And why we keep going back.
Exercising is quite possibly the furthest thing from your mind right after you deliver a baby. Everything is all over the place, your appetite is through the roof, and any spare moment seems like an EXCELLENT opportunity for a nap. But slowly, surely, you start to get your groove back and the gym starts looking pretty good. And yet, gone are the days of limitless hours spent casually doing a bicep curl here and a few minutes on the Stairmaster there. It’s in, out, and on with the craziness that is your day now, mama. So in that fast but furious time you DO have to work out, there are inevitably five thoughts that will run through your mind.
1. I’m going to pee my pants.
NUMBER ONE. Yoga? You might leak a little in reverse warrior. Zumba? Highly likely. Crossfit? One more box jump and you’re running for the bathroom. If a baby came out of “there”, you can bet that it’s going to be a problem. At least the gym has showers, right? This gym does have showers, RIGHT?!
2. Why didn’t I just stay home and do some squats with the baby?
Darn you, Pinterest workouts. Making it seem as if I can look like Cindy Crawford just by bench pressing my infant 20 times. Or that my toddler will just casually sit beside me for some mommy/daughter yoga time. At-home exercise regimens are all too tempting when you’re dragging everything but the kitchen sink to your work out, but they never go that smoothly in reality.
3. Is the childcare center calling my name? Is my kid screaming right now? I’ve only been gone twenty minutes!
Did I remember to tell the babysitter her sippy cup is in the diaper bag? Am I a terrible mother for leaving my baby with some stranger just so I can run on a treadmill? Surely they need me by now, right? Should I just walk by the childcare area to be sure? But what if they see me and think I’m a psycho helicopter parent? Or worse, what if the kids see me and realize I’m gone?!
4. I’VE BEEN GONE TWENTY MINUTES!
I’ve listened to an entire song on Spotify without having to take out my headphones! No one has talked to me this entire time! How glorious is this?! I can actually think. Yup, I am actually hearing my own thoughts. Wow, this was worth every penny. I don’t even care how sore I’m going to be tomorrow.
5. That was so worth it. Now show me what you got, kiddos.
Nailed that work out, now I’m ready to head home and tackle motherhood. I actually missed those little munchkins. But I still can’t wait to go back!
What do you think about while you’re working out? Let me know in the comments!
XO,
A
