Mother’s Day is upon us, and what better way to celebrate your supermom status than bonding with your kids .. during a workout!

Okay, okay .. maybe you would prefer a much deserved REST DAY on Mother’s Day.

If so, save this blog for another time! Let your kids treat you to breakfast in bed, enjoy a distraction free nap, demand total control of the remote, and maybe do some online couch shopping.

Speaking of shopping .. at the bottom of this article .. we have a special gift JUST FOR MOMS! Make sure you check it out!

But if you WANT to be active on Mother’s Day and celebrate the AMAZING body that gave your babies life, we want to treat you with over 30 different fun and active ways to involve your kids in your workouts!

Living a fit and healthy lifestyle is a great way to promote health at an early age, and incorporating your kids into your training can be lots of fun! Not to mention, for many mamas, having them tag along is the only way to actually get it done!

We broke down these workout ideas into life stages… but most can easily be used
with any age!

We also didn’t forget about all the moms whose kids .. have fur!!
Yes, dog moms are moms too! Make sure and read this entire article all the way to the end for some big smiles!

Newborn/Infant Workout Ideas Ideas

Congrats! You have the perfect human dumbbell! They may cry, kick, and scream at times .. but on the bright side, that just provides a little more resistance, right?

Another perk of using your infant for resistance is that you will naturally use progressive overload because infants grow….fast! This means that almost weekly your “weight” will become heavier and more of a challenge!

When it comes to a newborn/infant, you will need to be selective with exercise choice and modify how you hold your baby if they are unable to hold their head up on their own. And for all you new mamas .. you always want to have approval from your doctor before resuming physical activity post-pregnancy!

Using your baby instead of a traditional weight is an easy modification to make!
Take a look at any weight lifting workout you currently do or find one of our home workouts on the V Shred YouTube Channel that uses simple weights like dumbbells.

Instead of holding the weight .. carefully hold your baby! Or if you have a body baby carrier, strap them in and get to work!

Here is an idea!
Do an EMOM workout! This training style isn’t technically named after you mamas, but EMOM workouts are a great way to get in a good workout if you have limited time (which we know is an issue for many moms.)

EMOM stands for every minute on the minute. You perform a different exercise every minute. You begin the prescribed number of reps at the top of the minute and then get to rest for whatever time is left until the next top of the minute!

• Pick any movements from the list below or use your own.
• Set a timer for the length you choose. We like using a duration of 10 minutes. That means you will be doing 10 different
• exercises, in only 10 minutes!
• When all exercises are complete, rest & repeat as many times as you want!
• You can use the same movements for your next round(s) – or pick different ones.
• We like doing 30 total minutes, if possible. The first round upper body, second round lower body, and the third round abs & cardio.

Remember, your goal is to get in the prescribed number of reps in less than a minute.
The faster you finish .. the more rest time you get! You may need to adjust reps based on your fitness level.

EMOM Mommy & Me Exercise Ideas

Baby Squat Shoulder Press (15 reps)
Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and your toes pointed slightly out. Hold your baby with hands positioned under armpits. While holding the baby, perform your squat, and as you come up, lift the baby into the air above your head into a shoulder press.

Baby Squat Front Delt Raise (15 reps)
Perform these the same way as the baby squat above, except raise your baby up into a front raise (to about chest height) as you lower into your squat.

Baby Squat Press (15 reps)
Perform these the same way as the baby squat above, except hold your baby close to your chest and push out into a chest press as you squat down.

**Change your with foot position if you are incorporating more than one squat press into your EMOM workout! Go super wide into a sumo stance more glute/hamstring focused squats, or super wide with toes pointed further out in a plie position to work inner thighs**

Forward Lunge With Baby Twist (5 reps each leg, for 10 total twisting lunges)
Hold your baby in whatever position you find most comfortable. Lunge forward with your right leg. Before you bring your left foot forward, twist/rotate your upper body to the right while leaving your lower body stationary in the lunge position. Rotate back to center and bring your back foot forward to complete the lunge. Do the same thing on the opposite side, always twisting in the direction of your front foot. Continue walking forward until you have completed 10 total steps.

Loving Walking Lunges (10 each leg for 20 total steps)
Do these in the same way you perform the walking lunge with a twist; however, you do not do the twist; you simply keep walking and lunging!

