A baby crawls determinedly towards the dumbbells. Another is working on the fitness bands. There are burp cloths, stuffed animals and rattles on the floor. A contented chuckle can be heard from a corner, a few meters away a baby is yawning and rubbing its tired eyes. And their mothers? They try to follow the trainer’s instructions. Stand on all fours, activate the pelvic floor, round your back, pay attention to your breathing – and always keep one eye on your own baby.
Welcome to the world of Bring Your Baby fitness classes. The idea behind it? A little escape from everyday baby life, exercise, a touch of me-time, even if grandma is far away and your partner is still at work.
As a mother, Deborah Blin from the yoga studio “Be Your Muse” has experienced that many women want to get active again after giving birth, but are slowed down by the reality of having a baby. That’s why she offers courses in which babies are “not an obstacle, but part of the practice”: “You come as you are, with your baby, and everything is welcome: breastfeeding, calming, breaks, unpredictability.”
There is a common understanding that everyone is doing their best, she emphasizes. And she often lends a hand herself, plays with the babies, distracts them when they whine, and adapts the lesson spontaneously. “Sometimes I even lead the class while holding two babies at the same time.” At this point, everyone is in the same boat, so to speak – and it is precisely this togetherness that brings a lot of relief for the mothers.
A look at what’s on offer in Vienna shows that such classes are no longer a niche: In addition to classic mom-baby yoga, there are postnatal exercises with babies, Pilates, kanga training, dance fitness or barre courses where mothers can bring their babies with them.
Mariana Rodriguez Yanez, founder of the Pilates studio Train and Tone, also sees her courses as more than just physical training. She takes the saying “It takes a whole village to raise a child” very seriously, she says: “If I can be there not only as a trainer, but also as a supporting hand for the mothers, then I’m happy to do that.”
At Train and Tone there are two different courses: a calmer one for babies from three to six months and a more dynamic one for babies from six to twelve months. The focus is on safely rebuilding the pelvic floor and core muscles without overtaxing the body after pregnancy and birth. “We must not forget that our body has undergone the biggest change of our lives. That is why it is particularly important to pay attention to a safe and appropriate form of training in order to avoid long-term negative consequences,” emphasizes Rodriguez Yanez. At the same time, mothers should be able to do something for themselves without having to sacrifice time with their child or organize external care.
It is important to both trainers that it is about more than just “getting back in shape”. It’s about self-care and well-being, but also about connection. Because as beautiful as the first time with a baby can be, it can sometimes feel narrow and lonely. A course then becomes a place where mothers notice: Others feel the same way. And last but not least, it is also a small playground for the babies: the older ones come together in the middle of the room, crawl next to each other, look at each other, reach for the same toys.
The question remains: How relaxing is such a course really? How effective is sport? Admittedly, bring-your-baby classes are a compromise. Sport, yes, but not undisturbed. Relaxation, yes, but with interruptions. Time for yourself, but with a baby on the blanket next door. If it is sleeping or happy, this can work surprisingly well. Otherwise, the thought that accompanies you during the lesson is: “I hope my baby isn’t the first to cry.” Because calming it down again sometimes requires full physical effort – and briefly transforms the gentle fitness training into a high-intensity unit.
