Taking your baby for a walk outside is a great way to leave the house and have some fun finally. You will be able to get back in shape after the pregnancy, and the baby will have fun getting to know the world around it. You will also increase your energy levels, your mood, and of course, you will watch your child get confused with what’s going on around you.
If you want to make sure that you’re adequately prepared for a walk, there are some things you should keep in mind. Here are the 13 essential tips that will help you get the most out of every single walk.
1. Getting The Right Stroller for Walking Your Baby
The first thing you should have is the right stroller that will keep your child comfortable and safe at all times. It has to be a walking or a jogging stroller. Getting back into shape after giving birth will require regular exercise and jogging strollers are ideal for that.
Some parents use a backpack to carry their baby around. That’s fine, but the baby outgrows the backpack in no time, so you can’t get much out of it. Here are some features you should look for when buying a walking/jogging stroller.
- Deep seat with a safety belt
- Locking wheels that keep the stroller in place
- A safety wrist strap that keeps the stroller tied to your hand
- Durable and sturdy
- Make sure that the sunshade provides full protection for the baby
2. Where Not To Go When On a Walk
Going for a walk through the park is fine, but don’t take dirt roads, and don’t push the stroller over gravel or rough paths because your baby will feel every bump. It won’t be happy, and you can also hurt your arms, wrists, and shoulders doing that. Stay on sidewalks and flat surfaces only.
3. Bring The Essentials
Always make sure you pack everything your baby needs including diapers, formula, wet wipes, an extra outfit, and maybe a changing board. You have to be prepared for anything and everything, so make a checklist before you leave the apartment.
4. Take Walks Through Nature
Nothing is better than taking a walk with your baby through a park or a natural area with a lot of plants and greenery around. It calms you down and reduces stress levels, and your baby has plenty of new things to see and enjoy.
5. How Long Do You Have to Walk to Lose Some Weight
The recommended duration of physical activity for new moms doesn’t exceed 30 minutes per day. Remember that your body is still recovering from giving birth, so it’s not smart to overdo things. You can take one half an hour walk, or divide it in let’s say three 10-minute strolls around the block.
If your goal is to lose weight to get back into shape, the walks should take between 30 minutes and an hour without a break.
You should repeat that every day if possible and the results will become evident in a month or two. If you can’t walk for that long right away, stop when you reach your limit, but keep increasing the walk time gradually after every week or so.
6. Get New Shoes
Pregnancy often leads to permanent changes in feet for many new moms. Even if that’s not the case, you should think about going to the nearest sports store to buy a new pair of comfortable running shoes. Proper footwear will help you go on good walks.
7. Heart Rate
Losing weight and getting into shape will require some extra effort. You need to reach the required heart rate for weight loss or fitness conditioning while on walks.
Pushing the stroller at walking speeds will increase your heart rate a bit, but you’ll need to step things up if you want to lose the extra pounds gained during pregnancy. If that’s what you’re after, get a jogging stroller and push yourself towards the goal slowly.
8. Correct Your Posture
If you spend a lot of time pushing a jogging stroller, you could get poor posture habits. As your posture changes entirely during the pregnancy because of the center of gravity shifting to the front, you will have to work hard to regain the posture you had before getting pregnant. Make sure you correct yourself while taking walks, and that means that you shouldn’t lean forward or backward.
9. Teach Your Baby The Importance of Exercise
By spending time talking walks with your baby, you will pass your exercise habits onto it. Your child’s first memories will be tied to taking walks, and that’s something every mom should teach their children. It will help your baby develop an interest in sports and physical activity.
That will help you guide your child to healthy habits, which will make a huge difference when it gets a little older. It’s better than your kid spends time running outside or playing a sport than sitting inside in front of the computer all day long.
10. Taking Family Walks Together
When moms and dads take their babies for a walk together, they spend more time together, and that allows them to connect even more and build the family together. It’s also a great way to unwind from work and other stressful things in your life.
11. Walking Play Dates
Going out for a walk in the park will probably result in meeting other moms, and that’s a good thing. You will get to exchange experiences and talk about babies, and your babies will have some time to play with each other. Walking together around the block or a shopping mall is fun.
12. Grandparents Can Also Help
Your siblings and parents will also want to spend some time with your child. If you’re feeling tired, let them take the baby out for a walk while you get some alone time.
13. A Breath of Fresh Air
Being cooped up between four walls is not healthy for your baby. Try to spend as much time outdoors as possible. That way, your child will learn to love spending time outside, and that will help it stay healthy in the long run.