Baby Weight Glute Bridge (15 slow and controlled reps)
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-distance apart. Place your baby on your lap. Raise your hips into a glute bridge (try to keep most of the weight in your heels) and squeeze big at the top before slowly lowering back to the floor.

Baby Ab Crunch (15 crunches)
Lie face-up on the floor with your knees bent in the air at a 90-degree angle.
Stabilize your baby, so it is resting on your shins, and hold onto his/her hands.
To perform the crunch, slowly extend your legs away from you as you lift your shoulder blades off the ground. Slowly curl your upper body forward into a crunch, and at the same time, bring your knees in toward your chest. Stretch your legs out while leaning back – as far as you can reach. Repeat.

Baby Chest Press (15 presses)
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet hip-distance apart. Place your baby on your chest and press them toward the ceiling. Squeeze your pecs together before lowering them back to the starting position.

Standard Push-Up Kisses (15 pushups)
On a mat, lay your baby underneath you. Start in a high plank position with your wrists under your elbows and your abs engaged. Lower down until your elbows are bent to 90 degrees, and give your baby a kiss! Come to your knees to make the push-up easier.

Tricep Push-Up Kisses (15 pushups)
Perform these push-ups the same way you do the standard push up above, except you will keep your arms parallel to your sides and your elbows pointing back. Come to your knees to make the push-up easier.

Burpee Kisses (10 burpees)
Perform in the same way you did the push-ups. You may need to scoot your baby slightly forward since you will need enough room to jump or step your feet forward to perform your burpee. You can skip the pushup portion if you want to make these less advanced.

Baby Lat Pullover (15 pullovers)
Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat. Sit your baby on your chest, holding them under their arms. Lift them straight up, keeping your arms mostly straight, with only a slight bend in your elbows to prevent locking, throughout the entire movement. Extend your arms backward over your head as far back as you can. Return to the starting position by slowly pulling and squeezing with your lats and chest. Watch for those kicking little feet – otherwise, you might end up with a foot to the face 🙂

Baby Bicep Hammer Curls (15 curls)
Hold your baby in front of you. Keeping elbows glued to your sides, and raise him or her to your chest in a curl. Don’t let your elbows swing outward and squeeze your biceps hard at the top of the movement. Return to start to complete one rep.

Tummy Time Human Supermoms (10 supermans, with a hold at top)
On a mat, lay your baby on its tummy. Lay on your stomach face to face with your baby.
Keep your neck in a neutral position and extend your arms and legs out straight out and wide.
Keep your arms and legs straight and tummy glued to the mat as you simultaneously lift your arms and legs up toward the ceiling. Squeeze your lower back and glutes and hold for two to five seconds before you lower back down to the starting position.

Tummy Time Human Lat Pulldowns (15 pullbacks with a big squeeze)
In the same position as the supermoms, do the exact same movement. Instead of holding at the top of the movement, pull your elbows down to your sides and squeeze. Reverse the movement. That is one rep. You can use a loop band or even a rolled up towel to make these even more difficult!

Baby Reverse Ab Crunches (15 crunches)
Lie face up on the floor, and bring your knees toward your chest. Place your baby on your shins. Contract your abs to gently tilt your hips up off the floor as you lift your head and shoulders at the same time. Lower and repeat.

Pop Jump Peek-A-Boo (15 jumps)
Lay your baby on a mat in front of you. Start with your feet together and then jump your legs out as far as you can into a low squat. Immediately jump back to your starting position. Play a game of peek-a-boo with your hands as you “pop” for each rep! Go fast! This is a cardio plyometric move to get your heart rate up!

Tickle Squat Jumps (15 jumps)
This is another plyometric cardio movement. Lay your baby on a mat in front of you. Perform squat jumps, and at the bottom of every jump, give your baby a little toe tickle! Get creative! You can do this for any jumping “plyo” type movement (jumping lunges, starfish jumps, skaters, etc.)

Baby Swings (15 swings)
Hold your baby under its arms facing you. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
With a slight bend in your knees, your back flat and neck straight, hinge your hips back as you swing your baby between the inside the quads and then forcefully drive your hips forward as you swing your baby in front of you, traveling no higher than your shoulders. Control the descent as you immediately go into the next rep.

