It’s incredibly important for a mother to keep fit and active in the weeks and months following the birth of their child since it can be extremely easy to fall into a slump, especially after overcoming the rigorous diet and duties that come with being pregnant for so long.
However, this is much easier said than done as the responsibilities that come with providing for a child can take up a lot of time and effort, which can make prioritizing your fitness and health a bit of an afterthought a lot of the time.
Jogging strollers are great for allowing parents to remain active while also taking care of their baby simultaneously, making them incredibly handy for getting a good amount of exercise without having to leave the child at home.
With that being said though, there are a few precautions to keep in mind when using a jogging stroller, so let’s take a closer look at how they work and at what age a child will be able to sit in one.
What Is A Jogging Stroller?
When it comes to regular strollers, they can seem very cumbersome and rigged in their design, meaning that you always have to move at a slow and steady pace and are required to always avoid any terrain that could be considered bumpy so that they don’t tip over.
Jogging strollers instead use an aerodynamic design and are equipped with extra suspension and controls to make them much more suitable for jogging.
Whether it’s over rough terrain or even downhill, they are designed to be entirely safe while moving at a much faster pace compared to their counterparts.
They are therefore seen as a healthy alternative to standard strollers that can help parents improve their fitness levels while their child sits comfortably with their legs stretched out in front of them.
What Age Can A Child Use A Jogging Stroller?
Many experts advise that a child should only be placed into a jogging stroller when they reach 6 months, with the major reason for this being that this is when babies will be able to hold their head up without any assistance.
Because of the amount of protection placed around the seats, a child is never going to be in danger of falling out of a jogging stroller, but since it can still bump around, the child will need to be able to see what is happening without becoming disorientated.
It should also be noted that strollers are only seen as appropriate for children during the infant/toddler stage, so they should no longer be using them by the time they are 3 years old.
How Safe Are Jogging Strollers?
Jogging strollers are manufactured in a way so that they always remain firmly planted on the ground, without there being any risk of them tipping over, and a lot of this protection comes from the addition of the fixed front wheel.
This stretches the stroller out so that it isn’t relying on balancing across four wheels like the standard one would, and instead, is designed so that each wheel is far enough apart so that there isn’t any risk of the stroller tipping, even when crossing rocky surfaces.
What makes these strollers even more suitable and safe for bumpy paths is the fact that the wheels are always wrapped in air-filled rubber tires which keeps the overall bumpiness of the journey to a minimum while traveling.
There are also many built-in features included with most jogging strollers such as the handbrake which is usually placed right at the top of the stroller handlebar. The 5-point harness is another safety addition that will help keep the child both safe and comfortable.
Many jogging strollers also come equipped with a wrist strap on the handlebar which will ensure the stroller remains right next to you at all times, even if you accidentally let it go.
Can You Jog Off-Road With A Jogging Stroller?
Jogging strollers are incredibly versatile, and will be more than able to pass off-road if you find an ideal jogging spot that’s separate from the regular walking path, but you will need to buy a stroller with much bigger large-diameter wheels that have built-in treads to do this.
These types of wheels are a little heavier than usual and will firmly plant the stroller to any rocks or mud that you might be crossing over.
Keep in mind however that while these strollers will work off-road, it’s not always recommended as not only can it lead to much more bumpiness which can be very irritating for the child, but it’s very easy for the stroller to get dirty or damaged.
You should therefore always consider normal walking paths or rough terrain (snow, sand, gravel) before you consider more off-road pathways, and if your baby has only just reached 6 months, it’s best to avoid off-road altogether, at least for a few more months.
Benefits Of Using A Jogging Stroller
There are many health and fitness benefits that come from using a jogging stroller, not only for the parent, but also for the child along for the ride. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits you can receive from using this unique stroller in closer detail.
Burning Calories
It’s very easy to indulge in a few of our favorite meals and snacks after the baby is born, but this can easily lead to weight gain if you’re not careful. To keep this worry at bay, it never hurts to take your jogging stroller out to burn off some calories every once in a while.
One of the best parts about these unique strollers is that, because they are essentially designed to be an exercise tool, there are many ways you can push them, depending on the workout you want to have.
For example, while pushing the stroller with both hands will give you a fairly rigorous leg and core workout, if you really want to burn some calories and improve your muscle strength at the same time, you can even push with one hand.
On average, a person weighing 150 pounds will burn around 30 calories each half hour when taking a light jog with a jogging stroller, so you can easily see how this can add up the more trips you take.
Toned Arms
Pumping iron in the gym isn’t always as easy as it used to be for a lot of mothers who now have a lot of their time taken up by their baby, but the good news is that you can still get healthy and strong toned arms just by guiding a jogging stroller through a neighborhood.
Even when you simply maneuver across a sidewalk, you will be able to feel that burning sensation in your underarms and shoulders which lets you know that the muscles are growing from the exercise.
Quality Time With The Kids
It’s always fun for babies and young children to explore the world around them, but doing this in a way where they can view as many landscapes, animals, and scenery as possible in just one trip can be a little challenging.
Jogging strollers make this easy and are a great way for the parent and the child to see new sights and explore new surroundings at the same time, making for quite the bonding experience.
Summary
Jogging strollers are a great way to stay active as a mother while also allowing your child to get familiar with the neighborhoods and scenery around them, but always remember that it is recommended that a child is at least 6 months old before they can ride in one.
