Biking with Infants: Starting Early for Lifelong Benefits
- Blog Biking with Infants: Starting Early for Lifelong Benefits
Raising Confident, Safe, and Healthy Bikers from Birth: A Complete Guide for New Parents | 3-part blog series
"It's as easy as riding a bike..."
New parents may not feel the same way about biking with a baby as they did solo. The overwhelm is real when it comes to planning any activity with kiddos—so how can you overcome the challenge and reap the benefits of a bike ride with an infant?
Honestly, when you talk to seasoned parents about biking with babies versus older children, you realize that babies may be easier travel companions! Older kids independently (and sometimes chaotically) zoom on their two wheels, stop for frequent rests/off-road adventures, and may not allow for a quiet commune with nature.
Here's why you should pack the diaper bag, fill up those bicycle tires and enjoy a bike ride while your kiddo is still in the infant stage!
Biking's Physical Health Benefits
New parents may struggle to find ways to maintain their physical fitness (other than walking a million steps as they traverse the house between feed/change/comfort cycles). Biking alone isn't always an option—so why not take your newborn along for the ride while you get some much-needed postpartum exercise?
Early exposure to physical activity leads to improved physical development as babies grow. This often results in a more active lifestyle for them as adults.
It's a win-win! You get a workout and your baby learns the importance of physical activity.
Biking's Mental Health Benefits
Many mental health benefits come from spending time outside. Combine the outdoor exposure with a bike ride to experience post-biking stress relief and improved mood.
When you bring your baby along, you also benefit from quality parent-child bonding time and instill a love for outdoor family activities.
Biking and Sensory Engagement
The warmth of the sun, a breeze past their face and the sounds of our environment passing by are all direct sensory inputs as babies ride along with you via bike. Baby sensory experiences like this are critical for sensory development and regulation.
Your senses are also exercised as you pedal—experiencing sight, sound, smell, and touch—and you boost cognition as you think about and implement biking safety guidelines.
A lifetime of benefits from biking as a family
Starting young, children and new parents benefit physically, mentally and emotionally from the exercise and sensory input bike rides bring. With the right tools and support, you can begin as soon as your healthcare professional gives you the go-ahead!
If you are experiencing—or you’d like to help other new parents with—the “baby blues”, please consider our Turn the Blues Green program. Join us in turning the blues green by supporting our initiative to get more families outside and active.
This blog is proudly sponsored by our friends at Burley.
Looking for an investment in biking gear that will grow with your kids? Our partners at Burley offer products with the versatility to last throughout a child's early years.
Baby Seat Insert: A cozy, hammock seat designed for babies aged 1-10 months, fitting in the Honey Bee, Encore X, D’Lite X, and Cub X trailers. This transforms these trailers into a primary stroller option for newborns, offering a water-resistant cover, interior rear storage, and adaptability as the child grows.
From Infancy to Toddler Years: Burley trailers can be used from infancy to the toddler years:
- 1-6 months: Use the Baby Seat Insert or Baby Snuggler for strolling.
- 6-12 months: Transition to jogging or cross-country skiing with the Baby Snuggler.
- 12+ months: Expand to biking, jogging, strolling and skiing as the child continues to grow and enjoy more activities.
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