Baby Russian Twists (10 each side for 20 total twists)
While sitting, hold your baby under its bottom and upper back, or under its arms. Lean back onto your tailbone with legs bent. Engage your core and twist from left to right while holding your baby. Try not to let your feet touch the floor!

 

Tummy Time Planks (30 seconds without dropping)
On a mat, lay your baby underneath you and come to a forearm plank position. Keep your core tight, quads engaged and back flat – don’t let your hips sag or rise up. Hold your plank for 30 seconds (or longer if you want) and have a little chit-chat with your infant, or sing a song to help pass the time!

Baby Ab Bicycles (15 cycles. One rep is once you have done each leg)
While sitting, hold your baby under its bottom and upper back, or under its arms. Lean back onto your tailbone with legs bent. Engage your core and cycle those legs while holding your baby straight up in the air.

Tummy Time Plank Ups (10 plank ups. One rep is after you have done each side.)
On a mat, lay your baby underneath you and come to a high plank (push-up) position.
Make sure your hands are directly under your shoulders.
Keep your core tight, quads engaged and back flat – don’t let your hips sag or rise up.
Lower down to your elbows one at a time. Then one at a time come back up to that high plank position. That is one rep.

Tummy Time Plank Jacks (15 jacks)
On a mat, lay your baby underneath you and come to a high plank position.
Jump your legs wide and then back together, just like a jumping jack motion. If this is too difficult, you can alternate legs, taping each foot out to the side. You can also try performing this in a low plank. Do whatever feels best for you!

Tummy Time Mountain Climbers (15 reps. One rep is after you have done each side)
On a mat, lay your baby underneath you and come to a high plank (push-up) position.
Make sure your hands are directly under your shoulders and weight on just your toes. Engage your core and start “running” – bringing your knees forward to your chest one at a time.

Baby Tricep Press (15 reps)
Lay flat on your mat. Holding your baby around their waist, put the baby’s face over your face with your elbows pinned in close to your side. Only flexing your elbows, press your baby toward your thighs, lengthening arms as far as you can comfortably while squeezing your triceps. Reverse the movement back to the starting position.

Toddler Workout Ideas
You will still be able to use a growing toddler for resistance – your weight will obviously just be a bit heavier.

You can do any of the exercises above; however, you may want to adjust the rep range to be a tad lower since your “weight” will be more substantial.

Once your child is crawling and walking .. getting in a lift WITH them may become more challenging. Their attention span is shorter, so you will want to keep that in mind when selecting your mommy-and-me workout style.

EMOM or timer-based workouts can still work, but since there aren’t any real “breaks” with this style of training, it may be best to stick to standard set and rep style training… in case you need to chase them down between exercises!

As your toddler gets older, you can even make your timer-based sweat sessions a game, where they help you watch the timer or countdown with/for you!

Toddler Backpack Lift
Just as you can with an infant, for any of the EMOM movements above, you can also strap your toddler into a forward or rear-facing backpack carrier and get to work!

If you don’t have that type of carrier for movements like squats, lunges, planks, and pushups, you can ask your toddler to crawl on your back and hold on tight!

Some of the above movements may even be more suitable with a toddler compared to an infant since they can hold their head up on their own.

Here are a few other exercises you can add to the list above that work well with a toddler.

• Bear Crawls (have them climb on your back or follow along)
• Crab Walks (have them mimic you)
• Lateral Side Shuffles (have them shadow you and make it a race)
• High Knees (an easy one to have them mimic)
• Jumping Jacks (another one your kids will love to try)
• Box Jumps (give them a small step or just ask them to jump up and down)

Have A Dance Party
Dancing is a fun way to burn a ton of calories! You may have to compromise and turn on Baby Shark instead of Beyonce, but make a playlist full of songs that will keep your kiddos attention for however long you want to break a sweat and JUST DANCE! You don’t have to have any dancing skills. Do anything that keeps you moving and gets your heart rate up!

Stroller Workout
Buy a jogging stroller and get moving! You can keep things simple and just go for a brisk walk or jog. To make things more challenging, you can find hills and push your stroller up them to simulate a treadmill incline walk or hill-sprints. You can also stop every couple of minutes and do some “strolling” lunges, plyometric jumps, strength moves like push-ups, etc.

