5 Exercises to Make Carrying Your Kids (and all their stuff!) Easier

Lugging around your baby and all their essentials have you feeling more sore than satisfied?

It makes sense! That -ish is heavy!! Let’s break down what a 1-year-old and all their essentials might weigh:

Without a stroller you’re looking at 35-58 pounds. With a stroller it’s closer to 55-83 pounds!

That’s a lot of freaking pounds to lug around…likely on just one side of your body.

No wonder why moms frequently have neck, shoulder, and back tension!

Here are 5 exercises you might not think about that’ll help make lugging all that stuff around easier:

1. Tall Kneeling Hold

Targets:

- Obliques to prevent side bending,
- Deltoids to hold the weight,
- Rhomboids to retract your shoulder blades and keep good posture

How To:

- Kneel with head over shoulders, shoulders over ribs, ribs over hips, hips over knees
- Hinge at your hips to pick up the weight on one side
- Exhale to pick it up and return to the tall kneeling position
- Hold this position, resisting the urge to lean towards the weight or overcompensate leaning away from the weight
- Option: stand up for a Suitcase Carry (see video)

2. Reverse Fly

Targets:

- Rhomboids to retract your shoulder blades and keep good posture
- Middle and Lower Traps to support shoulder stability to retracting shoulder blades
- Rectus Abdominis (6-pack abs) and Obliques to stabilize your movement

How To:

- Stand with one foot forward, pressure into that heel to turn on your hamstring (this helps anchor your pelvis and torso)
- Bring the bands to shoulder height, about shoulder width apart
- Open your arms to the sides taking a wide arcing path with your pinkies, squeezing your shoulder blades back, down, and in towards your spine
- Stop before your ribs flare or torso moves

3. Serratus Press

Targets:

- Serratus to stabilize your shoulder blades, allowing for more stability and range of motion
- Rhomboids to stabilize your shoulder blades
- Upper and Middle Traps to stabilize and move your shoulder blades

How To:

- Come onto all 4s with knees under hips and elbows under shoulders
- Place your palms up, facing the ceiling and bring forearms parallel to one another
- Exhale and press the floor away to spread shoulder blades slightly, feeling them move around your ribcage
- Return to flat feeling your shoulder blades move along your ribcage towards one another
- Option: lift your knees off the floor

4. Reverse Plank

Targets:

How To:

- Sit with your hands behind you, finger tips pointing towards feet and legs extended with just a small bend in them
- Press through your heels as if you were dragging them towards you to engage your hamstrings
- Rotate in your shoulder socket to bring your biceps forward, triceps back, squeezing your shoulder blades together to open your chest
- Press the floor away to lift your hips off the floor
- Option: sink and press through the shoulders to further engage your serratus and traps

5. Biceps Curl Variation (because we all need to show our guns off occasionally!)

Targets:

How To:

- Bring your arms to 90°
- Lower to just below 90° and curl to just above 90°, focusing on the middle third of the movement

All of these exercises help build shoulder strength and stability which:

🎉 Takes pressure off of your neck and back,

🎉 Makes it easier to lift, carry, and maneuver with a child and their gear,

🎉 Improves your posture,

🎉 Decreases risk of shoulder injuries

🎉 Improves functional strength for everyday movements

🎉 Helps maintain a neutral spine so your core can function properly

By incorporating these exercises, you’ll not only feel stronger but also enjoy your time with your kids more, without the aches and pains!

Want more postpartum fitness guidance? Check out my Postpartum Fitness page or click here to book a *free* 10-minute call with me!