I believe I’m not the only one who doesn’t care if gym is closed or not during a pandemic. Having a baby basically sets you in quarantine mode automatically in many ways. You don’t have the freedom anymore like you did before, which sounds pretty sad, but not until you find new ways to live the new life in such a new world we all in right now. Staying fit not only keeps you looking sharp, though it’s not a top priority for many as we are not meeting anyone, it also boosts your mental health as many of us are struggling with it since the world has changed.

I’m going to share some of the tips that i think could be helpful to you if finding time is also a challenge when you are clued to a baby all day long.

Stroller Jogging

This is the simplest exercise you can do with your baby, just in your neighborhood. As long as you have a regular stroller and a pair of running shoes, you are good to go. Depends on your baby’s age, you can go either when they are napping or when they are ready to go for a ride. But keep in mind that it’s best to do this at the same time everyday so you are embedding it into your daily habit. I personally don’t like any type of running, so making it a habit is the only way to beat my all kinds of excuses. Another benefit you will get or I should say the motivation you have is the fresh air that you can finally breath outside. Who doesn’t want to go outside during a lockdown?

Home Exercise

If you have a toddler, I’m sure you will get enough cardio just by chasing after them. But if your baby isn’t quite moving around yet, you will need to find some exercise that you can do together to spend the boring times. You don’t have to do anything fancy like a mommy and baby yoga. I can’t imagine how you can relax while you have a little squirmy creature on your body. Just keep it simple and do things like squats and push ups. I remember once I did 100 push ups on top of my baby because it made her giggle and that has motivated me to do more. Without her, 10 would be my best record 🙂 Find activities that make your baby laugh. You will enjoy your session and have results at the same time. Even better than going to the gym!

Yoga

Of course not the mommy and baby yoga because you want to relax. Find times where your baby is napping or sleeping in the evening. Even just a 20 minutes of stretch and breathing would give your mind and body a deep cleanse. I love the app Down Dog that has a real instructor guiding you through the whole practice with very soothing tones. It’s great for all levels. You can select your level, length of practice and body part that you want to focus on during any session. Even if your selection is the same every time, you will get different sets of practice so you never get the same class twice. Another feature I love about Down Dog is that it supports Chromecast so you don’t have to locate your phone every time you are trying to balance standing or in a upside down position.

Running

If you can leave your baby with your family members for just 30 mins, give yourself a break, put on your music and running shoes, go outside and run the hell out of it. Yes you may have a hard time breathing. But it will make you feel so damn good. Sweating will help to release a hormone that reduce your stress level. You will also feel energized because of the endorphins released from your racing heart rate.

Taking care of a baby is a very challenging job. It requires you to have fully charged mind and body everyday while for many parents they couldn’t get enough sleep. Exercise not only keeps you fit and lose some weight from the extra cookies you are eating while in quarantine, it also helps to maintain a healthy lifestyle and most importantly boosts your mental health.

What are your ways to keep your exercise routine during the lockdown? Please share in the comments below as I’m interested to know!