Sunday 26 May 2013
Being a Mom/Being Active
Long time no post, I know. You know how motherhood is :P (actually that's a tad bit of an excuse, but I'll pretend nonetheless). I thought I would post something about keeping fit with a baby, although I'm quite new at the whole thing :P
I have tried to at least do some light stretching as often as I remember, because when you carry around a baby and perform all those repetitive tasks, your body can get upset at you. For example, when Clay was just a few weeks old I noticed that my right wrist started aching. Then it starting killing me. I realized that it was because I was putting all the pressure of his weight on my joints instead of compensating for the extra weight with the muscles in my arms (especially when I picked him up from lying down, or breastfed him). Not so long afterwards, I noticed my upper back on the right hand side started twinging at times... Still haven't quite figured this one out, but doing some twisting stretches helps. I think my back might be hurting because I need to squat more and use my arms more, instead of putting all the pressure on my back to do everything. Also, the necessity of having good posture is becoming more and more prevalent. I notice I slouch a lot, especially while breastfeeding. I've lost some of the muscle tone in my back and abs after pregnancy and delivery (gasp!), and I've found it to be quite the challenge gaining it back while having to care for baby 24/7. I want to be there for Clay as much as I possibly can be, so while going out for the occasional yoga class isn't the end of the world, I want to find things we can do together that will keep me fit and feeling good (while keeping him entertained and content without the need for a babysitter, or a tv screen :P)!
Yoga with Baby
Yeah, this is something I've tried... and it works when he's in a good mood. I can incorporate him into some of the stretches like bound angle pose (where he sits in my lap in the same position, and we both lean forward (WARNING: do not try this pose after feeding unless you wanna see your milk again for some strange reason...) or some seated side bends (he sits in the triangle my legs create), standing wide leg forward bend (I hold him up by his hands in front of me so he can stand while I stretch), he can lay across my legs like superman if I hug them into my chest lying down, PLUS I can use him as a weight for lunges! There are a lot of ways to incorporate your baby into your yoga practice, although many poses require you to put baby down. Perhaps sometimes they won't mind, but if they do you'll hear about it! Now, I've only done this with a totally immobile baby, but there are dvds and books out there that can give you ideas for all ages. Personally, I watched one baby mama yoga dvd and hated it because the woman just did yoga while the baby just sat on the floor, or crawled around. Yep, it takes a real genius to come up with that. So I just came up with ways on my own that Clay could join in. It all depends on the baby and the mood he/she happens to be in. One more thing, there are baby mama yoga classes too (and I've heard of baby mama pilates I believe..?), I've just never gone to one.
Walking
Yeah, I didn't really like the idea of walking for no reason either... although I do try my best to live by the philosophy of "life is a journey, not a destination". If the mood strikes, do it right away (or as soon as you possibly can, being a mom and all). To make it more interesting, I may power walk, or even more exciting (sheesh :P), power walk to a destination (*sigh*)... be it the grocery store, the mall, a coffee shop, whatever. When you walk, power walk (walk fast!) if you can. If not, just normal walking or strolling is still fantastic, and really good for you. I walk with Clay in a baby carrier (the mei tai is great for walking!) which contributes another 15 pounds to my ventures, but walking with a stroller works too (unless your walk happens to be a hike! :D). Getting out of the house and breathing some fresh air feels great!
Jogging
So I just got a jogging stroller today off kijiji.ca for $60.00! I went out for my first jog in over a year! It felt SO good to get my heart pumping and my lungs working! Clay didn't mind the stroller (this is the first time he's been in a stroller, and jogging is all I plan on using it for, despite the convenience of cup holders and storage compartments!), but I need to bundle him up more next time. I didn't think about the fact that he wouldn't be right next to my body to keep him warm.
Obviously there's no (comfortable, and maybe safe) way of jogging with an infant without a stroller, so there is that start up cost, but you can usually find one for a decent price on kijiji or in a baby consignment/secondhand store. Get a good pair of shoes and work it! I am SO looking forward to jogging with a mama friend of mine and her beautiful baby girl!
Family Centers
Some family centers that offer a "new parents group" or "parent and tot" meetings have things like zumba or aerobics. I know the family center I go to had zumba every Monday last month. You could bring your baby and they could chill out (or not) with other babies who also came to watch. Yes, if your baby starts freaking out you'll have to salsa your way out of that sweaty bliss (and what mom isn't used to dropping everything in the throes of their wailing wee one?), but who knows, they might even allow you a couple minutes, while they check out their new buds and watch in drooly amusement (and milky fantasies?) as you flail about, attempting to shimmy.
