Exercises for baby carrying
You’ve just had a baby, congratulations!
You’ve been cleared by your GP after your 6-8 week check up, good! (Hope you’re feeling ok, the check up isn’t the start or end of your postpartum or fitness journey by the way, please be kind to yourself and do what you can do, you know your body best).
You’re ready to get out and about with your baby and start carrying your baby parent facing.
Your body is still going through a lot right now, and taking fitness and exercise at a slow, steady and somewhat cautious mode is best right now.
Bodyweight exercises are great to help you with the mobility, strength and stability, and coordination you need to build a strong foundation for exercise post-baby.
Front carrying is a wonderful opportunity to stay close and connected to your baby, bond, be hands-free and be active. However, with extra load on your front, your centre of gravity shifts, your posture can change if certain muscles aren’t strong enough, and most challenging of all, you can’t see your feet! (It’s like being pregnant all over again!)
5 Exercises for front carrying
These five exercises will help you improve your strength for front carrying your baby, especially as they start to grow and gain weight:
Squats
The best bodyweight exercise and most versatile. Squats will help build lower body as well as core strength specifically your quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes and create the foundation and coordination required for many other exercises.
Muscles involved:
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Glutes
Core
Gemma performing a squat
Gemma performing a squat
Wall sits
An exercise everyone loves to hate. Wall sits are an isometric exercise, so the muscles are not lengthening and contracting, they are staying the same length throughout the exercise. This creates that ‘burning’ sensation. Wall sits build up the strength in your quadriceps and glutes.
Muscles involved:
Quadriceps
Glutes
Core
Gemma performing a wall sit
Scapula protractions
Scapula protractions are often overlooked but provide vital mobility in your thoracic spine. This part of your spine is predominantly where many straps on carriers will sit.
A mobile spine is a strong spine!
Muscles involved:
Serratus anterior
Pectorals
Latissmus dorsi
Trapezius
Rhomboids
Gemma performing scapula protractions
Gemma performing scapula protractions
Plank taps
Having a strong core is so important postpartum and when carrying load, as we want to avoid back pain and gain pre-pregnancy strength levels.
By shifting your weight side to side, your deep core muscles are working to keep your trunk stable. Try to limit your hips moving as much as possible to feel this.
Muscles involved:
Rectus abdominus
Obliques
Transverse abdominus
Deltoids
Quadriceps
Gemma performing plank taps
Gemma performing plank taps
Gemma performing plank taps
Front lunges
Front lunges target the lower body but focus on your quadriceps. This exercise helps you challenge your balance, which will transfer when you will be walking with your baby but not being being able to see your feet!
Muscles involved:
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Glutes
Core
Gemma performing forward lunges
Back carrying
Your baby or toddler has upgraded to back carrying!
This definitely allows you more freedom and your baby or toddler can see the world so much more! It’s such a joy to see their heads turn side to side soaking it all in.
Back carrying allows you to carry more load and wear your little one for longer periods of time, especially now it is safe for your baby or toddler to nap whilst back carrying, in a soft or structured carrier.
Back carrying does place more demand on your postural muscles, posterior chain and core, so it is vital that these are strong and able to endure the length of time you are carrying for.
Here are ten core exercises that will help you get strong.
Gemma hiking with her toddler
5 Exercises for back carrying
Here are five exercises that will help you get strong for back carrying (all can be done bodyweight or with weight, why not grab your baby or toddler!):
Squats
Squats, one of my favourites and a most versatile exercise. Although it may seem like a simple exercise, it is a really important one to master, and will help you build on strength, endurance, co-ordination and balance all at once.
These will build a strong lower body, focusing on your glutes, quadriceps and hamstrings mainly, but are also a foundation for many other exercises.
Using a dumbbell or kettlebell, you can perform Goblet Squats (holding the weight at your chest) or Suitcase Squats (holding the weight at your side).
Use a barbell to perform Back Squats.
Muscles involved:
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Glutes
Core
Squats
Squats
Reverse lunges
Reverse lunges will challenge your balance as you can't see where you are placing your back foot as you transfer weight, whilst also building a strong lower body. These are great as they focus on your posterior chain, yet require a good core strength to perform these with extra load (dumbbells/kettlebells).
Muscles involved:
Quadriceps
Hamstrings
Glutes
Core
Reverse lunges
Plank
This staple in your exercise routine will demand your core to stay stable and connected to your limbs, mimicking what you’ll be doing walking and baby carrying.
This exercise focuses on your core, such as rectus abdominus, obliques and the deep transverse abdominal muscles. Additionally, there are many other muscles that will be working very hard to keep your body strong and stable in the isometric hold.
Muscles involved:
Rectus abdominus
Transverse abdominus
Obliques
Deltoids
Quadriceps
Plank
Deadlifts
Deadlifts are a fundamental in building posterior chain strength, increasing the strength in your glutes, hamstrings, quadratus lumborum and grip strength!
This exercise is extremely handy as it mimicks some movements that parents will find familiar! Hello picking up all the bags of shopping from the floor, or your toddlers bags and coats, or carrying all of your kids bikes, bags and coats all at once!
Muscles involved:
Hamstrings
Glutes
Latissimus dorsi
Spinal erectors
Deadlift (hinge)
Deadlift (hinge)
Glute bridges
This exercise, like Squats, is a great foundation exercise that will allow you to improve the strength in your glutes, one of the most powerful muscles in your body.
Additionally, your core and back will be working to stabilise your body and keep everything in place.
Muscles involved:
Glutes
Hamstrings
Core
Glute bridge
Glute bridge
With all the exercises above, the sets and repetitions and weight that you use, will depend on your goals and what you want to achieve. These exercises can be performed as body weight exercises when you are ready, then I suggest you start to add resistance equipment, such as kettle bells and dumbbells to further progress your strength and intensity.
If you are new to exercising, or returning to exercise after a break, such as being postpartum, or are returning from an injury, you are more likely to start with endurance training:
Endurance = 1-2 sets x 15-20 reps
If you are used to resistance training, in the next phase of your training programme, or your goal is to focus on building lean muscle, you are likely to do hypertrophy training:
Hypertrophy = 3-4 sets x 8-12 reps
If you resistance train regularly, building muscle is your goal, or are in a strength phase in your training programme, you are likely to do strength training:
Strength = 4-6 sets x 1-5 reps
Ready to give these a go? Make sure you perform a safe and effective warmup before physical activity. Read more about RAMP warmups here.
Disclaimer:
Your postpartum journey is different from anyone elses.
Always listen to your body, if you experience any pain or discomfort, seek medical attention.