Those who know me personally are aware of my strong passion for being physically healthy. I want to be fit not only for myself but for my family. Simply put, I want to be around for a long time and although exercising and eating healthy aren't guaranteed ways of accomplishing that goal, they put me ahead of the curve.
Being physically healthy during my pregnancy was a top priority for me. I worked out regularly for 7 months throughout my pregnancy. Towards the end things got a little rough. I was extremely tired and it was difficult to get my workouts in. There were quite a few struggle workouts in there. I had to give it up. It wasn't easy to come to terms with that decision but I ultimately had to listen to my body and figured I got 7 good months of workouts in...now feed me, Seymour.
Working out during pregnancy is supposed to yield many great benefits for women. Check them out below.
- Eases pregnancy discomfort
- Reclaim your pre-pregnancy body
- Boosts energy
- Makes childbirth easier (that's what an epidural is for...just my opinion)
- Helps you sleep better
- blah, blah, blah, blah
Since having my son, I have lost ALL of the baby weight and a little extra something something. The extra weight that I've lost I am certain is due to the amount of nursing and pumping I do. If you've seen my son you know that he doesn't miss a meal. The rest of the weight loss is due to a vigorous workout schedule. As soon as the doctor gave me the go ahead to workout, I was on it...like that same day. It was about six weeks after birth. Of course I went light initially but as soon as I realized that my uterus wasn't going to fall out from exercising I was like Rocky *cue music*...hashtag beast mode.
Running has always been my go to exercise, so I started with that. Over time I began to include strength training. About two months in I was back to my old workouts which include a lot interval training, plyometric activities, strength training, and running. I was back into the routine of working out 5-6 times a week. It felt really great!
People always ask me how I can possibly make time to fit in a workout with two kids. My answer has always been that I just have to make the time. We make time for everything else that we want so we just have to make time for health as well. Luckily, I have a husband who is supportive and views health and fitness with equal importance. Also, we happen to be members of a gym that has a kids' zone. This allows us to bring our kids with us for a maximum of two hours at a time. In other words, there really aren't any excuses. Even when I can't make it to a gym I will put together a quick workout that I can do at home. The workouts are similar to 30 minute bootcamps...quick yet effective.
The food I put into my body is just as important as exercising. Let me be the first to say that my diet is far from perfect. Sometimes I want a doughnut and I am damn sure going to eat a doughnut. As a matter of fact, this Friday I will be enjoying my Groupon for some fine cousine from The Jerk Pit...I'm salivating as I type. However, eighty-five to ninety percent of the time I eat well. Exercise coupled with healthy eating have allowed me to snap back into the clothes I love.
I share my story to encourage other moms, whether your kid is 5 months or 15 years old. You can have the healthy life you deserve if you carve out some time in your schedule. Use it as your "me time".
Here are six tips for new moms trying to carve in some workout time:
1. Schedule: What times and days work best for you? Once you figure out when you're going to go to the gym, stick with it!
2. Plan your workout: Know what you're going to do in the gym or at home. Don't just wing it.
3. Educate yourself: There are a ton of reputable websites that offer information about health and wellness. If you're unsure about how an exercise should be performed, look it up. Also, fitness magazines are great resources for exercise ideas, recipes, etc.
4. Build a support system: Surround yourself with people who push you to accomplish your goals. Your support system can consist of people you know or folks from social media. I follow quite a few people on Instagram and Facebook who don't know who I am but their motivational posts and workout suggestions keep me going.
5. Set Goals: Set little goals for yourself. Those goals could be to increase the amount of push-ups you do, how long or far you run, or a weight loss goal.
6. Don't Give Up: You are going to have setbacks but it's okay. Don't beat yourself up over it...just keep at it!
Bonus Tip: Toot your own damn horn!! When you feel good about something you've done acknowledge that success. Brag a little...if someone is annoyed by it, they'll get over it. If they don't, eh...
Make some time for your health because nobody is going to do it for you.
Peace
Nice! I like this.
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