Anyways, that's all I can think of. It just comes down to the fact that our bodies need to move! and both mama and baby will benefit immensely from a healthy, active lifestyle.
Cheers!
I have tried to at least do some light stretching as often as I remember, because when you carry around a baby and perform all those repetitive tasks, your body can get upset at you. For example, when Clay was just a few weeks old I noticed that my right wrist started aching. Then it starting killing me. I realized that it was because I was putting all the pressure of his weight on my joints instead of compensating for the extra weight with the muscles in my arms (especially when I picked him up from lying down, or breastfed him). Not so long afterwards, I noticed my upper back on the right hand side started twinging at times... Still haven't quite figured this one out, but doing some twisting stretches helps. I think my back might be hurting because I need to squat more and use my arms more, instead of putting all the pressure on my back to do everything. Also, the necessity of having good posture is becoming more and more prevalent. I notice I slouch a lot, especially while breastfeeding. I've lost some of the muscle tone in my back and abs after pregnancy and delivery (gasp!), and I've found it to be quite the challenge gaining it back while having to care for baby 24/7. I want to be there for Clay as much as I possibly can be, so while going out for the occasional yoga class isn't the end of the world, I want to find things we can do together that will keep me fit and feeling good (while keeping him entertained and content without the need for a babysitter, or a tv screen :P)!
Yoga with Baby
Yeah, this is something I've tried... and it works when he's in a good mood. I can incorporate him into some of the stretches like bound angle pose (where he sits in my lap in the same position, and we both lean forward (WARNING: do not try this pose after feeding unless you wanna see your milk again for some strange reason...) or some seated side bends (he sits in the triangle my legs create), standing wide leg forward bend (I hold him up by his hands in front of me so he can stand while I stretch), he can lay across my legs like superman if I hug them into my chest lying down, PLUS I can use him as a weight for lunges! There are a lot of ways to incorporate your baby into your yoga practice, although many poses require you to put baby down. Perhaps sometimes they won't mind, but if they do you'll hear about it! Now, I've only done this with a totally immobile baby, but there are dvds and books out there that can give you ideas for all ages. Personally, I watched one baby mama yoga dvd and hated it because the woman just did yoga while the baby just sat on the floor, or crawled around. Yep, it takes a real genius to come up with that. So I just came up with ways on my own that Clay could join in. It all depends on the baby and the mood he/she happens to be in. One more thing, there are baby mama yoga classes too (and I've heard of baby mama pilates I believe..?), I've just never gone to one.
Walking
Yeah, I didn't really like the idea of walking for no reason either... although I do try my best to live by the philosophy of "life is a journey, not a destination". If the mood strikes, do it right away (or as soon as you possibly can, being a mom and all). To make it more interesting, I may power walk, or even more exciting (sheesh :P), power walk to a destination (*sigh*)... be it the grocery store, the mall, a coffee shop, whatever. When you walk, power walk (walk fast!) if you can. If not, just normal walking or strolling is still fantastic, and really good for you. I walk with Clay in a baby carrier (the mei tai is great for walking!) which contributes another 15 pounds to my ventures, but walking with a stroller works too (unless your walk happens to be a hike! :D). Getting out of the house and breathing some fresh air feels great!
Jogging
So I just got a jogging stroller today off kijiji.ca for $60.00! I went out for my first jog in over a year! It felt SO good to get my heart pumping and my lungs working! Clay didn't mind the stroller (this is the first time he's been in a stroller, and jogging is all I plan on using it for, despite the convenience of cup holders and storage compartments!), but I need to bundle him up more next time. I didn't think about the fact that he wouldn't be right next to my body to keep him warm.
Obviously there's no (comfortable, and maybe safe) way of jogging with an infant without a stroller, so there is that start up cost, but you can usually find one for a decent price on kijiji or in a baby consignment/secondhand store. Get a good pair of shoes and work it! I am SO looking forward to jogging with a mama friend of mine and her beautiful baby girl!
Family Centers
Some family centers that offer a "new parents group" or "parent and tot" meetings have things like zumba or aerobics. I know the family center I go to had zumba every Monday last month. You could bring your baby and they could chill out (or not) with other babies who also came to watch. Yes, if your baby starts freaking out you'll have to salsa your way out of that sweaty bliss (and what mom isn't used to dropping everything in the throes of their wailing wee one?), but who knows, they might even allow you a couple minutes, while they check out their new buds and watch in drooly amusement (and milky fantasies?) as you flail about, attempting to shimmy.
Anyways, that's all I can think of. It just comes down to the fact that our bodies need to move! and both mama and baby will benefit immensely from a healthy, active lifestyle.
Cheers!
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