Alexa PenaVega Has the Post-Baby Body Advice All Moms Need to Hear

Updated on April 2, 2017 at 4:00 PM

We've come to know Alexa PenaVega through her role as Carmen Cortez in Spy Kids, but the actress is all grown up. Since the blockbuster franchise, Alexa has competed for the Dancing With The Stars title and welcomed her first child with husband Carlos PenaVega. Since becoming a new mom, she has taken pride in sharing her baby with the world (he even has his own Instagram with over 200K followers!).

We got to speak to Alexa about her new partnership with Clorox. During our chat, the actress opened up about her post-pregnancy body, motherhood, and lessons from Spy Kids she hopes to teach her son. Read along for more of what she had to say.

On Her Post-Baby Body

"So many women think that their post-pregnancy body has to be about losing weight, and I think that's the wrong mentality. You have to embrace your body! You just grew a child in there! Be proud and happy with that! Do not be obsessed with losing weight. Be obsessed with wanting to be strong and healthy for your baby. If you can't do it for you, do it for you baby."

"If you worry about dieting, you'll be losing so many nutrients, especially if you're breastfeeding. So I think you should take dieting off of your list. I just incorporated my baby into my workouts. Most of the time, I do squats or lunges with him and he thinks we're playing — and we are. It's a great bonding experience for us and I'm strengthening my body at the same time. So my big thing is to regain your strength, but make sure you take the time you need, you don't want to get in the way of recovery. Incorporate your baby into those fun exercises and don't make it about losing weight, before you know it your body will bounce back to a stronger, healthier place."

On the 1 Lesson She Learned as a Child Actor She Wants to Teach Her Son

"I think years ago if you were a kid it meant that you weren't capable of doing anything, or you had to wait until you were an adult. But kids now are so smart, fun, and they have so many great ideas. I think they have more of a voice. So for me, I want Ocean to never feel like he's held back. This is something that my mom really pushed on all of her children. She always let us know that whatever we wanted to do we truly could achieve it. When I was younger, I really took that to heart and so did my husband. So I want my son to know that he has the ability to do whatever he wants, just as long as he's willing to work. I can't wait until he's older and I can play Spy Kids for him! Those movies still resonate with us today and I think that is so amazing."