So almost every mom I know (and a lot of dads) are struggling to get back in shape after having a baby. I should preface this with the fact that I don't love the gym. Not bad, just expensive, time consuming and impossible to do with kids (unless you have a gym with kid care and even then, ew....). I figured for the $150/month that I saved in dropping my gym membership, over a few months I could get some great gear to stay in shape. Here's the short list of what I bought and love.
In addition to having a great back story about how the company came about and excellent customer service, they have a great product. It is basically a pedometer, but it judges your distance based on the number of times your stroller wheel rotates. It gives you just the right number of stats - speed (current, max, ave), trip distance, trip time, daily mileage, temp and time. Its a great incentive to walk a few more blocks to hit that next mile. Its also rewarding at the end of the day to realize how far you walked.
This was a reco from my husband's trainer who uses this with clients in the park or at the gym. It is a great one piece "gym" that you can use any where and fits in a 9" x 5" bag that you can throw in the closet. All you need is a solid door that closes, backyard swing set rig, big tree branch or pull-up bar in the park. The workout is simple enough for beginners and adjustable for someone more advanced. Plus you can do a little and still feel the results. Or do a lot and be very, very sore. Great for a mini workout while the tots nap.
If you've ever taken a Pilates class this is a great primer/refresher. With ratings on each pose from Beginner to Very Advanced it is easy to find something that will work for you. It is meant to be done as a longer sequence of poses, but it is a great book to keep around the playroom so you can get a few poses in while you play with the tots. It asks for a good degree of body awareness and visualization which is fantastic for true fans of Pilates, but if you're truly a beginner this might not be a good choice for you.
