How to Work Out with a Stroller

Having a baby doesn’t have to mean that fitness is a thing of the past. You just need to make find time for it, and what better way than working out alongside your new bundle of joy. With the following stroller exercises, you can get in shape – ideally when baby is napping – while enjoying the great outdoors.

These workouts can be performed anywhere, and if you need encouragement and motivation, they’re great to do with other new moms. For anything that involves lightly holding onto the stroller, make sure that you have secured the brakes. It could slide away, and you could hurt yourself in the process. Like with any other exercise routine that we recommend on WellroundedNY, make sure that you have your doctor’s green light to resume exercising postpartum.

Begin your workout with a 10 minute walk to warm up and do the same afterwards to cool-down. Here are three sets of three exercises that build upon each other. Once you are cleared to exercise, start with the first set. You can then slowly graduate to set 2 and move on to set 3 once you can do the previous sets with ease and without stopping.

Without further ado, here are 3 postpartum stroller exercises that will get you back in shape.

Set 1

1. Curtsy into a squat: standing in front of your stroller with your feet hip-width apart, lightly place your palms on the handlebar and step your right foot behind the left into a deep curtsy. As you step back to the original position, follow up with a deep squat right away. Repeat seamlessly for 15 reps on one side, then 15 on the other side. Before doing the next exercise, march in place for one 1 minute, using your arms and lifting the opposite arm to knee.
2. Plies with heel lifts: standing wider than hip-width and your toes turned out, place your palms lightly on the handlebar and sink down into a plié squat with your knees wide. When you reach the lowest point, lift both heels, lower the heels and come back up. 20 repetitions, going nice and slow. For added benefit, you can do kegels while lowering down to engage your pelvic floor. March in place for 1 minute, as mentioned above.
3. Tree-pose with arm circles: position yourself in tree-pose with your foot above or below the knee (never on the knee) or down by your ankle and find your balance. Then extend your arms out and circle them forward 15 times, and reverse 15 times. Finish up with marching in place for 1 minute.

Set 2

1. Backwards lunge with active knee drive: standing sideways and lightly holding on to the handlebar with one arm, step back into a lunge and drive the knee forward and up for a little hop. Repeat 15 times on each side. Run in place for 1 minute following.
2. Jump squat and active over-head press: bend your knees and touch the ground before hopping up with both feet. Then immediately press your palms up towards the sky (for an advanced version, lift your diaper bag or other object above your head with each repetition). Repeat 20 times followed by running in place for 1 minute.
3. Triceps dips on a step or bench with toe reaches: find a step or bench and facing away from it, place your palms on it. Keep your knees bent and lower yourself down to where your arms are bent at 90 degrees. Press up again and then immediately bring your right arm towards your left knee (or lift your leg and reach for the foot). 15 repetitions on each side. Followed by running in place for 1 minute.

Set 3

1. Lunge into side-kick: standing facing the stroller and palms lightly on the handlebar, step back with your right foot into a low lunge. As you step forward, kick the leg out to the side. Keeping your balance, step back into the next lunge. Repeat 15 times on each side, followed by two-legged hops left to right and reverse over an imaginary line on the ground for 1 minute.
2. Standing side-crunch: standing sideways and holding on to the stroller with one hand, lift the opposite knee up towards the same side elbow. 30 reps on each side, followed by two-legged hops as outlined above for 1 minute.
3. Modified burpee: Hop up in front of the stroller and place your hands down on the ground. Step your feet back into a plank, followed by a push-up, then hop or step your feet forward and hop up. 10 repetitions followed by the two-legged hops for 1 minute.

You can do each set three times in a row, which should provide you with a good workout for the duration of a regular walk. Please let us know in the comments, if there are any exercises that you already incorporate or other suggestions on topics that you would like our fitness experts to cover.