Who knew a stroller would make a great workout!

Going out for a walk with your little one is always an adventure.  You never know what you’ll see.  You get fresh air. You’re spending time with your child.   Why not use this time to break a sweat while you’re out for a stroll!  

Turn your daily walk into a fitness walk!

Parents are on the move all the time! Kids are the best fitness trainers too because they need to be chased after all day.    

Even with all the activity do you have a hard time fitting in a regular workout?  Or does the idea of exercise sound exhausting? The last thing you probably want to do is hit the gym if you are short on sleep or time.  

Go easy on yourself and incorporate exercise into an activity you might do regularly.  The daily walk!  

Let’s get going and discover the benefits of walking and get tips on how to do a fitness walk next time you and your baby head out the door.

Benefits of Fitness Walking

Surprisingly you don’t have to go to a mega calorie heart pounding all burpee boot camp to get in or stay in shape.

You can get the same benefit as other exercises like biking or running, from walking.  Pushing a stroller provides great resistance that will get your heart pumping too.  Your baby is easily occupied in the stroller.  Plus it doesn’t cost money to go for a fitness walk!

A perfect combination for parents!

Fitness Walking Burns Calories and Tones Muscle

Walking burns calories!  Going at a moderate pace for 30 minutes can burn between 100-125 calories. Incorporating short bursts of faster walking speeds like you would in HIIT workouts shreds even more!

Walking up hills helps build up muscle and gets you toned faster than with regular walking.  Add in pushing a kid in a stroller and you have yourself a full-body workout!

Since fitness walking burns calories and builds muscle you can lose postpartum weight or maintain your current shape!

Fitness Walking Is Good For Your Health

Exercise works wonders for other parts of your health too.  Like what?

Fitness walking keeps your bones strong. It’s also easy on your joints and lowers the risk of injury.

Fitness walking is cardio which helps strengthen your heart and lungs by increasing your heart rate.  Cardio also decreases the risk of certain health issues like diabetes and heart disease.

Surprisingly fitness walking boosts your energy level, something all parents need.  And regular exercise promotes better sleep…which will help you get the best sleep ever.

Fitness Walking Is A Mood Booster

Getting exercise is great for your mental health and wellness.  It increases endorphins which gives you positive feelings.  An increase in positivity also reduces stress levels.

Studies find that exercise staves off postpartum depression.  When you take your workouts, like fitness walking outdoors the fresh air lightens your mood too.

Fitness Walking Is Affordable 

This type of exercise is easy on your wallet!  No expensive equipment needed, just a pair of supportive shoes and your stroller.

There is no need to pay for a gym membership either.  Just head outdoors and go through your neighborhood or find a nice path.

If you need to keep it indoors there are free workout walking videos online.

Fitness Walking Involves Your Baby

Fitness walking is a great form of exercise that lets you workout while spending time with your child.  It’s easy to fit into your routine and helps you get out of the house with your little one.

While you’re out for a walk the two of you can sing songs, look at nature, and share stories. Fitness walking might be a great way for your baby to get drowsy from the fresh air which makes nap time easier.

You can also make it social too!  Walk with other parents and kids.  It’s like a playdate in a stroller!

Don’t all of these benefits inspire you to get out there and try fitness walking?  Are you looking for a way to get started?  

Keep reading for tips on getting started and two great fitness walking routines.  Both are great for every fitness level you can easily do while pushing a stroller!

Fitness Walking Tips

So how do you fit a fitness walk into your day?   Try out these tips with you and your baby by doing the following:

• Go for a 20-30 minute walk before or after you play outdoors or go to the park
• Find a new trail to explore to make your walk interesting
• Schedule your walk for snack time and let your little one eat while you walk
• Go for a walk before nap time.  The fresh air will make your kiddo sleepy which will make putting him or her down easier, or they might fall asleep in the stroller!
• Pick a hilly course for an extra challenge
• If you’re new to exercise start with 10 minutes then add a minute or two each time until you make your way up to 30 minutes

Interval Fitness Walking

Here are two great workout routines that will push your fitness walking to the next level.  These will get your heart pumping but is gentle on your body.  They are easy to do with a baby in tow because you’re not pounding the pavement.  Interval fitness walking also is like a HIIT workout.  You work in bursts of fast walking followed by slower walking which helps burn more calories.

The first routine is flexible that allows you to pick how long you walk.  The second workout is great if you’re looking for more of a challenge. 

Flexible Interval Fitness Walk 

• Walk easy for 5-10 minutes
• Walk quickly for 2 minutes, then walk easier for 1 minute. Repeat up to 5 times.
• Walk easy for another 5 minutes to cool down

Pyramid Interval Fitness Walk

• 5-minute warm-up steady walk–pace yourself to warm up
• 2-minute fast walk–slightly faster pace to get the heart rate up
• 5-minute faster walk–keep going to get your walking speed up
• 2-minute super-fast walking–go as fast as you can but don’t run
• 5-minute fast walk–slow it back down to a fast pace
• 2-minute faster-walk–walk at the next faster level
• 2-minute super-fast walk–go at the highest pace
• 5 minute cool down–gradually slow down to a stop

So there you have it, two interval fitness walks to try out.  With all of the benefits of fitness walking, you will be able to keep up with all of your kids without getting tired!

If you make fitness walking your main mode of exercise you will quickly reap all of the health benefits. Plus fitness walking is simple, easy to work into your day, and is a great way to spend with your little!