Utah Mama

Multitask during those midnight wakings

When I use the word “multitask” I’m not talking about hopping on Twitter or checking the latest posts in your blog reader. I’m talking about burning a few extra calories to help shed those pregnancy pounds. Newborns often wake up a good two or three (or more) times a night. After a little midnight snack they love a little movement to soothe them back to sleep. Throw in a little three-week colic and you’ll find yourself spending your nights in the family room gently bouncing your baby while trying to stay awake. I say there’s no better time to fit in a little fitness!

This simple fitness tip is something I came up with after birthing baby number four. I doubt you will find a Self or Fitness magazine article touting mini exercises after midnight feedings but I swear they work. They will keep you from falling asleep while doing the endless “walk around the house” ritual and jump start your postpartum exercise. The great thing is they’re unbelievably easy; so easy I almost feel lame sharing them, but I’ll do so just in case it helps at least one sleep-deprived new mom. Ready? Here they are:

Midnight Move #1

When you find yourself spending more than a few minutes trying to soothe your little one back to sleep, stand up and hold your little one in front of you however is most comfortable. Then assume the classic squat position (feet shoulders width apart; knees slightly bent) and start doing a few steady squats. Take about one second to squat down and one second to stand up. Any slower and your little one will get fussy; any faster and he may lose his lunch! Make sure your knees don’t extend past your toes. In fact, here’s a helpful little article on proper squat technique—you don’t want any injuries! You need those knees!

Depending on your postpartum recovery and pre-pregnancy fitness level, feel free to do anywhere from a handful of repetitions up to 24 or so and then rest a bit before doing another set. I think I eventually worked my way up to about 3 sets of 24 sometimes alternating feet position (hips width apart; wider than shoulders width apart). We’re not talking ab0ut breaking a sweat, just getting the blood moving a little bit to pass the time, keep you awake and remind those muscles how it feels to exercise!

Midnight Move #2

Another great little move is to plant your feet just wider than shoulders width apart, slightly bend your knees and then turn your upper body slowly to the right, back to center and then to the left. I couldn’t tell you exactly which leg muscles this move utilizes but I definitely felt it in my quads. And you’re getting a nice mini ab workout if you tighten your core muscles while doing this move.

Like in Midnight Move #1, do as few or as many repetitions as you feel comfortable with doing.

Midnight Combo

To spice things up a bit, which I generally did during midnight waking #3, I mixed the above two moves into a sort of “squat, twist right, squat, twist left” combination. To do this move you need to be an advanced midnight waker and have mastered the above two moves. (Totally kidding.)

Here’s how it goes: Tighten those core muscles. Do a forward-facing classic squat and as you come up, twist to the right. Return to center, squat and this time twist to the left. This exercise mixes things up a bit and keeps your little one guessing, which is a good thing. All that guesswork will tire him out and he’ll be fast asleep in no time!

Again, I’m not a certified personal trainer or fitness instructor but I do get certifiably insane after multiple wakings. These little moves not only helped pass the time but also helped soothe my little one all while burning a few extra calories—a very good thing considering I was still eating for two!

P.S. Feel free to do these moves whenever you’d like. I found myself doing them mid-morning, midday, mid-afternoon…pretty much any time that oh-so-sweet, oh-s0-colicky baby wanted to be soothed and my butt had gone numb from sitting in the rocking chair for so long.