Arkansas News raves about Mom & Tot Workout

NEW WORKOUTS
BY RHONDA OWEN
Posted on Monday, October 23, 2006
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/adg/Style/170597/

Getting into shape after having a baby can be challenging, primarily because new moms simply don’t have time to go to the gym. Plus, sometimes, it’s just hard to muster the motivation for jumping back on the treadmill.

So don’t go to the gym. Stay home, exercise and bond with the baby instead. Barbara Colby, a personal trainer and a grandmother, provides direction with Mom & Tot Workout, a beginner-level routine designed so that adults can exercise while keeping an eye on babies or toddlers. Plus, with this video, very young children can participate in their mom’s workout — not as weights, but as actual participants.

The workout begins with separate warm-ups for moms and tots, but the segments meld so well that it’s hard to tell where one begins and the other ends. That’s not a problem, however, because the point is for the kids to join in as much as possible.

The demo-exercisers in the video are young mothers with babies or toddlers, some with both. With all the kids in the video, the cuteness factor rates high and there are many “ahhh” moments. But there are also “argh” moments, such as lunges and squats. No matter what exercise DVD you buy, there they are; just flex and bear it.

Breezy, cheery music moves you through a tone-and-sculpt segment, for which you need light handweights (3 to 5 pounds ) to perform tricep, bicep, back and shoulder exercises. Colby cautions adult viewers to stay at least two arm lengths away from the children while working out with dumbbells so they don’t get whacked on their noggins. The little ones can still participate, although they can’t use real weights. The video kids have fuzzy, soft toy dumbbells.

After toning and sculpting, moms and kids stretch out on the floor for floor work. All the basics are here — crunches, leg lifts, modified push-ups and the plank. Most of the time, the camera focuses on the adults and periodically cuts away so viewers can see the kids performing their versions of the movements. (Yes, the toddler interpretation of the plank involves sticking the rear end in the air. )

Mom & Tot Workout is not only a charming addition to the fitness DVD shelf, but also a practical one. The workout is gentle enough to ease new moms back into a fitness routine, but challenging enough to produce results. The kids will like it, too.

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THANK YOU ARKANSAS DEMOCRAT GAZETTE!
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