A Busy Mom's Quest for Fitness in IMAGE Magazine


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A Busy Mom's Quest for Fitness
An exercise program designed for mom and child
By Jo-Ann Houston PT, CSCS

If you're a busy mom (is there any other kind?), you've undoubtedly experienced some form of the "mom workout." You're rushing out the door with baby in arms and toddler in tow...maternal heart pumping! Think about it - it's not even 9 a.m. and you're already full throttle.

You've managed to fit in some "cardio" when your toddler exclaims "chase me!" and he really means it. Perhaps you squeezed in a modest amount of "strength training" by complying with your little angel's repeated demands for "up, up, carry me" as you multi-tasked your way through your busy morning ritual. Perhaps your agility skills were put to the test as you negotiated your way through the obstacle course of cars, trains, dolls, and planes underfoot. Time for stretching? Sure, what mom hasn't done the neck, shoulder, back twisting maneuver in the car to retrieve the sippy cup that your little one just dropped...again? Complete workout? Unfortunately, not quite!

So many moms I speak with often site lack of time and energy as reasons for not getting enough exercise to really make a difference in their appearance and health. While it's true we're busy taking care of our kids, we can surprisingly get in more exercise than you might think - thanks to our little ones. Here are a few mom/child-friendly exercises designed to strengthen and tone from head to toe, boost your metabolism by increasing muscle mass, and maintain precious bone integrity. To your kids, it's all play. To you, it's multi-tasking with a maternal twist!

#1. Basic Squat - Perform this one as you would a typical squat (like sitting in chair). Stand with your feet slightly wider than hip distance apart. Hold your child snug against your body and sit back by bending your knees and hinging forward from your hips until your thighs are almost parallel to the floor. Reverse the motion and return to standing position. Kids love the up and down motion. Throw in some sound effects and you'll both be giggling your way through the set. Shoot for two sets of 12-15 depending on how heavy your kid is. No kids around at the moment, no problem - just use a set of 8-10 pound dumbbells.

#2. Overhead Press - This one is a great shoulder sculptor. Start by holding your child at chest height. Tighten your abdominals by pulling your belly button towards your spine. Simply lift and lower your baby or toddler. Lift up only as high as you feel comfortable. I did hundreds of these when my son jack was a newborn. It was the only thing that soothed him when he cried (which was all the time for the first 2 months!). Again, try for two sets of 12-15. You can also use a set of 5-8 pound dumbbells.

#3. Bridge - Lie on your back with knees bent. Let your child sit on your lower belly while you hold his or her hands or trunk. Draw your belly button into your spine to contract your abdominals. Lift your hips and buttocks off the floor. Lower and repeat. With the added weight of your child, your buns will be burning! Do two sets of 12-15.

#4. Lunge - Stand with feet shoulder distance apart. Keep your abdominals drawn in and trunk erect throughout the exercise. Hold your child with both arms. Advance your right leg forward, bending the right knee while lowering your left knee towards the floor. Modify the depth as needed so you maintain balance. Pause and return to start position. Do two sets of 12-15 on each side. Again, you can use a set of 8-10 pound dumbbells in place of your child.

#5. Push Up - Start on hands and knees in all-fours position. Child is face up watching you. Extend your legs behind you and reposition hands slightly wider than shoulder width. Contract your abdominals. Perform your push up by bending your elbows until you reach your child's face; give a smooch and push back up to start position. Modify the push up if needed by allowing your knees to remain on the floor throughout the exercise. Do two sets of 12-15.

These mom/child exercise modifications are designed to be fun and effective, but I wouldn't do them with a 5-year-old! Keep yourself and your child safe by using caution and common sense. Make sure you do each exercise first without your child to be sure you can do it safely.

Another great use of time (other than napping!) is to squeeze in an interval-based workout while your child is napping. How? Keep a set of dumbbells handy and follow the exercises above. Here's the interval tweak: throw in a 60-second burst of high-intensity cardio between sets. Example: Do a set of squats followed by a 60-second interval of running up and down a flight of stairs. Complete the second set of squats and move to the next exercise followed by another cardio interval. Change up your intervals depending on what you have available. No steps? No worries. Jumping rope, jumping jacks, jumping in place, and hopping side to side will all do the trick as well.

Interval training yields big payoffs, including boosting your metabolism, torching calories, and incinerating body fat. You'll be slipping into your "skinny" jeans or "good enough" jeans in no time!

Always be sure to get medical clearance from your doctor before beginning this or any exercise program, and be sure to warm up and cool down for at least 5 minutes.

Jo- Ann is one of the instructors in the "Pre- Post Natal Fitness "program at SJJCC. Currently, Sid Jacobson offers the following classes for moms and moms to be:

Pre- Natal Yoga, Mommies in Bloom, Mommy and Me Stroller Bootcamp, Mom's Core-ful Approach and Power Moms. For more information on these programs please contact Heidi Roussis, Fitness Program Coordinator, 516-484-1545 ext. 109 or hroussis@sjjcc.org. Please visit our website at www.sjjcc.org for more great programs. IMAGE

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