In a recent article in Business Week Online, Reena Jana says, "Infant-related products are a booming market. A sales survey from the Juvenile Products Manufacturers Association indicates that retail sales have hit $7 billion in 2006, up from $4 billion a decade ago."



With baby products being all the rage, how do you make heads or tails of it all. Getting in on the act are active fathers, who still want to stay active, yet be around their child while doing so.

A recent study showed, "men with newborns and toddlers get only four and a half hours less physical activity per week than they did before being a parent." According to the study out of the University of Pittsburgh, there are three solutions to this. These solutions are, exercising with the children like jogging while they are in a stroller (make sure you have a stroller suitable for this activity), having alternate workout sessions with the wife and taking advantages of free moments to do crunches or wash the car, among others. Basically any downtime you may have (which as I know isn`t much), do some type of excercise.

Ok so we have seen that you can get fit while having a baby using your time wisely and having the right baby gear to do it, but is baby gear easy to assemble? Elizabeth Donovan of Fairfax, Virginia doesn`t think so. "The most challenging baby equipment is the portable play yard. Yes, it looks simple enough, and the directions swear that `anybody` can put it together. But even with a master`s degree, I`m no match for it!" claims Donovan. Many moms agree some of the directions that are included with the products are hard to read. "I didn`t know how difficult it would be to put together a double stroller. I went back to the store to beg them to let me have the display model," said Katrina Gagliano-Cheek of Chesapeake, VA. A little advice from parents, if you are mechanically inclined, and do not know anyone who is try and get the item already put together.

Ok, so you and the family want to go on a trip, an advernture if you will. Rich Reid, a professional wilderness photographer, says, "The BOB Ironman Stroller has shocks, so one can take the baby even on long walks on gravel roads." He goes on to mention, "It also has copious space under the seat for storing baby-related things, and also The Pathfinder child carrier melds ergonomic technical backpack features. It has a weight-bearing suspension."

Of course with all baby products you are sure to get a few recalls, so I wanted to list some of them here that I have found. There is a recall of about 14,300 units of Phil & Teds e3 Strollers with doubles seats by Regal Lager Inc. because children can touch the rear tires when in the stroller`s add-on seat. This can pose an abrasion hazard to children. This recall involves the e3 Buggy which is a three-wheeled stroller with a black steel tubing frame. An additional seat, known as a Doubles Kit, can be added behind the main stroller`s seat allowing a second child to ride in the stroller. You will want to contact the manufacturers of these products to obtain more information. So you now know you can exercise with a baby (giving the right tools), baby products have instructions that may be less then desirable, so get it put together, and you can take that family adventure with the baby included. So get out there and enjoy! Who says life should change once the baby comes along.

By: Michael C. Podlesny