Mama We
The Exercising Busy Mom? No Time?
Article by: Leah Stewart
have all heard it before - a happy and healthy mom equals a happy and healthy baby. And I am sure that we
all couldn’t agree more with this statement. In my experience, I have found the number one complaint of most moms, particularly new moms, is that there is absolutely no time to care for themselves? As mothers we have traded in our free time where we
could read a book, enjoy a glass of wine, or get in our morning workout for play time, bath time, cuddle time and meal time. And although we willingly and gladly make this trade, at the end of the day most of us are left wondering - “Was I able to do anything healthy for myself today?”
As moms we know we need to take time for ourselves, and we try. The importance of establishing a regular exercise routine for optimal physical, mental and emotional health is not new information. We know that if we take the time to go for a walk or get to that Pilates class, we will feel healthier and more energized so that we can better devote our hearts and minds to the adventures and demands of motherhood. Yet, for many moms the efforts to incorporate consistent exercise into their daily lives can fall short, leaving feelings of frustration, fatigue and confusion. So, where can we bridge the gap between knowing what we should do for ourselves and actually figuring out a realistic way to do it?
BE INSPIRED, GET MOTIVATED
I am here to say that there is no magic answer; there are only suggestions, inspiration, motivation and most importantly, your willingness to try different options until you discover what works for you. We are all individually inspired and motivated in different ways to stay healthy. There are numerous reasons to inspire and motivate us to exercise, but there are several which particularly relate to mothers.
1. Establishing and maintaining good posture. Good posture is particularly important since caring for and carrying children presents significant chal- lenges to lower and upper back, hip, pelvis, and neck health. Motherhood presents the body with new aches and pains, some of which are residual from pregnancy. Exercise helps create muscular balance and leads to good alignment, which can greatly reduce aches and pain.
2. Mental clarity. When we exercise, whether it is a steady walk, a jog, yoga, Pilates, or strength training, we must breath. When we breath during exercise we not only send the appropriate amount of oxygen to the muscles, we also send plenty of oxygen to the brain, which helps with cognition.
3. Having some alone time. When we set some 58 | AKA Mom | Summer 2011
time aside for ourselves, we feel renewed, reenergized, and accomplished. These feelings accompany confidence - and confidence is integral to motherhood.
4. Bonding time. It is very practical and fun to incorporate babies, toddlers, and even adoles- cents into exercise time. Exercise with children can create a unique bonding experience.
5. Be the best example. As mothers everything we say and do has a profound effect on the path that our children will walk in life. When we show our children that we value our bodies and our health through creating a consistent exercise routine, we are establishing in them the value of healthy hab- its and a good quality of life. This is perhaps the perfect inspiration and motivation to get moving.
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