Real Labor - Getting Back Into Shape After Baby
By Lisa Druxman
Cont.

We've included a sample workout for you to try. Feel free to get creative and modify it for your enjoyment

Warm Up - Stand in front of your baby and roll your head from shoulder to shoulder. Always do head "rolls" in the front, never the back. After a few of those, do some should rolls. Roll out any kinks and tension you might have in your body. From there, put your hands on your thighs and round your back followed by a slight arch. And lastly, stand behind your stroller and do some gentle squats. Sit back as if you're bottom were reaching for a seat and then stand back up again.

The Stroller Stride - The walk is where you will get your cardiovascular workout. Always walk with good posture. Your shoulders should be dropped, your arms relaxed and your wrists in neutral position as you push the stroller. Your abdominal muscles (what's left of them) should be pulled in at all times. Make sure you're not holding your breath though. Your stride is nice and long. Use your glutes and your thighs in every step. Your feet and knees are facing forward and your foot strikes heel to toe. Ok, start walking. Try to vary your intensity by changing your stride and your speed.

The Muscle - To give you a total body workout, we want to start reshaping those muscles. You can stop during your walk every 5 minutes or so for a body toning ?station?. Following are some sample strength training exercises:

Squat - Begin in a standing position with hands on your stroller handlebars. Feet are about hips width apart, feet and knees are facing forward. Sit down as if reaching for a seat and then squeeze your glutes and thighs to bring yourself back to the starting standing position. Be careful not to go so low as to put stress on your knees. You can push the stroller out as you sit and pull it back in as you come up (optional).

Lunge - Stand behind your stroller with hands on handlebars. Step forward with your right leg about 1.5 times your normal stride. The stroller will move forward as you move forward. Bend your knee to a 90 degree angle, so that your right thigh is parallel to the ground and your right shin is perpendicular to the ground. Your back leg is almost straight. Keep your torso upright, with your hips and shoulders facing forward. Use your right leg to come back to your starting position. Alternate with the other leg.

Side Squat Walk - This time have your right side facing the stroller. With the right hand on the stroller, take a large step to the right. Squat down as we did before. This time, you?re working more inner thighs. As you come up, pull the left leg in to meet the right. Each squat down is another side step. After about 8 repetitions, do the other side.

Ab Pull - Again, have your right side facing the stroller. Standing still, use the right hand to push the stroller away, while reaching overhead with the left arm. Use your abs on the left side to pull the stroller back. Focus on pulling the ribs to hips. After about 8 – 10 repetitions, do the other side.

Push Ups - Find a park table to do your modified push up. Your hand should be about shoulder width apart on the table. Your torso should stay straight as you lower your chest to the table and push back up. Do not lock your elbows in the up position.

Dips - Have a seat at that park table or bench. Put your hands on either side of you with your fingers coming off the bench. Bring your body off the bench with your legs at about a right angle on the ground. Lower your body down by bending your arms, without letting your shoulders rise to your ears. The work should be felt in your triceps (the upper part of the back of your arm). Push back up. This is one rep.

These are just a few of the many exercises that can be done with your stroller and with your baby. For more ideas, go to www.strollerstrides.com.

About the author?
Lisa Druxman, M.A. has been a Personal Trainer and Group Exercise Instructor in San Diego for over 10 years. She is a national presenter and author on the topic of lifestyle weight management. She has shared her lifestyle weight management program called L.E.A.N. (Learn Eating Awareness and Nutrition) with renowned spas such as The Golden Door. A new mom herself, she has started a new fitness class company in San Diego called Stroller Strides. For information on Stroller Strides or L.E.A.N. weight management, call 760-415-9222 or email lisa@strollerstrides.com