6 Pram Friendly Exercises That Mums & Bubs Will Love!

For many mums, getting back to their pre-baby weight can be a daunting and challenging task. Let's not discount the dad's too who might have indulged in some pregnancy gains themselves!

Whilst there are a plethora of things that are more important post birth than "snapping back", getting outside and exercising with bub can bring a number of benefits to both you and your baby's physical and mental health. Considering jogger prams are not suitable for use with newborns (and many experts suggesting parents should wait until their baby is at least a year old to go out jogging to ensure their necks are strong enough), what are some safe exercises that parents can do whilst bub is still a newborn?

We sat down with Alana Toohill who runs some incredible pram friendly exercise classes to run you through her top workout tips!

Stretching

it is always important to stretch and cool down both before and after exercising. Stretching out your quadriceps is great, and really helpful to use the pram to support your balance. I also like to lean towards the pram, doing a reaching lateral side and lower back stretch, and this is another great way to lean in and chat with your little one.  

Lunges:

Lunges are a fantastic workout and can be done with the pram static, or moving by taking big, deep lunges forward. Ensure your back is straight, your front leg is at 90° with your back knee almost touching the ground. The pram offers stability when braked, and is a fun way to move and exercise with bub if you are doing lunge steps while walking.Try for 8 lunge steps, normal walking for 20 seconds, then back to your 8 lunges. You'll be amazed at how this simple routine can break a sweat!

Squats:

Can be done with or without holding onto the pram, but I find it's a great way to chat and interact with your little one while exercising. Make sure to keep your legs parallel and hip width apart, providing you with the most optimal position for postnatal exercise. If you want to elevate your squats, you can also alternate between a squat and a lunge, ensuring you stay down low with a straight back the entire time. This is one way to really burn out your quads!

Knee lifts:

Another great exercise while going for a walk with your baby. Holding onto the pram, lifting 1 knee up between your body and the pram. Try to keep your knee at a 90° angle, and pull your belly button towards your spine ensuring your back is straight. You can try to alternate this between walking, opting for 8 knee lifts, 20 seconds of brisk walking then repeating your knee lifts.

Barre work:

Of course the pram handle makes the perfect height for a ballet Barre! You can do either a front leg raise or side leg raise. Keeping up tall and straight, lifting your leg to the front or side (in parallel) and you can slowly push yourself to hold your leg up longer, or gradually get higher, offering a better workout each time you change it up.

Running and walking:

Once your baby is old enough to support their own head (anywhere from 6-12 months), there is no reason why you can't go for a run or a jog with your everyday pram! I use a ROVER and both hubby and I find running with the pram is easy. I am 174cm and my feet never make contact with the bottom bar where the brake is, and the extendable handle offers a comfortable height for me to push. My hubby is 210cm and he can also comfortably walk or run with the pram as well which is great for when you are ready to take your pram workouts up a notch!

Watch

For step-by-step pram friendly workouts be sure to check out Alana Toohill's video workouts below!