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Exercises

Supine Bent Knee Hip Raise

Difficulty: Beginner

Description:
Lay on the ground with feet hip length apart.
Hold any sized weight, or if you are comfortable hold your baby under their arms; directly over your hips, they can be facing away or facing you, whichever is more convenient.

Push through the floor to raise your hips off the ground, holding for 2-3 seconds at the top, and then lower back to the ground.

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Exercises

Supine Back Extension with Arms in Front

Difficulty: Intermediate

Description:

Lay down on your stomach and extend your arms beyond your head, shoulders beside your ears. Engage your glutes, core, and back to activate the entirety of your spine to lift your lower legs, shoulders, head and chest up away from the floor and hold this position for 2-3 seconds.

Aim to squeeze your shoulder blades together on your back by contracting your upper back muscles.

Categories
Exercises

Supine Back Extension with Arms Behind Back

Difficulty: Intermediate

Description:

Lay down on your stomach and extend your arms behind you. Engage your glutes, core, and back to activate the entirety of your spine to lift your lower legs, shoulders, head and chest up away from the floor and hold this position for 2-3 seconds.

Aim to squeeze your shoulder blades together on your back by contracting your upper back muscles.

Categories
Exercises

Supine Back Extension Arms Bent

Difficulty: Intermediate

Description:

Lay down on your stomach and lift your arms bent at your side. Engage your glutes, core, and back to activate the entirety of your spine to lift your lower legs, shoulders, head and chest up away from the floor and hold this position for 2-3 seconds.

Aim to squeeze your shoulder blades together on your back by contracting your upper back muscles.

Categories
Exercises

Sumo Squat with Baby

Difficulty: Intermediate

Description:

Stand with feet much wider than shoulder width. Bend your knees and sit your hips back to squat down, and then extend back up to starting position.

Squeeze your glutes at the top. Complete 10 reps and then hold at the bottom in a squat position for 10 seconds on the last rep.

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Exercises

Stroller Lunges

Difficulty: Beginner

Description:

Place hands on the handlebar of the stroller.

Stand in a relaxed position then take one step forward and dip your entire body down with your back leg bending until your shin is parallel to the ground and your front leg is at a 90 degree angle to the ground. As your press forward extend your arms in front of your face pushing the stroller forward.

Carefully, press back into a standing position by pressing up and back with your front leg and pull the stroller back to the original positon. Switch legs and repeat.

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Exercises

Straight Leg Lift

Difficulty: Beginner

Description: Lay down on your back and place feet on a sturdy chair or couch about a foot or so from the ground. Press your heels into the elevated surface and press your hips upwards squeezing your glutes. You can help balance yourself by pressing your elbows into the ground next to you.

You can add a weight or your baby for more difficulty.

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Exercises

Standing Calf Raises

Difficulty: Beginner

Stand up on your tip toes! Push through the ground with your toes to lift the heals off the ground. Use a wall or chair back for support.

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Exercises

Seated March with Weight Overhead

Seated March with Unilateral Weight Overhead (Exercise Classification: Beginner)

Equipment: Kettlebell

*If you do not have a kettlebell, don’t worry! You can use a standard weight, a milk jug full of water, or anything that weighs ~5-10 pounds that can be safely held in your hands. You can also modify by doing the exercise without any weight. 

  • Get a weight that you can lift overhead with mild to moderate difficulty and sit down in a chair. Your feet should completely rest on the floor. 
  • Push the weight towards the ceiling as you alternate legs and march in place.
  • Remember to breath as you do this
  • Perform for 1 minute with the weight in 1 arm. Rest for 1 minute. Perform another 1 with the weight in the other arm. 
  • If this pinches in the front of your hip, move to a slightly higher chair or try moving your feet and hips apart from each other. 

Categories
Exercises

Thrusters with Baby

Difficulty: Intermediate

Description: Hold any sized weight, or if you are comfortable hold your baby under their arms; directly in front of you, they can be facing away or facing you, whichever is more convenient.

Position legs hip length apart and while holding your baby or weight go down into a regular squat. As you press back up through your legs press your baby or weight towards the sky directly in front of you and upwards until your arms are almost completely extended. Bring them back down in front of your chest and repeat the move set.

Try to keep the movement as fluid as possible, remember if at any point your weight OR baby feels too heavy to continue: lessen the weight or opt out of involving your baby during this exercise.