Holding a baby, nursing, and sitting for hours at a time (all things common in the newborn stage) can lead to a lot of soreness and back pain. A mobility routine can help you feel a lot better, and more like yourself.
It’s also important that your routine is short, easy to do, and requires minimal equipment. This makes it easier to fit into nap times without taking up the whole nap time.
The following exercises are what I do to feel better after putting baby down. Obviously, listen to your doctor and especially to your body before starting any kind of exercise.
Let’s skip the fluff and jump straight into the exercises before baby wakes up.
My 10-Minute Nap Time Mobility Routine
I perform each of the following exercises back-to-back, then rest for a few seconds before I repeat the circuit to reach 10 minutes. You will go through the whole circuit 2-3 times.
Cat-cow
- How to do it: Start on your hands and knees, shoulder width apart. Drop your belly to the floor, arching your lower back and lifting your head. Then, tuck your belly, round your back and bring your chin to your chest.
- Repetitions: 10-15 reps
- Why it’s here: This movement helps to reduce tension in the lower back, sore from holding baby.
Birddog
- How to do it: Start on your hands and knees, shoulder width apart. Lift one arm straight in front of you and the opposite leg out behind. Return to the floor and repeat on the other side.
- Repetitions: 8-10 reps on each side
- Why it’s here: Helps to wake up the core and stabilize the lower back.
Happy baby stretch
- How to do it: Lie on your back and bring your knees to your chest. Separate your knees, and reach up between your legs to hold your feet.
- Repetitions: Hold for 15-30 seconds, rest and repeat
- Why it’s here: Helps to relieve lower back tension from carrying baby all day.
Glute bridge
- How to do it: Lie on your back with your knees bent. Raise your hips off the ground, focusing on using the muscles in your butt. Return to the ground.
- Repetitions: 10-15 reps
- Why it’s here: Helps strengthen your glutes and core, which is good for lifting baby.
Shoulder blade squeeze
- How to do it: Sit upright on a firm surface. Squeeze your shoulder blades together for 5 seconds and release.
- Repetitions: 8-10 reps
- Why it’s here: Reduces tension in the upper body after looking down at a baby for hours.
Let your mobility routine be done, not perfect
Some exercise is always better than no exercise.
If you can’t even find a 10 minute time block, try to do just one exercise. Later, you can do another.
The thing here in the beginning is to build consistency for when baby is bigger and you can get back into a more ‘normal’ workout program.
You don’t have to wear the right clothes or do every minute of a long video. Personally, I struggle to get through a 15-20 minute video with a newborn even when she stays sleeping.
Just do something, your body will thank you later on.
How do you find time to move while taking care of babies?
I’d love to hear how your journey back to exercise is going.
How do you prioritize movement while taking care of a newborn baby?
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