For many years before having Chase, my life consisted of early morning workouts and for quite some time evening workouts too! Clearly I had a perfect case of “too much time on my hands”…or being single afforded me more time…or hey, there were hotties at the gym for me to scope so why waste time! Lol
I continued to work out daily right up until 2 weeks before my due date when the doctor told me to stop and put my feet up. Put my feet up?! What does that mean?
After Chase was born, although I had a c-section; doctors, my hubby, friends and family couldn’t stop me from vacuuming, getting up and down and the certainly couldn’t stop me from getting back into the gym after 3 weeks! Now, I am NOT advising anyone to do this. I knew it was a little iffy and I knew it could be harmful in my healing so I took it easy. The point is, I needed the escape, I needed my FooFighters blaring in my ears, bottom line- I wanted my body to get back into shape! So, I lugged my little cherub baby Chase off to the gym in the car seat and he slept away while Mom rejuvenated by working out. I was going on a few hours sleep- if that- but the energy just came to me no matter how exhausted I was. The first 3 months were easy with Chase being so adaptable in the car seat but when he got a little busier and older (and heavier) my days of going to the gym stopped. I had to think of a different plan. So, I set up the home gym on my lower patio- Bosu, bench, an assortment of dumbbells, a stability ball a resistance band and voila! A supreme gym ready to use when Chase went for his morning nap. The fresh air, the big trees surrounding me, and the golfers teeing off in the distance took my workouts to an entirely different level. I lifted heavier, trained harder and got leaner quicker- without the amount of cardio I was used to! So that was stage 2 of working out while being a mom….then came stage 3- a move across the country. Now my workouts became carrying around my 22 lb dumbbell, slugging boxes, painting, going up and down flights of stairs and walking to the grocery store….You may be able to see where I am going with this. We need to be able to adapt, and exercise where and how we can. The main thing is, that exercise stays a part of our lives along with maintaining a healthy diet. We are a society of convenience and quick fixes and we tend to put so much pressure on ourselves to keep things the same. I was adamant about ALWAYS exercising and I still am but I have just learned that it can’t always be where it used to be and for as long as it used to be. I find now I workout (however it is and wherever it is) more efficiently and it works just fine and I feel just as good! Now that we are just about fully settled into our new house, I am going to set up my little gym space and will go back to training while Chase naps. A bonus- I have a baby who knows how to sleep. When he goes down, I know I have at least an hour and twenty minutes. Enough time for a hardcore 40 minute workout, a shower, a load of laundry, a protein shake and a few emails. Bliss! I am a big believer in staying fit to maintain a sense of balance and well being.
I have often heard from so many moms that they just don’t have time for a workout….don’t hate me for saying this, but I just don’t buy it. We can ALWAYS make time for ourselves to give our bodies a little love. How about 20 minutes of yoga before you start your day and before your little one gets up? How about yoga with your little one? 30 minutes of weights and some core exercises while baby naps? What about lunges and squats while you speed walk with the stroller? How about signing up for a Cardio Core class at the gym for 7 pm and escape once your little one is in bed? So many options….. For all of you who have the crazy workout bug in ya, you know what I mean when I say- it changes us! I believe it is such an integral part of our lives and I will also be as bold to say, I believe it makes us better moms- it elevates your mood, increases your stamina, wards off depression, controls your weight, boosts your energy, it promotes better sleep and a healthier sex life and HEY- it’s fun! Sign me up!
Make time for it super moms! Even if it is only 20 mins built into your day of mommy duties, your body, brain and family will all thank you!
I am currently on vacation in Mexico and I have slacked off…this post has motivated me to reach for the water bottle over the Corona bottle (at least for the next hour) and to pull out the Lulu and runners before I pull out the bikini and suntan lotion in the morning.
Happy exercising my wee friends!