Motherhood is Messy
Written By A. Simon
March 2023
Hey mamas! Raise your hand if you're exhausted, sleep-deprived, and feeling a bit messy (as in you haven’t showered in a few days/weeks) AND you can’t recall the last time you worked out.
I’ll be honest, before kids, I was an avid yogi. I practiced daily, was in decent shape, and had excellent hygiene. Nowadays, I’m happy if I brush my hair! One major life change since having my sweet boys is not having enough time to incorporate physical fitness. I find myself fighting an internal battle of “I could take a yoga class, OR... I could snuggle my babies some more.” Nine times out of ten, I choose the latter. However, more recently, I’ve started to accept that I might be able to do both, with a little give and take.
Below are 3 ways you can get those fitness endorphins flowing while also being a present mom:
Do a children’s workout video WITH your kids! Ever heard of Danny Go, Cosmic Kids, or GoNoodle? These are fantastic websites and YouTube channels you can follow. They have loads of videos that entertain even the youngest minds and provide plenty of movement to get your heart rate up. I even smile while doing them because we all have a little kid in us, right?
Stretch at home. This concept was significant for me! I used to think I wasn’t practicing yoga unless I completed an entire 1-hour class in a studio. However, the reality is, no one is grading you! Yoga is yoga! I’ve accepted that as long as I am practicing postures and stretching my beautiful muscles, even if it’s just for 5 minutes in my living room with my children crawling all over me, it counts!
Workout WHILE holding baby! If you have really little ones at home who are tiny enough to lift, you can find tons of mom-approved fitness ideas online. For example, this site lists several types of activities you can do while holding your baby. These include squats, lunges, and overhead presses! I personally found it SO fun watching my baby's expression while doing these workouts too! I was getting a sweat on and smiling at the same time. Win-win!
At the end of the day, the most important thing is that you do you! Choose actions that make you feel good. When mamma feels good, her family does too! You got this.