If you are short on time or just want to make the most out of your walk around the block, try incorporating HIIT intervals into your stroller time.

Here is an example of a short lower body focused HIIT cardio stroller workout!
Start with a brisk 5-minute stroller walk warm-up. Then do every exercise for 45 seconds and rest for 15 seconds before moving on to the next exercise. Once you are finished with the entire circuit, stop for some kisses for about a minute and repeat the circuit one more time!

• Stroller Push Walking Lunges
• Lock & Squat Jump (Stop where you are, lock your stroller and do jump squats)
• Stroller Push Run/Sprint

Water Workout
You obviously won’t be able to swim laps unless you have someone else in the pool supervising with you, but if you have a toddler that loves water, there are numerous exercises you can do with your kiddo that will help you get in a killer workout!

Doing a workout in water adds resistance on it’s own, but you can also add wrist or ankle weights to make your water workout even more challenging!

Hold your toddler for some of these movements, for others, put them in an appropriate floating device and have them next to you while you perform these aquatic style exercises!

• Water Walk (Hold your baby above your head as you walk for a challenge)
• Jumping Jacks
• High Knees
• Pool Wall Push-Ups
• Fast Leg Kick/Flutters

Kids 5+ Workout Ideas

Once your kids get a little bit older, they will naturally be curious about your workouts.
Use their “monkey-see-monkey-do” stage of life to your advantage!

Pending their age and personality, you can do any of the baby or toddler workouts above.
If they are too heavy, instead of using your kids for weight, use dumbbells or bands and have them exercise with you! You can purchase “kid weights” online, or give them a light canned good, bag of rice, etc.

For things like the sit-ups, and glute-ham raise, you can even ask them to “help mommy” by sitting on your feet!

Just like toddlers, attention spans may be short, so you may want to try Tabata or HIIT style workouts. Anything that gets the job done .. fast!

Other exercises you can do with your 5+ kids:

• Jump Rope
• Mini trampoline/trampoline jumping.
• Racing down the length of your yard.
• Any “sport” that requires activity – a game of football, basketball, baseball, or how about some dodgeball!
• Yoga

When you are finished, have them join you in the kitchen for a kid-friendly Sculpt Nation Protein smoothie!

You must give your body a fast-acting and easily digestible protein after a workout. You want to avoid going into a catabolic (muscle breakdown) state. If you let your muscles starve after training, that is exactly what you risk!

The quicker you rush quality, highly bioavailable PROTEIN into your system post-workout, the faster you’ll increase your lean muscle, burn body fat, improve performance, and build strength.

Dog Mom Workout

Some moms only have kids with four legs and fur. Having a dog is a great way to ensure you get in those daily steps! Take them on several long walks, or if they aren’t too lazy of a breed, get them to jog with you! Just be careful if you live somewhere that it gets hot… the pavement could burn their little paws!

Pending the size (and personality) of your dog, you can do any of the exercises in our EMOM workout example and use your furry friends for a little resistance!

The biggest challenge you may face (other than an attention span that is likely even shorter than a human toddler) – is anything on the floor, like yoga!

When you are on “their level” … they will probably confuse YOUR mat time .. to be THEIR play time!

In case you need a smile or want to see some of the exercises above in action .. check out this video of one of our V Shred employees attempting to get in a workout with her 10-pound “fur child” Stella!

Walking Lunges

Squat to Press

Bicep Curls

Chest Press Kisses

Russian Twists

Crunches

WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF A MOM?

If you ask Webster, the definition of MOM is: A female parent.

If you ask us, we think the definition of MOM is: One person who does the work of 50. Someone that sacrifices everything without asking for anything in return. The one who you can always count on above everyone else. A cheerleader, counselor, role model, a shoulder to cry on. The one that loves and accepts you no matter what.

We could go on and on …
But moms really are superheroes! Make sure and find us over on our social media channels and let us know what being a mom means to you!

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and shaped us into the people we are today…
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Exercising when you have children can be a challenge. Kids need lots of time and effort, but so does your health!

Fitting in both will no doubt be a challenge some days – we hope these ideas help!