One of the most important things that need to be done in life is to exercise. It has many great benefits to it and will lead to a longer healthier life. Many mothers ask what mommy and me toddler workouts they can do with their children.
The answer is a lot! There are many great workouts and exercises mothers can do with their toddlers than can be fun and enjoyable.
These days, many mothers who have toddlers can’t find any time to workout or exercise because they have no one to take care of their toddlers for them.
This is when mothers took action and incorporated their toddlers in the workout. They realized that this idea is essential to any mother that wants to work out while taking care of a toddler.
A great thing about mommy and me workouts is that toddlers tend to like to copy their mothers and their movements. When toddlers see that their mother is moving, they will want to move around too and this will cause them to be active.
It won’t be anything significant but it is essentially the start of their journey into the fitness world.
With that being said, here are some of the best mommy and me workouts that can be done with toddlers.
Upper Body
The first part of the body we will talk about is the upper body. That consists of everything about the waist. These upper body workouts can get the job done and will have the mother feeling accomplished in the workouts.
For these workouts, you will do 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions. You can adjust the numbers according to your liking but this is the standard for these workouts.
Toddler Bench Press
This first workout targets mostly the chest, shoulders and arms. What you will do is lay down and hold the toddler above you.
The next thing you will do is bring them towards you and once they are about 5 inches away from you, you would then press up.
Try to avoid a lot of repetitions all at once because this movement can irritate the toddler and make them feel nauseous.
Toddler Overhead Press
The toddler overhead press is a great exercise that targets your shoulders and arms. You can do this workout either standing or sitting down depending on your preference.
What you will do is hold the toddler in front of you and raise them over your head. You will then bring them down in front of you again and that is considered a full rep.
Toddler Curl
Toddler curls work on the arms, specifically the biceps. What you will do is hold the toddler in front of you and have your elbow close to your body.
Then you will curl the toddler up and down which is considered a full rep.
Recommended Equipment
Baby Carrier
Something that I have personally used and recommend to every mother that wants to workout with their toddler is to have a baby carrier. The reason for this is that many of the best lower body workouts can be enhanced with the toddler strapped to your body.
It is essentially a hack to make your workouts better and more convenient.
The reason why baby carriers are great for a mommy and me toddler workout is that when the toddler is attached to you, it essential adds more weight on your body and this is a great thing for pushing yourself during a workout.
The one I used and have recommended others to use is the Infantino Flip Advanced carrier and I have to say that I was very happy with the results. It is a 4-in-1 carrier that can support up to 32 pounds so it worked well for both of my toddlers.
The thing that stood out for me was how stylish it was and the durability it offered. I was also very confident when I was working out because I knew my toddler was safe and secure.
Check out this baby carrier that allows you to strap your toddler to your body so your workouts can be enhanced and be taken to the next level!
Workout Mat
Another piece of equipment that is recommended would be a workout mat. Many of these exercises require the mother to lie down on the floor so having a solid mat is important.
The one I use is the ProsourceFit Extra Thick Yoga. The quality and comfort it offers make the workouts go by smoother and I feel no pain after compared to what I used to feel when using other yoga mats.
If your looking for a great mat to get a workout in with your toddler, you should check out the ProsourceFit Yoga Mat
Lower Body
We will now talk about lower body workouts that can be done in a mommy and me exercise routine with toddlers.
This portion is targeting all of the leg muscles which are very essential for a good workout routine.
Baby Squats
Baby Squats are a great workout to target the legs and is a good workout to strengthen the lower body.
The way you should do a proper baby squat is to hold on to the toddler or attach him to you using the baby carrier and then bend your knees while keeping your back straight.
After you bend down and squat, you will straighten your knees and come back to a standing position. This workout is essential to do and is recommended in any mommy and me workout.
Walk
Walking is a great workout that can be done anywhere. It can also be the warm up for any workout.
Whenever I walked, my toddler would always be strapped to me and I was ready to go off on an adventure.
Lunges
Another great lower body workout that targets all the muscle groups of the legs are lunges.
What you will do is take a step forward and lean into that leg, then you will step forward with the other leg and lean forward again and that would be considered 1 rep.
You can do 10 reps on each leg which means you will be taking a total of 20 steps.
Abs
Abs are very important to the overall development of a healthy and active body. Many people neglect the abdominal muscles and that is wrong because if you don’t develop your core, you can hurt yourself doing other workouts.
Toddler Crunches
Crunches are a great core exercise that can be done with toddlers. If you don’t know what a crush is, here is a quick guide on how to do them.
The mother would first lay on her back with her knees bent and her legs in front of her. She will have the toddler sitting on her stomach facing her.
She will then crunch up and lift her shoulders and head and drive them towards the toddler. They will then drop their shoulders and head and that is considered a full rep.
Planks
Planks are a great workout to strengthen your core. What you will do is set the mat down and strap the toddler behind you with the baby carrier.
Then you will get into a push position and place your elbow on the ground directly under you. Your legs would be stretched out and you will then hold that position for about 30 seconds to a minute depending on how difficult it is.
The toddler strapped to your back adds weight so you can feel some type of pressure and really feel the burn.
Final Thoughts
It can be hard for mothers to exercises when they have to take care of toddlers. This is why mommy and me exercises are great because a mother can get her workouts in while still being with the toddler.
This will also introduce your toddler to the fitness world. Once you are ready for the next step which is actually having your child exercise themselves, you can click here to check out this guide on how to set up mommy and me exercises classes you can do with your children.
Every mother that has a toddler should incorporate these mommy and me workouts in their daily schedule.