Prams, buggies, strollers, carriages, toddler bikes.
They simply are a wonderful invention and a so often overlooked tool and even yes, A great exercise device.
Whether you have a newborn, infant, crawling baby or toddler they are the source of one of the best to ways to get start to get into shape after having kids.
Pram walking gets you and baby out in the fresh air, and when you let them be a time out that is just a walk and clear your mind from household chores, worries from work, concern over issues effecting you and jobs that need to be done they become a glorious recharging experience also.
Therapy for body AND mind.
Why is it so good? Wouldn't it just be easier to go for a run without pushing the pram?
I particularly love pram walking because you are exercising with your baby. You don't need to feel guilty, yopu don't need to worry about your baby-they are right there with you and you are being an amzing role model at the same time!
When you enjoy a regular physical activity with your child/ren you are in effect sharing quality, positive time together in an active way. When your baby grows up with pram walks, moves on to a stroller and then a toddler bike as they grow older and eventually end up walking, jogging or riding a bike with you you have created a wonderful habit in that child's and your own life.
Pram walking needn't just about losing weight, even though it is a fantastic and effective way of doing it.
- It is also good for your health and fitness in general.
- It can be a social thing if you join a pram walking group or walk with a friend, great for you and your baby!
- It can be a great family bonding time if you have a busy family where it's one part of the day that you all spend an hour together.
- It can help relieve symptoms ( along with proper treatment from your doctor/health nurse and talking about it ) of post natal/partum depression, anxiety over being a new mum, stress from too much going on in your life or tiredness from sleepless nights-yes truly it is really very good for a tired mum! I am not deluding you here, believe it or not, try it. ( For me if I had a really bad nights sleep, a good walk was the only thing to really make me feel better. It was what got me through alot of days after really bad nights with my first daughter who did not really sleep at night until she was 2!)
- It can be a fun outing if you combine it with meeting a friend for coffee or at a park, use it as a walk to a local fresh fruit and vegetable market or the library, to pick older kids up from school and walk together. It can be what you make it.
Professor Mary Galea's research with the University of Melbourne has shown that exercising and in particular pram walking after having a baby reduces the risk of post natal depression by 50%!!
Read the amazing study HERE
There are also groups and organizations popping up all over the place now for mums wanting to join a pram walking group, many run by professional fitness trainers who also take you through effective exercise to help tone and strengthen your post baby body and groups that are more social based for mums to get together with other mums, enjoy a social outing and some fabulous stress relieving fresh air with their babies.
Check out more through my favourite links on my blog.
And for inspiration to get started, to read how I lost 30 kilo's by pram walking or how I progressed from pram walking to toddler bike to family walks and much more check out my book!
Whichever way you chose to set out, solo with your baby, with a friend, your pet dog, the whole family, another mum or with a group, pram walking is definitely something to look into if you have a little one!
I started with my first daughter who is now an energetic 5 and loves family walks and I am doing the pram walking all over again with my second daughter who is 5 months old.
It changed my life!
No comments:
Post a Comment
I love that you found yourself on my blog!
Thank you reading.
Have a gorgeous day!
Rebecca X