Mom Life: Keeping Active (and Sane!) During a Pandemic

2020 and 2021 have been some of the most trying years for everyone, but I think most parents can especially relate to how life-rocking this last year has been. Whether you’ve navigated pregnancy/postpartum in a way you completely didn’t expect, had to add “teacher” to your resume as your children took on virtual learning, or navigated job changes or “working from home” with kiddos around… this last year has pushed us and challenged us in ways we were never expecting.

As a parent, taking time for yourself is as critical as ever these days. One of my favorite phrases that always rings through my head, “You can’t pour from an empty cup.” Carving out time in your day to take care of yourself--physically, mentally, and emotionally--is what gives us the ability to be the best we can be for our babies.

For me, one of the best ways I can care for myself is to stay active. Here are my best tips that have helped me get back into a fitness routine as I navigated postpartum life during a pandemic:

 

Find an activity that you LOVE and look forward to.

This has been the key to my fitness journey, both pre-pregnancy and postpartum. Finding a sport or activity that I truly enjoy is what keeps me going, even on my “Ugh, I don’t feel like working out” days. Whether that’s CrossFit, walking, riding a bike, weightlifting, or taking a kickboxing class, find an activity that fires you up.

Schedule it in + hold yourself accountable.

I treat my workouts like a meeting--they are scheduled into my calendar. I wouldn’t miss an important meeting, and for me, these workouts are an important meeting with myself. Of course, some days it is unavoidable and life happens, but overall, I try and treat my 30 min workout like the priority it is!

Create a routine that works with your kids’ schedule.

I have twins that are a year old and since they were born, my workout schedule has changed as they’ve grown and changed. It’s great to be adaptable! I used to bring their swings out to our garage gym for them to sit in while I worked out. As they got older, I started working out during their naps or after they went to bed at night. Now, our routine is them having an afternoon snack (full kiddos + more content kiddos!) and then we all go out to the garage gym together. They hang out in their giant playpen and watch/imitate us as we workout and we all love it!

Get more steps in.

One of my favorite habits that I started up a few months ago is going for a walk or jog every morning with the kids. Getting fresh air in the morning sets us all up for a better day, the babes love sightseeing, and it helps me get movement in early, even on days where I’m not sure I’ll get in a true “workout”. It’s also a great time for me to call a family member and catch up, or listen to a podcast; so it’s definitely a win-win!

I hope some of these tips can help you reach your activity goals during these crazy times. What suggestions would you add to this list? I’d love to hear them--feel free to leave them in the comments below!

Happy Fitness-ing, mamas!

Molly Tilove

@mollyeledge

Exercise Together!

Daily movement can be a vital part of our daily routine. For some, it’s about remaining grounded and focused through following a program and spending time with yourself. For others, it can be about reaching fitness goals and maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
Being a mom can sometimes feel like you have to put your own desires on the shelf for the day as you tend to your littles. However, we can get back to our favorite sports while also spending time with our family! Not only should we claim that time again but it’s also giving us an opportunity to show our kids how important it is to continue to invest time in yourself not only as a mother but also as a person. Check out these tips below to help get in some family movement!

1.) Toddler Yoga Stretches/Salutations

This one could be especially fun for toddlers and younger kids. Not only do you get in some good movement and stretches but your little can start to become more in tune with their own body and how it moves. Starting yoga at a young age can also help kids learn how to deal with stress and could help to improve creativity. They can start by mimicking your movements and eventually you can also incorporate partner positions in your yoga session to make them feel that they’re an integral part of the routine. There are plenty of YouTube videos that cover yoga for younger children and can help to get your toddler in the mindset prior to starting your practice together. Give this one a go the next time you roll out your yoga mat!

2.) Hiking With Teens

The next time you lace up your boots to go on a nice long hike, take your teen along for the ride! They may protest at first but once you get out into nature, you can’t help but to be more present. Starting off with a shorter hike may help them to feel more confident as they’ll know that they can handle the hike. Slowly start to amp up the mileage the more you go out. Parenting a teen may mean dealing with lots and lots of emotions, stress and unknown territory. Time together on the trail can lead to plenty of opportunities for organic and enlightening conversations. Hiking can help mitigate stress for you and your teen as well as assisting in sleep which has benefits for you both. Not only do you get in your daily movement but you also get some quality time with your teen.

3.) Running with Young Kids

If you’re a running fanatic, this can be your time to really unplug and spend time with yourself. While your kids might not be able to keep up with your 10k time, taking them out for a one mile run or even training with them to hit up a local 5k can mean lots of time together while also getting in your mileage goals. This will give them a chance to spend time with you as well as hone a skill they might begin to love! Getting kids involved in a hobby that means a lot to you can show them what it
means to stay consistent to reach their goals. Having your kids be part of your fitness journey can be so rewarding because not only do they get to learn how to move their body and find a sport or hobby that they grow to love but they also get to watch you prioritize yourself. Investing time in yourself and your sport, whether it’s CrossFit, yoga, marathon running or just picking up some weights here and there, show yourself and others that investing in yourself is an important and necessary endeavor. Just because we’re moms doesn’t mean we have to give up every moment of our time to others.
Giving back to yourself not only makes us feel good but it also helps us to be our best selves. So the next time you want to get in some movement but your littles are running circles around you, grab them up and try to incorporate them into your practice. If not to just wear them out before nap time! Invest some time in yourself today, momma.

Cover photo courtesy of @holliemooandmummytoo

Other photo courtesy of  @randilynngreene

 

About the Author:
Georgia native Tiffany Ammerman is the thru-hiker and CrossFitter behind the travel blog The Goodish Traveler. She spends the majority of her time traveling, eating sushi and searching for hiking trails. When she's not blogging, Ammerman can be found training at CrossFit LaGrange and teaching art to kids.

You can follow her adventures on Instagram:@the_goodish_traveleror her website:TheGoodishTraveler.com