Back in Shape

Peewee soccer season is in full swing, so take a note from your little players and get active. Busy kids mean a little free time for mom. So if you're carpooling to practice, pack your water bottle and grab your sneaks — there's a workout to be had. My daughter practices on a field in the middle of a regulation track, making her practice a perfect time for me to go running. While I make laps around the field, I can see what's going on with the team without hovering — it feels a little like mommy jog meets reconnaissance mission.

If you don't like to run, then walk; even if there is no track around, walking the perimeter of the field is a great option. You'll meet other parents this way too. Add walking lunges to your laps to fit some strength training into your cardio time. Use benches or the bumper of your car for push-ups and triceps dips.

Basically, any sports practice or music lesson is like free child care. Look for fitness opportunities nearby these regularly scheduled weekly destinations. If you poke around, you just might find Pilates, yoga, dance studios, and climbing gyms within minutes of your little jock's practice or your budding violinist's lesson. Remember, a 20-minute workout is better than no workout at all.

Do you work out when your child is at sports practice? Tell us what you do in the comments section below.

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Moms spend a lot of time in the car shuttling their kids around. Instead of sinking into the driver's seat, throw in a workout and improve your posture in the carpool lane! Our friends over at Equinox set me up with Amy Fiske, an NSCA-certified personal trainer, who is helping me get back in shape. Here is the routine she recommends:

When your car is parked, take a minute to do this workout. It may help relieve some tension in your spine!

Steering Wheel Shoulder Retraction (12 repetitions)
This exercise can relieve tension in the shoulders. Place your hands on the steering wheel and pull back through the shoulders as if you are cracking an egg between your shoulder blades. Hold for 10 seconds.

Seated Rotation (4 repetitions, right and left)
This exercise can release tension in the middle of the back. Sit up tall with your feet on the floor, directly below your knees. Place your left hand on the outside of your right thigh and reach back with your right hand. Sit tall as you turn (imagine a string pulling you up through the crown of your head). You can use your hands as levers to increase the stretch. Stretch to a comfortable position, hold for 10-15 seconds, and repeat on the other side.

Inner Thigh Squeeze (16 repetitions)
This exercise can encourage correct knee positioning and engage inner thigh muscles (abductors). Sit tall and place a tennis ball between your thighs and squeeze to engage the inner thighs. Hold for 10 seconds.

Hip Hike (8 repetitions, right and left)
This exercise can help strengthen the oblique abdominals and help stabilize the pelvis. Sit tall, draw the navel in, and extend through the spine. Focus on lifting one hip up toward the ribs, hold for 10 seconds and release. Repeat on the other side.

Check out the rest of our Back in Shape series and enter a Mountain Buggy Terrain stroller!

The morning school run is a mad dash for mama! Throwing a workout in the mix helps her burn calories and the kids get to class on time. Our friends over at Equinox set me up with Amy Fiske, an NSCA-certified personal trainer, who is helping me get back in shape. Here is the routine she recommends for the walk to school.

Warm up: Start with a slow walk and work into a brisk walk for a light workout (5 to 10 minutes).

Main: Walk briskly or jog for 1 to 2 minutes, 1 to 2 blocks (or judge by landmarks like 3 light posts). Then slow down for 1 to 2 minutes or 1 to 2 blocks. Then repeat the rotation. This part of the workout should be physically challenging and make it hard to hold a conversation.

Cool down: Wind down your jog or brisk walk into a slow walk for a light workout (5 to 10 minutes).

Once you feel comfortable, try increasing the workout's intensity by:

• Adding a sprint finish in the last leg to make it to school before the bell
• Wear your child’s backpack to add more weight and increase resistance
• On the way home, add in some hill work. Pick a challenging hill and walk briskly up it and then slowly walk down it. Then, repeat. You can start with one repetition and build up depending on your fitness level.

If you are postpartum get your doctor's clearance before exercising. If you are "out of shape", take things at your own pace and build up your endurance slowly. Rest when necessary so you don't feel winded. Make sure to warm up for at least 5 to 10 minutes before you physically challenge yourself. Your cardio session can be 15 to 30 minutes depending on your commute to school! If you are pushing a stroller, keep good posture by lifting the chest and not rounding the shoulders. Make sure you spend time stretching at the end of your workout to prevent muscle soreness and injury.

Check out the rest of our Back in Shape series and enter a Mountain Buggy Terrain stroller!