(When you have a million other things to do during nap time!)
When you become a Mom, you develop an indescribable love and respect for nap time. They say diamonds are a girls best friend. Well baby’s nap time is definitely a moms best friend. If you’re like me, you may be guilty of trying to fit a million things into that precious little chunk of time in your day and end up feeling slightly overwhelmed. One of those valuable things we try to squeeze in is exercise. I think it’s safe to make a blanket statement here that we feel so much better after we exercise! Which makes this a very important part of our day. Happy wife happy life right? :) What if we didn’t have to use up precious nap time with exercise, and instead wrapped it into babies wake time?
This first year with Ivan has allowed me to test out some different strategies for getting in a good workout routine while trying to juggle all the things that come with motherhood and adult life.
First off I want to say how grateful I am that I had to slow down prior to getting pregnant in order to recover from HA (you can read more about that here). This brought balance in to my life, and peaceful contentment during those phases of life where exercise can’t really be at the top of our list. Because of this experience, I enjoyed the postpartum rest & recover phase much more than I thought I would. I’ve been able to remain content on days where either Ivan or I have been sick, and the best medicine is to stay inside and snuggle. I know that it’s not the end of the world if my workout gets cut short, or my weekly routine doesn’t go exactly as planned. The other super human power we receive as moms is flexibility to go with the flow. It’s ESSENTIAL :)
I’ve also learned that even though I may not be as intense about working out as I used to be, with this more balanced approach comes all of the same benefits that I love and enjoy from exercise without the obsession. It’s still an important part of my life, and I feel that if we teach this early on to our babies and children, they will make movement and health an important part of their life as well. Which brings me to my first tip:
#1 Prioritize it. Don’t forget that in order for you to keep your family’s train rolling, you have to take care of yourself. When we place high priority on self-care, especially in the form of exercise, we can be at the top of our game for the loved ones in our lives. That, and because you are so worth it! You deserve to feel and perform your best in life.
#2 The early bird gets the worm. On the same not as prioritizing, I recommend getting moving in the morning. It may be just a quick yoga flow, or a walk with the stroller, but anything to get your body moving will start your day off on the right note. That way, no matter what the rest of the day brings, you can at least know you got some movement in with a quick sweat.
#3 Let your baby explore with you as you move! I’ve started to do a morning yoga flow before we get the day started, and Ivan loves crawling under my downward dog and through my legs and the tunnel of cat cow. I still close my eyes and take deep breath‘s and make it a meditative process, and I get to hear his little giggles along the way. He actually loves playing on my yoga mat. Every time I pull it out he gets excited and crawls right for it. Also using them as a weight is a great way to throw in some mom and baby bonding while you get your fitness on. Think of them as a real life kettle bell (just a little more fragile, and a little more wiggly ;) )
#4 Get on their level. Don’t underestimate the challenge of crawling! Some of my most challenging exercises are done on all fours. It gets me closer to him, and it’s like he’s working out with me! But actually just hands-on play time for him. It’s a win-win! I’ve posted a video on my instastories of some baby like movements turned momma exercises that will be fun to add into your routine.
#5 Get outside! Some of my favorite workouts since Ivan was born have been at the park. I bring a blanket and some toys for him, but he usually just ends up picking at the grass or playing with the tree trunk. Then I set up TRX traps and bands, and sometimes bring a weight. He’s completely entertained between exploring nature, watching his mom, and the occasional dabble with his toys. This becomes even more fun when we get to do it with friends! Which leads to my next tip.
#6 Plan a meet up with fellow moms and babies. I’ve been leading a group every Thursday, 11:00 at the park by my house (if you’re local we’d love for you to join us!), and it’s such a fun way to get out of the house, see friends, chat, and the babies get to interact with other babies! The time always goes by super fast and it’s a great way to entertain mom and baby. If you don’t have a trainer by you, or access to the outdoors year round, you could just call over a couple of friends and put on a workout video from YouTube (or grab one of my guides) and get moving! We just put the babies in the middle of our circle on blankets with toys and they usually do just fine. Plan on a few interruptions here and there, but you just do what you can.
#7 Invest in a stroller. Preferably one that has a good amount of storage space and can grown with your baby from carseat to booster seats. This way you can walk to the store instead of driving if you live close, or any other little errands you have. This is a great way to incorporate some extra movement in your day. If you don’t live walking distance to the grocery store, just park at the very edge of the parking lot and walk your stroller to the store from there. Going for a walk at least once a day has been so great for my mind, my body, and Ivan loves it too! We stop and touch leaves and flowers, and He adds a great extra load going up hills! I always get my heart rate up on our walks. This is a great time to enjoy some peace and quiet, fresh air, listen to an audiobook or podcast, or talk on the phone with a loved one. Another great investment is an ergo baby carrier. We love going on hikes together and doing the stairs. He loves looking out into the world while I just do my thing.
#8 Recruit some back up. If you’re blessed with a supportive partner by your side on this parenting journey, or close family or friends, let them give you a break every once and while for some “Me” time. Because let’s be honest, it’s pretty nice to have a baby free workout every once and a while. Figure out a schedule that works for the both of you and stick to it. A couple mornings each week I’ll leave Ivan with my husband and I go for a run on the beach, or to a fitness class, something that I couldn’t do with the baby and it feels so good! I’m a whole new woman when I get back. (Your husband will soon learn the important value of this :) )
#9 Show yourself some grace! If you’re constantly holding yourself to perfect expectations of working out every day, and have a vision of what that looks like from your pre-baby days, you may have to readjust. Some days I get 10 minutes in and then he’s over it! So I stop and play with him, and then one thing leads to the next and my day leaves no more time for an actual workout. This is totally fine! As a mom you need to realize you are constantly active! From carrying all the gear to the car, to carrying a baby around, laundry, dishes, the whole deal! Exercise may not look exactly how it use to, but you are active! Try to find the balance of making it a priority like I mentioned before, but also giving yourself grace. This may not be the season of life where a strict fitness regimen is totally realistic. This season of life requires being in tune with what your body needs each day (fuel and exercise needs). This will change a lot. With this feedback, and honoring our body, aim to create goals that revolve around feeling good, having energy, and being able to accomplish all the tasks required of you without injury or pain.
I hope these tips help you as you make this transition into motherhood. As we are growing and changing, our routines will need to grow and adjust with us. With each changing season of life, let’s check in with ourselves and ask what it is we need to thrive and make adjustments accordingly.
As always, let me remind you that you are worth this self care, and you are doing amazing things as a mother. Keep doing the good you’re doing :)
