How to incorporate stroller jogging into your busy schedule
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Incorporating exercise into your daily routine can feel like an impossible challenge with a baby. Your life can feel like it has been consumed by your sudden new responsibilities. With this change in life, it’s important to find some time for yourself. You may not have enough time to make it to the gym, or you can’t leave your baby for long enough to work out.
The great news is that working out doesn’t have to be complicated. You can incorporate
exercises into your busy schedule with a little thing we love to call stroller jogging. It may be hard work, but it lets you have time with your kids while focusing on you.
Why should moms run after having a baby?
Let’s start by saying how quickly you get back to exercising after a baby depends on you and your birth experience. If your birth was easier, you can get back to exercise as soon as your body feels ready. If your birth was more challenging, speak to your doctor before you hop behind that stroller.
Most doctors will suggest anywhere between 6-12 weeks, depending on the mom.
Your lower back and core are much weaker than they used to be, as are your ligaments and joints. Take it easy, and don’t strain yourself. Once you’re ready to go jogging, strap in! As one of the best self-care ideas for moms, there are a whole bunch of benefits you can gain from stroller jogging!
Physical benefits
- Rebuild your pelvic floor: With the right approach, jogging can strengthen your pelvic floor muscles. Your pelvic floor muscles will be stretched and weakened after childbirth, so jogging can help you regain that strength.
- Weight management: Not that we should feel any shame in our postpartum bodies (mom, you just grew a whole human!), but jogging can help you burn calories. It’s a good way to shed any baby weight you want to lose.
- Improve heart health: During pregnancy, blood volume increases to nourish your baby. This condition puts a strain on your heart, as does giving birth. Picking up jogging will strengthen your heart and bring back your energy levels.
Mental benefits
- Boost your mood: Exercise releases endorphins, elevating your mood and relieving stress. Physical activity can also help fight against feelings of postpartum depression.
- Sense of accomplishment: Is there anything better than feeling proud of yourself? Completing a jog or even a run can give you a huge feeling of accomplishment and boost your confidence.
- Social connection: What if you found other new moms in your area, and you could all pick up stroller jogging together? Find yourself some new mom friends and chat about your experiences while you jog.
How do you run with a jogging stroller?
Physically, it’s harder to run with a jogging stroller than a regular jog or run. You’ve got extra weight to push around with you, and you have to make sure your baby is doing okay. But, many moms have no choice but to incorporate a stroller.
Check with your doctor, but waiting until your child is at least six months old is recommended before taking up stroller jogging. Your baby should have good head control to be okay with your jogging pace.
First, ensure you’ve got a running or jogging stroller. Unlike a regular stroller, these have three large wheels and a suspension system. They’re better designed to sustain bumpy terrain and the fast pace you’ll soon get up to. Take a few practice laps without your baby to get used to them.
Good form is really important. Be aware of your posture and avoid hunching forward. Keep your back tall and straight. Using one arm to push is okay; you can keep that running motion with the other. You might find you’re pushing more with one arm, but you need to alternate to avoid overusing any side of your body.
Jogging with a stroller is definitely going to slow you down. It’s better to set out for a specific total time rather than distance. Focus on slowly building back up your pace rather than pressuring yourself to complete a jog in a certain amount of time.
Can I run with a regular stroller?
Regular strollers are intended for walking. As mentioned, a running stroller can handle your pace and challenging terrain. Standard strollers aren’t designed for impact, and you could quickly lose control.
Jogging specific strollers are a lot safer, not only for your child but also for you. Running strollers will have safety features, including a suspension system, durable tires, and often a hand brake. That suspension feature will make the ride smoother for you and your baby.
Five tips on finding ways to add running with a stroller into your busy day
1. Give your child a reward
If your child tends to get fussy while in the stroller, you can reward them with little things—maybe a playground trip or a little extra screen time afterward. Sometimes, bribery isn’t a bad thing, moms!
2. Choose good routes
Awful sidewalks with cracks and bumps can make stroller jogging almost impossible. Find a quiet route with a smooth path will make running easier.
3. Learn to be flexible
Any parent will know that flexibility is crucial. Sticking to a training plan with a baby involved will make you want to tear your hair out. Have a rough idea of how many jogs you want to do a week and go from there.
4. Change your expectations
As we touched on before, the pace at which you run without a stroller will be totally different from that with one. Introducing a stroller and a baby is a learning curve. Don’t stress about being slower than before.
You may find yourself lacking motivation. Don’t worry—these 150+ daily positive affirmations for moms will help you during this journey!
5. Have fun with it!
Exercise feels awful if you’re not having fun with it. This is great as you’re spending time with your kid while exercising. You’ll have way more fun when you stop seeing it as a chore.
Conclusion
If you want to add exercise back into your routine, stroller jogging might be the trick. It’s easy to add to your busy schedule. Just make sure you do it safely and do not strain your body too quickly postpartum. With all the benefits, it’s well worth trying.