
See also Fitness for Mothers
So you've been a mother for a while. Good for you, mothers are important.
I know I have one! But you know what? I've seen my mother get so tied
up from taking care of Dad, me and the house that she had very little time
for herself. Boy, the things you see in retrospect Anyway, my mother
used to be a beanpole. I've seen the wedding photos so I know it to be so!
I can also remember my mother putting on weight over the years. I'm sure my
mother will read this, so I must choose my words carefully! When I think about
it though I know why this happens a lot of mothers. Life gets in the way and
fitness takes a side seat.
It can be truly hard to find time for yourself as a mother when you have a
child, or two for that matter! The amount of running around and chores that
need to be done can make you really tired at the end of the day and the last
thing your thinking is fitness.
If you're a working mother, you can add a whole other dimension to the busy
factor. Needless to say, with the build up of things expected of a mother,
fitness is not on your mind at the end of the day. You get very limited time
to yourself except for that cherished time once the gremlins are put to bed
or are in school. That's a small window of opportunity if you want to incorporate
fitness into your lifestyle and be a good mother to boot.
Its tuff to get the time to work out but its even tougher to be happy when
your self image is at an all time low. Fitness makes mothers feel good about
them selves. Your self-image plays an important role in how close you can
be with your spouse also. I don't think I'll get into this too much, but things
heat up between partners when they feel confident about their bodies. I mean,
sometimes the spark can fade a little if a couple lets their bodies slide.
You owe it to your self to have "me time" also. It's important to your well
being as a mother. Schedule it in. Get fitness into your life. All
activity in life is exercise, and anything can be made into a workout. Go
for a walk. Hire a trainer to come to your home to put you through a workout.
I never used to do this aspect of personal training in Calgary until I realized
that a lot of mothers' just can't get away from the house.
It was a great idea put to me by my chiropractor Colin Henderson. He said,
"Mom's need to be and want to be fit just like everyone else. But things like
babysitters and time constraints keep them from getting to the gym. You should
do in home training". That's when the light bulbs went off. What a great idea.
Save on gas, babysitters, gym memberships and get fit in your own home! Fantastic.
You should also talk to other mothers that are into working out. I've found
that in almost every situation that life can offer that if you want to achieve
something, the shortest route to success is to ask someone who is already
there. The other thing is like my mother said, "You are who you hang around
with". It's so true.
Making fitness part of your life is so easy when your friends are into it too. They eat healthy so you eat healthy. You can go for walks together, support each other and on and on. It's an upward spiral of fitness mayhem! Yeeeehaaaa!