AT-HOME WORKOUT
These three simple moves from Joshua Margolis, founder of Mind Over Matter Health & Fitness, require no exercise equipment.
Sit-Up/Sit-Down Squat. Stand with your feet hip to shoulder-width apart, over a low chair or couch. Bend your knees until your butt taps the chair/couch below you, then stand up straight. Remember, you don’t want to fully sit down. In fact, pretend you’re sitting on a cactus. The moment you tap your butt, you should stand straight back up. Repeat 12 to 15 times. This exercise targets glutes, quads, and hamstrings.
Wall Push-Ups. Stand about three feet away from the wall, both hands and feet hip to shoulder width apart. Lean forward until your palms touch the wall. Keep your palms firmly planted on the wall and bend and lower your elbows to 90 degrees. For added efficiency, stand on your tip-toes; you’ll get a calf workout in the process. Repeat 12 to 15 times. This exercise targets chest and triceps.
Super Moms. Let’s face it, you’re a super mom, so act like it! Lay on your belly on the floor, arms and legs fully extended. Lift and lower opposite arm with opposite leg, only about six to eight inches. Repeat 12 to 15 times on each side. This exercise targets glutes and lower back.
PARK WORKOUT
Elisabeth Halfpapp, co-founder of the Core Fusion program at Exhale Mind Body Spa, recommends the following exercises for when you’re at the park or playground.
Thighs. “It’s great to build muscle density in your thighs—the Fitnotic’s Baby Boot Camp in action. largest muscles in your body—because the more muscle density you have, the more calories you’ll burn all day long,” Halfpapp says. While standing up, hold onto a bench, stroller or other support and practice leg lifts: straighten your leg in front of you so it’s almost parallel to the ground and lift up and down. Do 10 reps. Then, extend your leg once more and pulse up and down a few times.
Butt. Leg lifts make a great butt workout, too, Halfpapp points out—just extend your leg diagonally backward instead of to the front. Or, for a less conspicuous but equally effective exercise, practice squeezing and holding your buttocks. “Do it while pushing your child on the swings, or even while having a conversation with another parent!” Halfpapp says.
Abs. “Say you’re having a picnic or playing in the sandbox—you can work your abdomen by doing what we call a ‘curl,’” Halfpapp says. While in a sitting position, bend your legs and put your feet on the ground. Keeping your hands near your outer thighs, roll your head and shoulders upward until you are in a “C” position—like a crunch. Hold for several seconds, then release.
The Hot List
Looking
for the perfect fitness class? Try one of these programs geared toward
moms.
EQUINOX’S
FIT N’ FUN WITH BABY. Moms can enjoy fun and
functional exercises that include their little ones (infants to 1 year
old), like squats and presses. Classes are open to members and
non-members (RSVP required). Throughout May. Exclusively at their
location at 74 Street at 2nd Avenue, 212-249-3917, equinox.com.
EXHALE MIND BODY
SPA’S CORE FUSION CARDIO. Designed for new moms with limited time, Core Fusion
Cardio packs cardio, toning, balance, flexibility and endurance into a
one-hour class. Various locations in Manhattan, 212-249-3000,
exhalespa.com.
FITNOTIC’S
BABY BOOT CAMP. This popular post-natal
program—for new moms with baby in tow—whips you back into shape. Baby
can be in a stroller, in a carrier, in mom’s arms, or on a soft mat on
the ground. Classes are held in Ripley Grier Dance Studios on the Upper
West Side and in Central Park. fitnotic.com.
PHYSIQUE 57. Their signature
class, which shares the same name as the studio and is available for
various skill levels, lasts 57 minutes and uses weights and the ballet
barre to strengthen and lengthen muscles and create lean bodies. Various
locations in Manhattan, 212-399-0570, physique57.com.
PILATES AT DASHA
WELLNESS. Dasha can customize any
exercise regime for you, but we especially like their pre-natal fitness
program. Highly experienced trainers lead you though workouts suitable
for the first, second and third trimesters, with an emphasis on a
healthy pregnancy and ultimately a reduced labor time! 115 East 57th
Street, Suite 520, 212-755-5500, dashawellness.com.
YOGAWORKS’S HAPPY
HOUR YOGA. New moms who
need a little push throughout the day can practice asana and pranayama
yoga techniques that rejuvenate the body while clearing the mind.
Exclusively at YogaWork’s Midtown location. 160 East 56 Street, 212-
935-9642, beyoga.com.
