Tone Up With Stroller Fitness
by Sabrina A. Sarabella
Whether you’ve just had a baby, or your child is a toddler, fitting in time for a workout can be challenging, right? Add to that finding something you can do that doesn’t require putting your kid in daycare or working around other caregivers’ schedules, and you have a recipe for “forget it!” Well, no more.
Strap your kiddo into the stroller and hit the road. No equipment necessary (just your baby and a stroller).
Start with a 20-30 minute power walk. Then run through the following circuit 2-3 times.
Walking Lunges
Holding onto the stroller lightly with your hands, step your right foot in front of you. As you push the stroller forward, lower down into a lunge, then step forward with the opposite leg and lower into a lunge. Repeat for 15-20 reps.
Squats
With your hands resting on your stroller or locking your stroller in place, sit down into a squat by bending your knees and hips so that your body weight is on your heels and you are sitting back as if you were sitting in a chair. Stand, squat. Stand, squat. Repeat for 15-20 reps.
Calf Raises
Keeping your hands resting on your stroller, lift your heels off the ground and lower them back down. Then add little pulses by lifting and lowering your heels but not letting them touch the ground when you lower them back down. Repeat for 15-20 reps.
Jumping Jacks
Lock your stroller in place and do 20 jumping jacks.
Squat with Hip Extensions
Resting your hands on the stroller sit down into a squat and when you come back up to standing, lift your right leg by extending at the hip. Squeeze your buttocks to bring the leg behind you. Do 20 reps on the right leg and then repeat on the left leg.
Chest Press
The Chest Press is best done on a hill or a small incline. Press the stroller away from you and then pull it back to you using your arms and chest muscles to push away. Perform this action with both arms or one arm at a time. Repeat for 15-20 reps. Or combine with the Stroller Row (below).
Stroller Row
Similar to the Chest Press, the Stroller Row is also best when done on a decline or a small slope down. Press the stroller away from you and then pull it back to you using your arms and back muscles to bring towards you. Perform this action with both arms or one arm at a time. Repeat for 15-20 reps.
Squat Jumps
Lock your stroller in place and do 20 squat jumps by sitting into a squat and then jumping off the ground and returning back to a squat.
Don’t let your baby be the excuse you give for not exercising. Stroller fitness is the perfect solution for both mom and babe, whether you ever leave the house or not because you can easily adapt these routines for rainy stay-at-home days too. Try it!
Sabrina Sarabella has a B.S. in Sports and Exercise Science from the University of Delaware and currently pursuing her M.S. in Nutrition at the University of Bridgeport. She lives and works in Hoboken as a certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. As a full time fitness professional, Sabrina spends her week teaching yoga, pilates, sports and total body conditioning and Spinning classes. She specializes in Pre/Post Natal training. She has a strong passion to help people stay fit and writes a daily tip for clients and friends at Daily Cup of Fitness. You can email her for private training sessions.
Tags: fitness
