A Feel-Good Full-Body Workout to Do With Baby

If you’re feeling a little less tall after giving birth, you’re not imagining things. Having a baby doesn’t affect just the reading on your scale—it affects your posture too. For nine months, your bump adds more and more weight at the front of your body. Even after she’s born, that full-frontal poundage keeps growing as you carry your little one around. The result is a postural breakdown, possibly back pain and less core strength.

Fortunately, this workout can help fix things right up. Do these moves with baby strapped to your chest, and not only will you get her all giggly (talk about motivation!), you’ll also have a ready-made free weight that gets heavier as you get stronger. My daughter, Remi, is 14 pounds now and as she grows, this workout becomes progressively more challenging. The only equipment you’ll need is a picnic table or some other prop to provide stability. Let’s get started!

1. Weighted Squat

1. Turn your back to the picnic bench seat. Place feet hip distance apart and brace your core.
2. Bend at the knees to lower your hips, until they touch the picnic bench seat.
3. Press through the heels of your feet and tighten your glutes to stand again. Repeat for 20 squats total.

2. Tricep Dips

1. Turn your back to the picnic bench seat.
2. Sit on the edge of the picnic bench. Place your palms on the edge of the bench, elbows bent, and press hips forward off the bench, bending knees at a 90-degree angle.
3. Press into hands to extend through arms, making sure to draw your belly button to your spine.
4. Now bend at the elbows until they’re at a 90-degree angle in order to lower the body. Repeat for 20 tricep dips total.

3. Reverse-Plank Kick

1. Turn your back to the picnic bench seat. Sit on the edge of the picnic bench, then place your palms on the edge of the bench and press hips forward off the bench.
2. Lengthen legs and lift hips into a reverse plank position. Kick a single leg toward the sky, then slowly lower leg to the ground and bend at elbows to lower hips slightly.
3. Press into arms and hips to lift again into a reverse plank position and kick the opposite leg. Repeat for 10 kicks total on each leg.

4. Step-Up

1. Turn to face the bench and wrap your arms around baby. Step right foot, knees bent, onto the bench seat. Now extend through that right leg while lifting your left leg to meet the right.
2. Step the left leg carefully back to the ground. Step up again with same leg for 20 times total.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the opposite leg.

5. Single Arm Plank

1. Turn to face the picnic bench. Wrap your left arm around baby and place your right hand on the bench.
2. Brace your core and hold baby as you step feet back to a plank position. Then, twist hips side to side to make baby giggle!

Christine Bullock is a Los Angeles-based fitness and wellness expert who is certified in yoga, pilates, general fitness, and pre- and post-natal fitness. She is also the founder of Evolution20,, a fitness and nutrition program, and co-creator of KAYO and all-natural skincare brand.

Please note: The Bump and the materials and information it contains are not intended to, and do not constitute, medical or other health advice or diagnosis and should not be used as such. You should always consult with a qualified physician or health professional about your specific circumstances.

Plus, more from The Bump:

Work Out With Baby: The Trim-and-Tone Lower-Body Shape-Up

5 Babywearing Exercises For The Multitasking Mom

6 Postbaby Tummy Toners

Published December 2017