I never thought I'd be able to brag about this, but I can bench press my baby grandson Callum (he just turned one year old, and even though his chubby little legs are cute, he really ought to watch the birthday cake intake if we plan on taking this show on the road; our theme song, naturally, is the Hollies' “He Ain't Heavy, He's My Grandson”). Mommy Baby Body Builders (try saying that one 10 times fast) is a motherhood-inspired twist on fitness featuring new mommies Lyda Liu (a physical therapist) and Lindy Shapiro (a speech-language pathologist), who combine playtime for baby with an exercise regimen for mom in this no-frills sensible program. Filmed on a beautiful sunny beach in Maui, the program finds both mothers holding squirmy babies as voiceover narration describes the benefits of postnatal exercise, walks viewers through a variety of positions (such as the “Pelvic Tilt,” “Baby on Board,” “Baby Bicycle,” and “Tummy Crunches"), and explains how bonding with your newborn sets the stage for early social awareness and motor skills. In some of these exercises, the baby is clearly the more active member of the team (poking at eyes, sucking on noses), while at other times the baby is just along for the ride (napping infants make perfect hand weights for “Bicep Baby Curls”). Though the title indicates that this program is for moms, dads could also benefit from a chance to engage their new babies in some other way than simply throwing the child high into the air like a football. Recommended. Aud: P. (N. Plympton)
Mommy Baby Body Builders
(2003) 30 min. VHS or DVD: $19.95. Lily Productions. PPR. Color cover. Volume 19, Issue 6
Mommy Baby Body Builders
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