Exercise and Body Image

Exercise and body image... man what a tricky balance. At least I find for myself. I’m always trying to eat healthier and exercise more; it feels like it’s something I’ve been struggling with for a long time. I think I’ve been doing better the last few years. I’m no where near my goal but I try and I respect myself for that and love my body for what it can do.

 I went into this past pregnancy not at my ideal anything. I had just had a traumatic miscarriage and was using exercise as part of my therapy. I found it so helpful for the 9 months I was pregnant this time. Exercise helped me calm some of the anxiety and feel like I was doing something to help everything go ok.

I was so proud of myself for working out almost every day and right up till my due date! I definitely think I was in the best shape I’ve been in probably 10 years! I have no doubt it helped me during the labor and recovery. But fast forward and we’re talking a baby who never slept and had weight gain issues, colic, reflux, lip tie, my hip was out and painful, etc. That sounds like a lot of excuses. I tried working out despite everything. I always had a hard time understanding the excuse from some moms of never having energy or time to exercise. But boy do I get it. For 7 1/2 months I held her for every nap and sometimes a lot of the night or she wouldn’t sleep. Plus then you get them used to it and you’re in trouble!

So we worked on it and now she’s sleep trained! Hallelujah! I could hear angels singing! The past couple months I’ve been going jogging with her in the stroller or workouts while she naps. Or cross country skiing and skating when the weather is nice or we’re not fighting colds.  I’ve got a long way to go. But mentally I feel so much better already. Maybe it’s the sleep or maybe it’s the exercise 😋. But she’s napping so I better get a workout in; she’s starting to walk now and I’ll need to step my workouts up if I’m going to keep up with her!