With Spring officially here, many of us feel energised and motivated to finally stick to our New Years resolution and start regular exercises and improve our fitness - I know I do. But it is not always easy to find a gym or exercises that are baby and child friendly, or if you are pregnant. In this blog post I have put together few tips for baby friendly postnatal and prenatal exercises and classes in Bicester and Oxfordshire.
1. Walking & jogging with a buggy
Speed walking or jogging is a fantastic and a fun way to exercise with your little one. The chances are you would probably go for a buggy walk anyway, so why not pick up the speed a little and turn a routine buggy walk into a fitness time for you? If you are an avid jogger, you may want to invest in a specialist jogging buggy (see the top 5 best running buggies according to Telegraph here). Grab a friend or join one of nearby's BuggyFit's classes (you can find a class near you here) to make jogging or speed walking with your buggy more fun and sociable. Birth Baby Balance also offers buggy fit classes in West Oxfordshire - you can find information on their classes here.
Walking is also a great gentle exercise you can usually do throughout most of your pregnancy.
If you are stuck on ideas where to walk or jog, check out my last blog post about Pushchair Friendly Walks in Oxfordshire.
2. Baby & toddler friendly fitness classes - One Fit Mama Bicester
Fabulous exercise classes for mums and mums-to-be in Bicester and surroudned villages, run by a super friendly Hannag - that is One Fit Mama Bicester in a nutshell. Not only you will strengthen your body and relax your mind in baby friendly environment, but you can also meet other amazing mummies and make friends while having fun!
Hannah provides classes suitable for pregnant mummies, mums with babies, mums with toddlers and also she runs a course specifically aimed at strengthening pelvic floor and core. She also runs several bootcamps throughout the year. I think classes like these are fabulous because not only will you be motivated by working out in a group, but you can also use this opportunity to socialise with other mums while doing something great for your body.
If you've had a photo session with me, you will also receive an exclusive voucher with your products for a FREE CLASS!
3. Yoga
Yoga is a great gentle exercise that helps strenghten and restore your body. It is therefore an ideal way to gently get back to exercising after having a baby. It is also a fantastic way to stay fit and flexible during pregnancy - it can in some cases even help mums to be to achieve easier birth. There are many fabulous Yoga classes in Oxfordshire and specifically Bicester, including the following:
Yogabeing in Bicester - Elaine from Yogabeing provides amazing prenatal yoga classes for expecting mums. You can read an interview with Elaine and learn more of Yoga benefits during pregnancy in my recent blog article HERE.
Lisa Valentine Yoga near Banbury - Lisa and Becca provide amazing yoga classes in Middleton Cheney's core zone that are baby and toddler friendly. They also have great pregnancy yoga flow and classes available and often run pregnancy and mum and baby workshops and events - you can see their workshop calendar and upcoming events here.
Felicity Wood Yoga - another fantastic yoga classes in Bicester providing wide range of yoga classes - from pregnancy yoga to children yoga. Their postnatal yoga is also baby friendly, meaning you can bring your baby with you and bond while exercising your body and mind.
4. Pilates with baby - Birth Baby Balance
Another amazing fitness class provided by the amazing ladies at Birth Baby Balance are their Pilates classes which take place in Witney and Wychwoods. Great for getting into shape, toning your muscles and strengthening your pelvic floor after giving birth in baby friendly environment. It is also a fantastic opportunity to meet new mums and make new friends.
Check out their calendar for classes and other services on their website here.
5. Exercising at home
Some mummies and mums-to-be may feel more comfortable exercising at home. Luckily in this day and age we have so many fantastic resources available to us and so if you are a little shy but still want to exercise with your baby, there are many fantastic exercise programmes available online, and so many free videos on youtube. You should always consult with your healthcare professional if you are unsure whether certain exercises are suitable and safe for you. Below are some popular exercise channels for pregnant ladies and workouts with baby:
BodyFit by Amy - Amy has great prenatal workout video playlist on her channel as well as Mummy and Me workouts.
Trainer LJ - Fit Mix Mom - Baby bootcamp and Baby and Mummy exercises that can be done easily in comfort of your home without need of special equipment.
Liel Cheri Yoga & Wellness - mummy and baby postnatal yoga flows and mummy and toddler postnatal yoga videos
BeFit channel - BeFit have a playlist with prenatal exercises for mums to be as well as postnatal exercises particulary focusing on core
And how are you keeping fit and healthy during pregnancy and after child birth? Let's hear your tips in the comments.