After Bailey arrived, my husband and I constantly handed him off to each other, but never for the purpose of exercise.

Our focus was survival: food, laundry and the occasional shower.

I searched in vain for pockets of "alone" time to exercise. Then I decided to make fitness part of life with my son.

A daily walk became our routine. Soon the prepregnancy clothes fit again and I felt strong and healthy. The new focus worked. And I realized I wasn’t alone. From baby stroller calisthenics to doing yoga with baby, parents everywhere are learning that they no longer need to choose between exercise time and time with their baby.

What’s the Benefit?

Exercise is a good idea for a new mother because it helps her shed pregnancy pounds and relieve stress. She can start whenever she feels ready, which can mean days, weeks or months after childbirth.

"It depends on how a woman has given birth and whether there were any complications," says Mona Shangold, M.D., an obstetrician/gynecologist at the Center for Women’s Health and Sports Gynecology in Philadelphia. "As a general rule, women can resume walking and running three days after a vaginal birth and 10 days after a caesarean."

For babies, exercise offers a change of scenery. Movement of arms and legs increases motor skills and also aids digestion. Plus, they become more relaxed and sleep better.

Climate Control

Before you step outside to start exercising with your baby, remember that climate control is extremely important during the baby’s first three months. "Babies can get cold pretty easily—but can’t verbalize it," says Eric Small, M.D., assistant clinical professor of pediatrics and orthopedics at Mount Sinai Medical School in New York City.

In cool weather, cover baby up with a hat, jacket and blanket. In warm weather, use a sun umbrella and avoid direct sunlight for more than 10 to 15 minutes. Also offer breast milk or formula every four to five hours to prevent dehydration.

Hit the Road

One of the best and easiest forms of mother-baby exercise is walking. Simply nestle the baby in a carrier or stroller and go. "Mother-baby exercise classes have varying age requirements for infants. But newborns can be taken outside for a walk as soon as they come home from the hospital," says Small. If you’re using a stroller, keep the ride smooth—avoid bumps and side-to-side movements with a newborn.

There are organized stroller classes that even add calisthenics. "Strollercise"—using a baby stroller as a piece of fitness equipment—is growing in popularity. Organized classes meet at fitness clubs, tracks, parks and malls. Music, stroller-aided calisthenics and camaraderie enhance the workout for parents.

But if you’re not interested in the group thing, there are several ways you can increase the challenge of a walk.

"With time, you can pick up the pace, or add hills or an incline," says

Tia Willows, vice president of fitness services for Bally Total Fitness. The baby’s weight adds resistance if you carry him in a front carrier or backpack.

Stroller Calisthenics

If you're looking to make your walk with baby into more of a workout, "You can get pretty creative with a stroller," says Tia Willow, vice president of fitness services for Bally Total Fitness. She suggests pausing every five to ten minutes to do the following exercises:

Presses
Push the stroller forward and pull it back. Repeat. Works the triceps, upper arms and chest.

Lunges
With both hands on the stroller, lunge forward with the right leg. Bring the left leg up to it. Next, lunge forward with the left leg; bring the right leg up to it.

Squats
With both hands on the stroller, squat down as if you are sitting in a chair. Hold the position for a few seconds. Stand up and repeat.

Pool Fun

In contrast to stroller workouts, parent-child aquatic exercise focuses strictly on the baby. Mom doesn’t get an official workout unless you count getting the baby to and from the class. But that’s beside the point—pool classes with your infant are just plain fun.

"It’s such a nice, healthy change of environment for the baby and the mom," says aquatic exercise instructor Sara Kooperman, founder of MANIA Fitness Instructor Conventions in Evanston, Ill. "And it’s a great way to get the dads involved." Fitness clubs, the YMCA, and city parks and recreation departments offer parent-infant classes. Generally, a baby must be 6 months old to participate.

Kooperman, who created more than 20 videos to train aquatic instructors, developed a parent-baby aquatics program that pairs nursery rhymes with kicking, splashing and moving the baby through the water. Swimming skills are taught, but babies don’t learn to swim. After a half-hour class, the infants and toddlers are relaxed and ready for sleep.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends waiting until your child is at least 4 years old before enrolling them in a formal swimming class. If you do enroll a child under 3 years of age in a swimming program, be sure to think of the class primarily as an opportunity to enjoy playing in the water together. To further ensure the safety of your child in aquatic classes, be sure the class you choose adheres to the guidelines established by the national YMCA.

For more information on the AAP’s Policy Statement on swimming programs for infants and toddlers, visit: The American Academy of Pediatrics

Strike a Pose

Inviting infants to a yoga class seems to contradict the meditative essence of yoga. But yoga instructors across the country are doing so, and mothers are showing up with babies in tow.

"Yoga encourages mommy’s body back into shape. And mommy and baby spend a special time together," says certified yoga instructor Pat Holt of Scottsdale, Ariz. Holt’s class is divided between yoga for the mom and playtime for baby. Similar to the water classes, Holt uses nursery rhymes to engage and entertain the little ones.

In Sudbury, Mass., however, certified yoga instructor Helen Garabedian has taken mother-baby yoga to the next level. Combining traditional yoga and her knowledge of infant massage, Garabedian developed a class that truly is a dual workout. After moms warm up with yoga postures, the class focuses on the babies, moving their bodies through some gentle stretches and positions. The class always ends with a relaxation exercise.

"When you are in a yoga class, you are in a relaxed, nurturing place," Garabedian says. "It’s time that is set aside for the parent and child to bond."

No matter the method, mother-baby exercise sets the foundation for something very important: It teaches families to be active together.

Freelance journalist Stephanie West Kohnen lives, writes and walks (with 9-month-old son Bailey) in Phoenix, Ariz.