4 Hidden Health & Fitness Benefits of Babywearing

For many fitness-loving moms, getting back to working out regularly is a top post-pregnancy goal. Of course, we quickly realize just how much of our time and energy our sweet new baby demands, which generally means adjusting our movement goals accordingly. Done properly, the fitness benefits of babywearing are undeniable: Carrying loads improves your bone density and strength. Here on Fit2B, we have several exercise videos like BabyLift and Mommy & Me, yet returning to a fitness routine can be both complicated and made easier by babywearing. 

Being able to bring your baby along for your workout isn’t all there is to love about the long-embraced practice of babywearing. Along with offering parents the convenience of mobility and relief from arm strain, there are genuine, science-backed benefits for both parents and children when your baby is primarily carried in a quality sling or carrier.

We have been notified that this babywearing infographic is fuzzy for some of you. We are working on obtaining a replacement from the people who provided it to us. Thanks for your patience.

It’s this science that’s the driving force behind International Babywearing Week, a weeklong campaign aimed toward advocacy, awareness, celebration, promotion, and media outreach. The purpose is to spread the good word on the many less-obvious benefits of babywearing.

4 Health & Fitness Benefits of Babywearing:

1. It reduces the frequency of baby’s cries: While your sweet baby’s cry is how they let you know something is amiss, it can also be an expression of boredom, annoyance, loneliness, and countless other emotions that may be more easily soothed when close to a parent. A study measuring crying frequency in babies determined that those held randomly throughout the day cried much less than a control group, crying 43% less overall and 51% less at night.

2. Babywearing can improve strength

When done properly and for shorter periods throughout the day as recommend by The Tummy Team physical therapy group – rather than for hours at a time which may cause pain and strain – the fitness benefits of babywearing are undeniable. Practicing stable, elongated posture and exhaling to engage your core when exerting yourself is key.

Now, most moms recognize that babywearing can be done while working out, but they don’t see babywearing as a workout. The reality is that strapping your child to your body can either help or harm your whole body. While we are so careful to choose the best type of carrier for our babies’ needs, we also need to be thinking about how our babywearing methods will affect our alignment, our pelvic floors (PF), our feet, and our diastasi recti (DR, abdominal separations which most women have after giving birth) so click this button to read my thoughts on babywearing as a workout.

3. It helps premature babies become stronger: Caring for a preemie can be incredibly stressful and anxiety-inducing; it’s a situation in which every parent wants to be sure they’re doing the right thing. A randomized control trial studying the effects of Kangaroo Mother Care, an early form of babywearing, determined that the practice is linked to successful growth and weight gain. However, those who give birth prematurely also need support in those early months, so we recorded a Fit2B Radio podcast about premature birth recovery you can listen to here {click}.

4. Reduces spit-ups: Baby spitups are an inevitable part of early motherhood, but keeping babies in an upright position after mealtime can help them digest without a mess. Studies have also linked frequent touch with a reduction in spit-up in babies, which makes babywearing an ideal solution to frequent spit-ups.

If your little ones like to eat before they nap, you could feed them and then put them in a carrier while you do our “Mommy and Me” home exercise video. You’d get a gentle workout while they are rocked to sleep by your motions. Then you can relax after you put them down for their naps, knowing you already exercised! That’s a wonderful win-win situation, right?

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Have you practiced the ancient art of babywearing? What did you enjoy about wearing your baby? What tips can you offer others who want to reap the health and fitness benefits of using a baby carrier, sling, or wrap? What kind of holder is your favorite?

To learn more about celebrations and advocacy events in your area, visit Babywearing International online.