As a mom it can be challenging to find time to exercise. Between juggling the tasks, appointments and chores, squeezing in a workout can seem nearly impossible many days. Right. There. With. You.

In the early months postpartum I would often plan to squeeze in a little exercise during nap time. This worked great some days, but more often than not Magnolia had plans to nap on me instead of her mattress. Soooo we would pivot. I’d put her in a baby carrier and hit play on one of our baby friendly workouts. I got to move and Magnolia would usually fall asleep during my warm up. Win, win!

Baby wearing was a game changer for me. It allowed me to accomplish what I wanted and gave me the priceless feeling of having my sweet girl snuggled on my chest!

If you’ve ever worn a baby carrier you know that baby wearing in itself can feel like a workout. And to be honest, it basically is.

You’ve added resistance (extra weight) to every little movement you’re doing. This takes extra muscle energy and an increased awareness of how you’re holding your body. Sounds like exercise to me!

So for some, baby wearing alone might feel like plenty, but what if you’re really itching for more traditional exercise. Is it safe to exercise while baby wearing?

The answer is yes it can be, but as with anything there is some nuance here. Here are four important things to consider when exercising while baby wearing.

1. learn to spot the signs an exercise is too intense

Baby wearing alone increases the pressure down on the pelvic floor and requires your core to work more in order to keep good posture. When you add exercise on top of these demands you should be aware of the signs that an exercise is too intense for right now.

The signs listed below are a few ways your body might be talking to you. They are indicators that your body isn’t quite ready for the demands of that specific exercise. You can remember them simply as the Three Ps.

PAIN
- Be on the look out for pain in the pelvic floor, pelvis and low back. This is not a “no pain, no gain” situation.
PRESSURE
- We want to avoid sensations of pressure, heaviness, or dragging in the pelvic floor and seeing or feeling bulging in the middle of your abdominals.
PEE
- This includes leaking pee or poop OR feeling like you need to go to the bathroom urgently while exercising.

In addition to being signs an exercise isn’t quite right for you right now, the Three Ps are also a good indicator that seeing a pelvic floor physical therapist would be helpful for you!

NOTE: If you have been diagnosed with pelvic organ prolapse I would recommend consulting with your provider before baby wearing. The increased pressure of wearing your baby could do more harm than good.

2. be extra aware of posture

Baby wearing actually mimics some of the posture changes we see in pregnancy, and because many people who are baby wearing were also recently pregnant these not so great posture habits are extra easy to fall into. Here’s what we want to avoid (left) and strive for (right) when exercising with a baby carrier.

STRIVE FOR

Ears over shoulders. Imagine you just smelled something gross right in front of your nose. Double chin now? That’s it!
Relaxed shoulders. Not actively pulling them down military style, just relaxed.
Keep your collar bone broad and open.
Neutral spine. Find a gentle curve in the low back and the point where your pelvis is level.

AVOID

Forward head posture. Aka turtle head where your chin juts out further than the rest of your body.
Holding your shoulders shrugged up towards your ears.
Hunching your shoulders forward.
Tucking/clenching your butt OR arching your back and sticking your butt out behind you.

3. pick the right baby carrier for exercise

There are so many awesome baby carriers out there now! I don’t believe there is one very best carrier for every person, but instead a baby carrier that is best for you and your needs. I love this blog post by Karrie Locher as a resource to compare and contrast the many baby carriers on the market.

That being said, when you’re picking a baby carrier that you might want to use for exercise I recommend going with a more structured baby carrier over a wrap or sling. This gives more support for both you and baby while you’re moving. They are also usually front loaders so baby’s weight isn’t shifted to one side of your body.

Exercise aside, you want to put your baby in a carrier that is properly fitted and hip healthy for your baby. You can read more on safe baby wearing practices here and see the full list of hip healthy baby carriers here.

4. choose exercises that are safe you you + baby

When creating our baby friendly classes for Materra Method I knew my number one priority was the safety of our moms and their precious little ones. We adhere to the following guidelines when choosing baby wearing exercises.

Stay upright. Hinging forward puts too much pressure on your back and increases risk of baby slipping out.
Stay slow and controlled. By keeping exercises slow and controlled we are able to better focus on form, breath, posture and any symptoms that pop up (aka the 3Ps).
Cool down as needed. The mix of postpartum temperature fluctuation, wearing another human and exercise increases risk of over heating for you and baby. Really just another reason to keep it slow and controlled ^.
Minimize balance challenges. Wearing a baby shifts your center of gravity and can make you feel off balance easier. Minimizing single leg exercises and have a chair or wall nearby to help with balance.
Be cautious with props. This one feels a little self explanatory. Avoid lifting weights over head or putting heavy props in precarious positions while wearing baby.

If you’re looking to just hit play on a baby carrier workout, we’ve got you! You can access one of our full body baby friendly workouts below.