your front toe. As you are lifting up, bring your back leg forward, leading with your heel, into another lunge. Do 10 then turn around and repeat. This is one you can do with your baby in a carrier!
5. Boat Pose- The perfect isometric abdominal exercise for pregnancy, postpartum and beyond. This exercise has modifications for beginners to athletes, challenge yourself at your own level. Sit on your mat with your feet planted on the ground in front of you. Gradually incline backwards, engage your core and open up the chest. Hold. Lift your feet off of the ground, keeping your knees bent and your chest lifted. Hold. To go further follow these next steps. Straighten your legs to form a complete “V” with your body. Hold. Place your arms straight out in front of you, palms up and pulse them for 10 to 20 counts or hold a band with both arms in front of you, raise the band up over your head and lower it slowly while holding your boat position.
Julie Watson
~is the owner of AfterGlow Health & Fitness, specializing in Pre and Postnatal fitness. With 3 children to keep up with, Julie strives to stay helathy, stong and sane, naturally.
www.afterglowtoronto.com
For Mom and Baby
by Julie Watson