Swing and Sway with your baby

                                       by Priyanka Chauhan

                                                  

Women after pregnancy put fitness to back seat citing lack of time and energy as the most common reason. However, I have found my fitness trainer in my four-month-old baby.

Exercising is always fun with a companion. I found mine in none other than my teensy tiny boy. Old enough to understand his surroundings by mere observation, he made exercising such a lively activity.

I introduced a few warm-up exercises to my son one day. And it turned out to be an enjoyable experience for both of us.  Earlier working out was more like a ‘chore’ or a fast routine divorced from any drive, disclipline and devotion.

Now, the sheer motivation of a ‘new learner’ rewarding me with his generous smile fuels my willpower to get up each day. He infuses  positivity into my early morning fitness regime. That’s the end result of any work out-to generate positivity, isn’t it?

I look forward to this ‘alone time with my boy’.  The quality time spent in silence of dawn has also developed mother-child bonding, besides keeping us fit.

When I introduced yoga to my baby, he thought I was talking to him. I went on with my workout counting numbers loudly at variable pitch which kept his attention intact.

Babies, as it is, are alert during wee hours. So, I started capitalising on his unused bank of energy to make ‘our morning routines’ more interesting. Earlier, I gave a convenient excuse that I won’t be able to make time for doing ‘my things’. However, the truth is I have a little person to count on, share moments with, notice responses of, teach a few steps to, a few things to learn from.

As I did pranayama, I laid my son on yoga mat at an angle where he can easily hit his legs on mine. It was a way to track him and measure his responses to what I was doing even with eyes closed. Certain breathing exercises got major hits; while others were just about fine with him.

Rapid movements of his legs and hands made him inhale and exhale  almost like pranayama. Thus, more intake of oxygen for the baby too! If you are into weight training, then you can lift your baby and do your exercises. Yoga poses can also be executed along with the baby.

I have started allowing ‘new’ experiences to tingle me breaking all mental barriers that new mothers can’t do what they like right after child birth. ‘Newness’ made the time spent with the kid exciting and gave way to unknown expressions of love. It is beyond the existing ties.

Health brings sheer excellence in every sphere of life. And the foundation of a healthy child lies in inculcating healthy habits early on. Modelling exercises can go a long way in instilling these positive habits; making the child understand that fitness is a way of life. Such memories are sure to become part of baby’s sub-conscious mind and would naturally come into practice as he grows up.

Life is a way to celebrate with your baby not to find reasons for not doing things. Get up, greet the day with smile. As you smile, your world smiles with you.

The above piece was written for Learning and Creative magazine.