I have gone through various periods of fitness in my life but I have always considered myself fairly active. Even when I wasn't training for marathons I was still running/walking a couple of times a week and I picked up yoga a few years a go adding that to my fit-list. But I've never really been committed to fitness as a lifelong habit. Partly because I ran and did yoga more for the stress relief than to be fit and partly because I never had a reason to commit to fitness. But as a new mommy I am finding that not only is the time available for me to sweat a little limited but I have to find a whole new category of motivation that is beyond myself. I'm sure all you other mommies out there would agree that when it comes to priorities, you are the lowest on totem pole. So when I tell myself I need a run to burn off a little steam, that often gets bumped in favor of Liam's and even Freddie's needs.
Unfortunately...or maybe fortunately, I am beginning to find that kind of thinking has led to an often unhappy momma . Exercise releases the happy hormones and when you are already sleep deprived and pressed to the max in your schedule you need as many happy hormones to get you through the day as possible. But what to do? Inevitably I will always chose the needs of my family over myself. I'm a wife and a mother, it's ingrained. The solution to this problem has already been presented in this blog. It's simple; I view it as a bonus, nay, a necessity to my family's well being for me to take care of myself. In order for me to be the best mommy possible I need to feel good and be healthy.
So I am working to carve out time for me to sweat just a little and I've managed to succeed at least three times a week for the last two weeks, and I do feel better, I am happier and best of all I am setting a good example for my family. What better way to teach my children the importance of treating out bodies right than by showing them. I work hard to make healthy meals for my family and now I am working hard to keep my body in good physical condition.
I have recently gotten hooked on a new blog
http://mamasweat.blogspot.com/. She share, or maybe I should say, pioneered, the philosophy of finding time, any time, as a mom to sweat just a little every day.
For all the other mommies out there, and even those who love a mommy, try to take a few minutes each day to sweat a little. Remember, fitness isn't about looking good, it's about feeling good and giving yourself the best chance of living a long, healthy life, blessing those around you.
On a different but related note, I have given up sugar... at least until after Owen's wedding and it is a lot harder than I thought it would be. While I hit my prepregnancy weight pretty quickly after Liam was born things have... rearranged themselves, and clothes don't exactly fit the way they use to. I don't want to forever be immortalized in Owen's wedding photos in all my postpartum glory so I am working to try and lose a little lose baggage. Since I already eat well, plenty of fruits, veggies, whole grains and lean protein, I figured eliminating refined sugar was my best option. I've got to say I've never wanted a cookie so badly but hopefully it's worth not having to grease myself up to slide into a pair of spanks to keep myself from bulging out of my bridesmaid dress.
