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From Pumping Iron to Pumping...Baby?

Exercise can either be a good or bad thing depending on your personality, past experiences, and lifestyle.  But, there's no doubt that exercise, whether you like it or not, is a fact of life once you become a parent.

The first few weeks after we brought Baby home, the only way to calm her was to walk up and down the stairs in our house.  We did this over and over and over - all through the day and the night.  My husband and I would take turns and our calves turned into rock solid muscle.  As Baby began to get bored with the stairs, I had to develop some creativity.  We would bounce on the ball (a core balancing exercise), do sit ups on the ball (an ab/oblique workout), and even do squats against the wall with the ball (a quad/hamstring/glute workout).  As Baby grew and gained more weight, my biceps and triceps developed into a sculpted phenomenon of which I had only previously dreamed.  I even managed to work in some deltoid/rhomboid/trap (shoulder and upper back) action while entertaining Baby.  I was working out every major muscle system in my body.

I managed to disguise my workouts into Baby-pleasing activities that not only helped me lose the weight I had gained, but also allowed parts of my body to develop more than when I had been practicing sports on a regular basis.  And, this time it was fun and functional!  Baby was happy, I was happy - making my entire family happy! 

So, if you're having a hard time motivating yourself to lose those extra pounds from your baby, why not think about adding Baby into your exercise routine?  Those little smiles you get will help keep you motivated and on track.  If they don't, find a friend to go on a walk with.  Enjoy the last few days of nice weather before winter sets in.  Not only will you be helping your body, but you'll be teaching your child a valuable lesson in wellness.




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