Dash Wagon and Preventing Postpartum Depression

Research shows that exercising after childbirth has many benefits for mom. It can strengthen your core, relieve stress, boost energy, promote sleep, help weight reduction, and most importantly, may help prevent postpartum depression. Unfortunately, for many new moms, there are significant barriers to physical activity that serve to prevent them from regular exercise – even though they may strongly desire to do so. These barriers can include lack of access to a gym, lack of child care, lack of an exercise partner, lack of a support group, and lack of a prescribed exercise regime with realistic goals for women of all fitness levels.

After I had our son, my husband and I tried very hard to find a gym with childcare so we could exercise together. We found an affordable gym that offered onsite babysitting that was not too pricey, however, we found that the childcare was atrocious. There were children of all ages running wild with just two adults in charge of watching them. It looked like a scene out of “Lord of the Flies” and it was not for us. There was no way we could leave our son in such an unsafe situation! As we looked more, we found a more expensive gym that provided onsite child care with specific limitations regarding the number of children that could be present at any given time, but it was too expensive for our budget.

We decided to figure out a way to break through these barriers. We started taking family walks and one day, I started doing walking lunges while pushing our son in the Dash Wagon Crossover. The way our handle moved with me as I lunged up and down was ergonomically perfect. This simple exercise was our first exercise for the Dash Wagon® Postpartum Fitness program and it spawned another 152 exercises that I’ve organized into a ninety-six-week fitness program.

Instead of having to join a gym, you can use a Crossover to perform the Dash Wagon® Postpartum Fitness Program in your house, or outside, at your convenience. Instead of having to find someone to watch your child, you can place him or her in the Crossover while you exercise. You can engage with your child and teach your child about fitness while you exercise. And, it’s a safe bet that your child is going to fall asleep from the gentle rocking motion as you exercise.

I designed the Dash Wagon® Postpartum Fitness Program so that it follows the guidelines set forth by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). The Dash Wagon® Postpartum Fitness Program is an easy-to-follow, realistic program, with attainable goals. Many of the movements in the Dash Wagon® Postpartum Fitness Program are balance movements that are specifically designed to help strengthen and tone the pelvic floor muscles. Each day of the Dash Wagon® Postpartum Fitness program will give you thirty minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity. If the exercise plan is followed five days a week, you will get the 150 minutes per week of the recommended activity by the ACOG. On days you may not feel like working out, you can still take your baby on a thirty-minute walk in the Crossover. Regardless of your activity, you will be sharing your fitness journey with your baby.

When you purchase a Dash Wagon® Crossover, you will receive a downloadable Dash Wagon® Postpartum Fitness journal that includes the ninety-six-week program. This Journal will guide you through the Dash Wagon® Postpartum Fitness Program and will allow you to track your progress. You will also receive a downloadable Dash Wagon® Postpartum Fitness Handbook. The Handbook includes descriptions and photos of me performing the various exercises outlined in the Dash Wagon® Postpartum Fitness Program. As you move through the Dash Wagon® Postpartum Fitness Program, you can refer to the Dash Wagon® Postpartum Fitness Handbook to learn the various exercises. If you have questions, you can always email me or chat with me in our private Facebook group!

The safety of your baby is paramount to Dash Wagon® and we realize that the physical and mental health of new moms is just as important. Using the Crossover to carry your infant car seat can keep your baby safe and following the Dash Wagon® Postpartum Fitness Program can promote the physical and mental health of moms and may prevent postpartum depression.

We’ve gone through great lengths to knock down those barriers that may be preventing you from achieving your postpartum fitness goals and we’ll be there for you every step of the way. That’s why Dash Wagon is the first children’s product company to offer a full postpartum exercise program designed exclusively for use with our unique travel system.

Start your journey and shop the Dash Wagon® Crossover for Graco®, Chicco®, and Britax® car seats.

Sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4890285/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2828187/