We certainly love our kids! But, we still cannot deny that life was different before they arrived! We had more time to eat properly, exercise regularly, see friends, and in general, take better care of ourselves. Now, when a toddler is running around and a baby who needs to be breastfed or changed all the time, all of the things that we used to do kind of fall into oblivion.
If this situation sounds familiar, then you are in the right place! Like you, women lead quite an active life before pregnancy, and the arrival of little bundles of joy can feel frustrated when they realize that they don’t have time and energy to bring their bodies in the state before pregnancy. Indeed, it is annoying not to be able to do all the exercises you have done before! Nonetheless, do not despair just yet.
Maybe at this moment, you are not back to how you were, but if you include these functional fitness programs into your routine, chances are you will be in no time. We wouldn’t be surprised if many of you still don’t know what precisely is functional fitness! However, this shouldn’t worry you! We have discussed this with fitness experts and OB/GYNs, and we decided to share things we learned with you.
What Is Functional Fitness?
Here is the deal! When we mention functional fitness a lot of you out, there have puzzled expressions on your faces. So, before we move on to suggestions for exercises, we are going to explain what it is, starting with functional fitness definition. The main focus of functional fitness workouts is to train and strengthen your muscles, so you can effortlessly perform all the tasks from chores to playing sports. According to scientists from the Mayo clinic, these functional fitness exercises are an excellent option for everyone, but especially moms who need something like a full workout without having to go to a gym. It is because if done appropriately, with the support of a skilled functional fitness trainer, you can do the exercises at home/office regardless of whether you are still wearing postpartum pads or not.
Also Read: Effective Workout For Busy Moms: 4 Quick Exercises To Keep Busy Moms Strong
Functional Fitness Exercises & Workouts:
#1 – Medicine Ball Squat with Overhead Lift:
You will probably hear some people telling you that you can lift the baby! It is true, you are doing a lot for your muscles by lifting and holding the baby up, but if you include a medicine ball and do actual squats with it, you will work more muscles. This exercise makes your legs, glutes, lower back, arms, and shoulders much stronger.
#2 – Climbing Stairs with Dumbbell Curl:
Now, this is a simple exercise if you have stars or a functional fitness gym in your house. But even if you don’t, you can move your legs in the same manner as you would when climbing the stairs and do biceps curls at the same time. This exercise is designed to work different muscles in your body. Climbing the stairs will significantly strengthen the legs, and the curls with dumbbells will make your arms strong. Climbing stairs is also considered good cardio, so you can be sure that your cardiovascular system will be better.
Also Read: Dip Bar Exercises – Essential Tips for Healthy Lifestyle
#3 – Push-Ups with Hip Extension:
Talking about resistance exercises, you will hardly find one that is better than push-ups. These exercises will make you stronger but also improve your stamina, stability, and endurance. Doing them daily will strengthen your arms, lower back, chest, shoulders, and glutes. It is an excellent functional fitness training exercise for beginners and preferred among moms because you can do it everywhere without any equipment. Plus, babies enjoy watching moms moving their bodies up and down.
#4 – Supine Bridge Exercises:
Supine bridge exercises are fantastic for new moms because they are designed to strengthen the lower back and pelvis, which is pretty important after giving birth.
They also help significantly with relieving the back pain you might feel from carrying the baby around all they long.
The supine bridge also improves muscular endurance in general since it is working a lot of big muscles at the same time. Now, many of you out there will think that this exercise is super easy. Indeed, it can be if you want it like that. But, keep in mind that there are a lot of ways to make it more challenging.
Final Word:
We know that being a mom is a full-time job, and that takes a lot of your time and energy. But this shouldn’t mean that you neglect yourself and your health. As you can see, there are plenty of fantastic functional fitness exercises that can enable you to be in tip-top shape. Plus, you can do them everywhere and in a short time so they won’t disrupt your mom duties. What are you doing to stay in shape?
