Bringing baby to your first Aquafit class
Parent & Baby Aquafit is one of our most popular programs, and for good reason. It’s a super fun way for you to get a full body workout while babies aged 6-18 months get water exposure. You both get to socialize with other families and best of all… babies in swimsuits are pretty much the cutest!
Lots of parents have questions about the logistics of getting yourself and baby ready for class, so we thought we’d share our tips.
- Pack the evening before. To save last minute scrambling and stress, pack up as much as possible the evening before.
- Baby supplies, extra diapers, etc.
- Baby swim diaper and swim suit, two towels and flip flops.
- Small bath toy for distraction purposes in the pool.
- Your swimsuit, ideally with a supportive bra insert, and/or a sports bra to wear underneath your suit.
- Thick towel for baby to sit on in the change room
- Baby carrier to transport baby to the change room, or stroller to transport them to the stroller parking area at the Sports Desk.
- Your water bottle. This class is more exercise than some parents expect. It’s definitely a workout and staying hydrated will help you feel better afterwards.
- photo ID to exchange for a locker card
- Plan to leave 20 minutes before you need to. Babies come with all sorts of timing issues. Allow extra time for blow-outs, wardrobe issues and the unexpected as you are preparing to leave the house.
- Consider coming ready to go. Some families prefer to come dressed in their swimsuits, ready to go. If you go this route, note that swim diapers do not work outside the pool (non-absorbent), so layer swim diaper, swim suit, and regular diaper or put the swim diaper on last minute when you arrive. Don’t forget your bra for after class. 😉
- Feed your baby before/after class. Plan to feed baby about 45 minutes before you need to leave, or right after class. Schmoozers Café at the Rady is a great spot to stay for lunch.
- Keep it fun for baby. For the first class or two, your baby may need to get used to sitting in the floatie we use. If so, take them out, head to the shallow end, and focus on the lower body moves. Each class tends to get a little better and you’ll get to do more and more of the workout as you go along.
- Change baby FIRST after class. When you return to the change room after class, the air will feel cool. Most parents focus on getting baby into warm and dry clothes, and then change themselves. The carpeted floor of the change room is quite clean, so you can lay baby on their towel on the floor as needed.
- Don’t stress and just go. Whatever happens, take a deep breath and think of all the benefits of getting out and getting some exercise with baby. It’s not always smooth, but it’s always worth it to make improvements to your physical, mental and social health. You will both get the hang of it soon!
If you are looking for a welcoming fitness class to join with your baby, check out our current and upcoming schedule here: www.fittogetherwpg.ca/schedule
New Aquafit sessions start November, January, April, May and September. We also have lots of great year-round programs for parents with younger babies. (Side benefit we've noticed babies that attend other fitness programs first seem to to get used to class quicker!).
We can’t wait to see you and your baby in class!
Aileen
Owner & Instructor, Fit Together Pre & Postnatal Fitness
