20-Minute Stroller Workout | Legs + Butt Postnatal Workout
Stroller workouts are the best postnatal workouts — spend time with your baby outdoors getting fresh air and vitamin D; AND get a workout in! Designed for busy moms with kids in tow, this 20-Minute Stroller Workout pairs cardio exercises with lower body strength training to target the butt, legs and thighs. It’s the ultimate mom workout!
“How do you find time to workout with kids?”
This is one of the most common questions I get asked. My response(s):
- It’s a priority so I make time.
- Take advantage of nap time or rest time with a jogging stroller. Enter this stroller workout.
- Combine playtime with exercise. Enter this outdoor workout I do at the park while the kids swing and play.
To be honest, I prefer to workout without my kids around. Which often means waking up early to get my ‘mama time’ without the kids.
But we all know motherhood throws us curveballs and unexpected wake up times. So on the days I need to be flexible and workout with the kids I default to stroller workouts.
Free Postpartum Workout Plan
THE WORKOUT: 20-Minute Stroller Workout | Legs + Butt Postnatal Workout
A quick and effective 20-minute stroller workout that combines cardio exercises with bodyweight strength training to target the legs, butt and thighs.
It’s the ultimate ‘mom workout’ to add to your postnatal exercise routine.
Workout Equipment:
Just your bodyweight and a jogging stroller.
Workout Instructions:
This outdoor workout is done in timed intervals. I personally like to use the timer on my phone or use the Tabata Pro Timer App.
- Start with a 5-minute stroller walk, jog or run to warm up.
- Then perform the five stroller exercises below for 40 seconds of ‘work’, followed by a 20 second rest or stroller walk/jog between exercises.
- Finish with exercise number six, a 40 second stroller sprint, jog or walk.
- Then repeat all six stroller exercises x 2-3 sets.
6 Stroller Exercises for Your Legs, Butt + Thighs
- Walking Lunge + Chest Opener
- Squat + Stroller Roll
- Lateral Squat Walk or Shuffle Right Side (walk beginner, shuffle advanced)
- Walking Lunge + Rear Leg Lift
- Lateral Side Squat Walk or Shuffle Left Side (walk beginner, shuffle advanced)
- 40 Second ‘Stroller Sprint’, 20 Second Stroller Walk
Postnatal Workout Modifications:
I love this stroller workout because you can gradually increase the intensity as you regain strength and muscle postpartum.
Postnatal Workout Beginner (3-6 months postpartum): Default to a stroller walk for the warm up and for exercise number six. As you regain pelvic floor strength you can increase intensity to a slow jog.
Postnatal Workout Intermediate-to-Advanced (6-12 months postpartum): As you regain pelvic floor strength you can increase intensity to a stroller run for the warm up and stroller sprint for exercise number six.
Learn more about how to regain pelvic floor strength in this post — 10 Things You Need To Know About Your Pelvic Floor Postpartum.
Walking Lunge + Chest Opener
Walking lunges are a great way for postpartum moms to regain core strength and balance. Lunges also specifically target the leg muscles:
- Quadriceps, top of the thighs.
- Gluteals, or butt.
- Hamstrings, back of the legs.
I love adding a chest opener because moms spend so much time hunched over feeding babies; so it’s a great way to open the chest and relax the shoulders.
Squat + Stroller Roll
Benefits of bodyweight squats:
- Tone your butt.
- Improve your posture.
- Enhance circulation.
- Improve your flexibility.
- Keep your lower back strong (so important for new moms).
- Burn fat and speed weight loss.
Lateral Squat Walk or Shuffle Right Side (walk beginner, shuffle advanced)
Lateral squat walks are a great way to strengthen your glutes, hips, and thighs.
This stroller exercise strengthens the gluteus maximus, medius and minimus; which helps to stabilize your knees and hips, and prevents injury.
Walking Lunge + Rear Leg Lift
More walking lunges to build strong leg muscles while also building core strength and balance.
Adding a rear leg lift helps to lengthen and tone the leg muscles, while also increasing core strength after baby.
Lateral Side Squat Walk or Shuffle Left (walk beginner, shuffle advanced)
As mentioned above, lateral squat walks are a great way to strengthen your glutes, hips, and thighs.
40 Second Stroller Sprint, 20 Second Stroller Walk
Not surprisingly, this study found that when compared to normal, stroller-free running, pushing a stroller with two hands while running burned around 5% more calories.
Tips for Working Out With Kids Around
Tips for Running with Babies
- Use a rear-facing car-seat adapter on your stroller so you can interact with baby while you walk, jog or run.
- Play music or just enjoy the sounds of nature; the outdoor stimulation is a great way to help babies fall asleep.
Tips for Running with Toddlers
- Always pack a SNACK (typically the most important part of a successful stroller run for toddlers).
- I also pack some books with animals in them and see if we can ‘spot’ them on our run (typically looking for puppies and butterflies).
Find a Local Stroller Workout Group
If you enjoy stroller workouts I suggest looking up a local stroller workout group in your area, like — stroller strides, stroller fit, or 4 moms.
These groups offer great after postnatal workouts and support for active moms.
Pin this Stroller Workout
More Postnatal Workouts
- 8 BEST Diastasis Recti Exercises
- 9 Postpartum Exercises to Build Strength At Home
- Postpartum Fitness Test (Do This Before Running or HIIT)
2 comments
Aren’t you supposed to run with only one hand on the jogging stroller and periodically switch, that way you can keep some of the arm swing and avoid over-reliance on the legs?
Hi Rebecca, great question and ultimately it’s up to whatever you feel most comfortable with. That said, these are more like 40 second stroller ‘sprints’ if you’re up for the ‘sprint’ which typically requires a lot of legs and both hands on the stroller with good core control!