Tag: mom exercise

As parents it’s easy to let our health become second fiddle to that of our children and family, but we are doing a disservice to ourselves and our children when we do not make our health a priority. When we are not mindful of our diet and we allow ourselves to skip regular exercise, we are setting ourselves up for a higher likelihood of health complications.

For example, heart disease is the leading cause of death for women in the United States, our stress levels are through the roof – so it would seem that we should be adding some exercise into our daily routine, no? It is proven that exercise can alleviate stress levels while simultaneously improving our overall health.

Why not consider running?  

• It allows for variety in where you can exercise. The outdoor areas are endless  (parks, trails, neighborhoods, etc.), you can head to the local YMCA’s or use treadmill at home. By changing up where you exercise, it becomes less mundane and running lends itself to variety in this way.
• The health benefits are many: heart health, muscle and joint health and your mental well being improves greatly through running.
• Socializing with friends and support groups usually go hand-in-hand with running. Many groups have annual runs associated with social good campaigns. Then there’s See Mommy Run, which is a social networking site that helps moms coordinate meetups. Add in groups like the Hash House Harriers who host just plain fun get togethers that can allow for interacting with friends and it’s a win-win. Granted, I wouldn’t recommend the Hash House Harriers as a regular thing, because that would defeat your overall health goal, but the occasional HHH run would be fun. Just be certain to have a responsible driver to bring you home. Overall, running lends itself to multiple socializing opportunities if you are open to them.
• Make it a family affair! Pick up a jogging stroller and toss your kids in for the run. Sign up the whole family for marathons that let the kids become involved. Families that exercise together stay healthy together!

Support Sites:

• Runners World  – Comprehensive site with information for beginners and seasoned runners. Provides information spanning from gear to weight loss to health and injuries. They also have forums were you can interact with other runners.
• Cool Running - Fantastic site to keep track of running events if you’re looking to take advantage of the social aspect of this healthy sport.
• See Mommy Run - Looking for moms who like to socialize in a walking and running group? This is a meetup site where moms coordinate to do just that!

In light of my about face regarding exercising while pregnant, here are seven great benefits of exercising while pregnant (I found them on BabyCenter’s website – a great resource if you haven’t found it already!):

1. Boost your energy: It seems antithetical, but truly it works. I’m living proof. Apparently, it strengthens your cardiovascular system, circulating oxygen through your body which is both good for you and the baby.

2. Sleep better: Let’s hope this is true. God willing, I’ll sleep through the night again consistently!

3. Reduce pregnancy discomfort: Well, I’m not so sure that’s at all possible, since being pregnant is extremely uncomfortable. But, it does help your muscles get stronger and more able to cope; it also improves circulation, so there’s that. Plus, stretching can only help with those pesky leg cramps. Those really suck.

4. Prepare for Childbirth: Yeah, yeah, yeah, can anything really prepare you? But again, if you’re in for a long haul birth (which, of course, you’ll never know till you get there) then having stamina and strength is nothing but good.

5. Reduces stress and lifts your spirits: Ahh, endorphins! Definitely a blessing when things get you down. I’ve found endorphins are the only real counter measure to all those raging hormones that make me feel crazy. Also, exercise boosts your serotonin levels, a chemical in your brain linked to mood.

6. Improves your self image: Not that you’ll be actually losing weight, but exercising may make you feel better in your expanding body – almost as if it allows you to regain some sense of ownership over your body.

7. Gets your body back faster after childbirth: To be fair, I’m not sure if pre-childbirth exercise has anything to do with post-childbirth weight loss, so I’m skeptical on this point. However, if you’re already in the habit of working out, then picking it back up after giving birth is, in fact, less of a big deal.

Of course, always check with your doctor before starting any exercise regimen! And, don’t push yourself. Be very kind to your body because you’ll need it to perform with the time comes.

photo credit: Wikimedia Commons