One of the exercises that we do in the park is a three-way balance: standing on one leg with the other leg and arms outstretched and, if possible, closing your eyes and trying to stay upright. The balance improves core stability. My balance has never been very good, I find it difficult to stand on two feet with my eyes closed! When we do this balance I don't close my eyes but I keep practising with my eyes open and one day I will close them. I will probably topple very quickly but I'm sure that in time I will be able to manage a few seconds.
Being a mother of two children is also a balancing act. I try to balance the attention that I give them, make sure I am handing out cuddles to the older one as well as the baby, have time with each child on their own and with them together. The girls themselves are like weights on a set of scales as I assess at each moment who wants or needs me more, is it the toddler upset with teething pain or the baby crying for a cuddle? Should I put the toddler down for a nap and close the door on the fussing baby for a few minutes or try to settle the baby first and hope I can do it quickly before the toddler changes her mind about sleeping?
I hope I will soon have enough confidence in standing on one leg to have the courage to close my eyes and see what happens. I'm also practising the parental balancing act but this exercise will never be perfected, I will just have to keep my eyes open to the ever-changing needs of each member of my family and hope that I develop the confidence to trust that I will make the right decisions about their care and well-being.
Tuesday 19 June 2012
Tuesday 12 June 2012
Leading my first exercise session
Today was to be the first Ready Steady Mums session that I would be leading. It rained. It was really chucking it down and I didn't think anyone would come but I did a feed and a change, got the two of us waterproofed as best I could and walked over to the park.
Halfway there the little one starts crying and I nearly turn back but decide that if anyone else has made the effort to come and exercise in this then it is my responsibility to be there and congratulate them. The walk is a good warm-up, so I correct my posture, hold my tummy in and continue. My daughter also continues with her crying. Sure enough, the park is empty but I go through my planned warm-up just in case anyone turns up. Nobody comes so we walk back home.
As I have just done 45 minutes of warm-up and this was my designated exercise time I decide to complete what I had planned to do in the park at home, with a few adaptations. The routine works pretty well but takes much longer than expected due to breaks for more feeding and nappy changing. I'll tweak the order slightly for when we do it in the park, but I'm pleased.
I think I am developing a more rounded view of exercise. There's 'keeping active' which I was doing - and continue to do - in my everyday life anyway and there is 'exercise' which I think of now as being something more considered, such as improving stamina, working specific muscles, building core strength, cardiovascular work. For me at the moment the two are separate but sit together quite comfortably but I'm aiming to get more 'exercise' stuff into the everyday.
As I have just done 45 minutes of warm-up and this was my designated exercise time I decide to complete what I had planned to do in the park at home, with a few adaptations. The routine works pretty well but takes much longer than expected due to breaks for more feeding and nappy changing. I'll tweak the order slightly for when we do it in the park, but I'm pleased.
I think I am developing a more rounded view of exercise. There's 'keeping active' which I was doing - and continue to do - in my everyday life anyway and there is 'exercise' which I think of now as being something more considered, such as improving stamina, working specific muscles, building core strength, cardiovascular work. For me at the moment the two are separate but sit together quite comfortably but I'm aiming to get more 'exercise' stuff into the everyday.
Wednesday 6 June 2012
Trying to stay motivated
The little one is 8 weeks old, 9 weeks in a couple of days, and I'm having a bit of a motivational blip.
Two weeks ago I had a giggle when I found myself doing tricep dips against the bath one evening while waiting for it to fill. A couple of days later, while waiting for some pasta to cook, I was doing assisted press-ups against the worktop. Now when I get a moment to myself I just want to flop, right here on the floor a crumpled bundle of me not doing anything except breathing. I wanted to flop before, and I did but I also exercised. Now I'm considering buying those pants that hold everything in.
I know that I feel like this because I'm sleep deprived, I've missed a couple of park sessions and therefore missed encouragement from other mums, and because my uterus has contracted and I'm only making small gains (or rather small losses) in the flabby tummy area.
In the hope that recognising this blip is the first step towards remotivating myself, here is my plan of action:
1) I will put on my waterproof jacket (rain is providing an excuse to stay in) and buy some soft fruit and a little choccy bar or cake. The treat is to remind me to be nice to myself and I will eat it on my own in silence when the kids are asleep and enjoy it as a treat, rather than gorging it when the toddler's back is turned and not appreciating it (so wanting another one).
2) I will plan the exercise session I am going to run on Monday. I'm volunteering to run this weekly Ready Steady Mums session - come along - and will blog about this another time.
3) I will try on my bridesmaid dress, which should arrive this week, and feel happy wearing something beautiful. In four weeks I'll be wearing it for the bride and groom.
4) I will do some yoga daily, even if only a few minutes of breathing exercises, as that helps me to slow down and appreciate a moment, and it also helps me to sleep.
Two weeks ago I had a giggle when I found myself doing tricep dips against the bath one evening while waiting for it to fill. A couple of days later, while waiting for some pasta to cook, I was doing assisted press-ups against the worktop. Now when I get a moment to myself I just want to flop, right here on the floor a crumpled bundle of me not doing anything except breathing. I wanted to flop before, and I did but I also exercised. Now I'm considering buying those pants that hold everything in.
I know that I feel like this because I'm sleep deprived, I've missed a couple of park sessions and therefore missed encouragement from other mums, and because my uterus has contracted and I'm only making small gains (or rather small losses) in the flabby tummy area.
In the hope that recognising this blip is the first step towards remotivating myself, here is my plan of action:
1) I will put on my waterproof jacket (rain is providing an excuse to stay in) and buy some soft fruit and a little choccy bar or cake. The treat is to remind me to be nice to myself and I will eat it on my own in silence when the kids are asleep and enjoy it as a treat, rather than gorging it when the toddler's back is turned and not appreciating it (so wanting another one).
2) I will plan the exercise session I am going to run on Monday. I'm volunteering to run this weekly Ready Steady Mums session - come along - and will blog about this another time.
3) I will try on my bridesmaid dress, which should arrive this week, and feel happy wearing something beautiful. In four weeks I'll be wearing it for the bride and groom.
4) I will do some yoga daily, even if only a few minutes of breathing exercises, as that helps me to slow down and appreciate a moment, and it also helps me to sleep.
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