Welcoming a baby to the world is an exciting yet stressful time. There’s no other happiness than looking at the innocent face of an infant. But having to rearrange your existing schedule around your baby’s routine can be overwhelming. And yes, this includes scheduling some time for yourself.
The good news is that you don’t have to sacrifice physical fitness for some quality time with your little one. With the help of baby carriers and strollers, you can multitask during the day. Need to go grocery shopping, but you have no one to watch the baby for a few hours? Strap them in the baby carrier. Want to get a workout done, but it’s your turn to take care of the baby? Take them outside with you.
The right time to use the stroller
Before you get excited, you need to keep in mind that there’s a time for everything. What we mean is that you can’t just take outside a less than a month-old baby for long periods. The sunlight would be too much for their skin, and their developing immune system might not be able to handle outside pollutants yet.
While there’s no set time on when you should take your baby on walks and jogs with you, you generally want them to be able to hold their neck first. It’s likely that their curiosity will cause them to look around, and if the stroller is shaky, they could get hurt or injured.
Every baby is different when it comes to learning how to hold their neck, so your next best bet is to place them in a baby car seat inside the stroller. The car seat will keep them safe and secure regardless of the terrain. Just make sure that your stroller can accommodate the car seat.
Exercising with your baby
You read that right: you can do a workout without having to leave your baby behind. Of course, we don’t mean taking the baby to the gym with you and lifting some weights with them. But if it’s your cardio day and your baby day, you might be able to combine the two and save some time.
Here’s how you can achieve that feat: by using a stroller. That’s it. No other magic tricks and no crazy stunts needed. As long as you have some outdoors to explore and a trusty stroller to carry your baby, you and your child are good to go.
The right kind of stroller to use
If you’re on a tight budget, you might think that the cheapest stroller can do the job for you. If you’re walking around the neighborhood with mostly straight and level sidewalks, that might work. But if you want something more intensive, you need a jogging stroller.
Strollers built for jogging instead of walking are meant to take more abuse without passing it on to the passenger. These strollers have bigger pneumatic tires that absorb shock instead of shaking the carrier. They also have locks for the front tire, preventing it from turning to the side.
Good for any location
Strollers for jogging are good to use at any site. Fancy taking a brisk walk around the city, where the sidewalks are mostly smooth and level? Take the stroller. Want to go rugged and run through a nature trail? Use the stroller. Want to do a mini-hike in a nearby forest? The stroller is your best friend.
Unlike walking strollers, strollers for jogging can take any terrain you introduce to it. Downhills are safer for you and your baby, thanks to built-in hand brakes and locking front wheels. Uneven ground poses no problem because of the shock-absorbing pneumatic tires. Some models even provide protection against too much sunlight or bug bites.
Final thoughts
Maintaining your physical fitness should never be a hindrance to taking care of your baby. From peaceful walks around the neighborhood to intense runs up and down a hill, a jogging stroller can fit the bill for you. Their build quality, along with their safety features, make them a better choice for carrying your child around. Introduce your baby to the outdoors early on, and they might have an appreciation for it early in their life.