She would laugh and say, “yeah, I feel ready, I mean we have dogs and they are practically like having real kids right?” Ummmmmm…, yeah…., practically.
After a week of labor, six grueling hours of pushing out a sunny-side up baby, challenges with breast feeding, and sleepless nights all within the first 3 days of her daughter’s life, her dogs were looking more like stuffed animals and she was questioning when the joy of motherhood would finally set in.
We moms know that motherhood is a wild and crazy ride, full of many, many ups and downs. These babies do not come with handbooks when they are born, and no amount of information from nurses, doctors, friends, grandmothers, books, television or magazines can ever really prepare you for the roller coaster you have just stepped on to. All you can do is hope to God that you have buckled up! There is one thing however, that I can personally attest to as having saved my sanity: working out with other mommies.
Even if it was as simple as a brisk walk with push-ups on a park table, or as bold as a fast 4 mile run pushing our babies in their strollers, we always felt better and believed we could get through our days with a bit more patience and enjoyment. As the baby pounds melted away with every mile completed, every jack jumped, and every ab crunched, we also felt the stress of our new roles melt away. Our workouts together became our therapy and our babies were able to see us doing something good for ourselves – staying fit and healthy, mentally and physically.
Working out with another mom, or many other moms will give you more than a great body, it will give you friends of a lifetime for both you and your kids. And if you have dogs, they’ll enjoy the exercise too!
Check out my great workout for you and a friend, here, or even an entire group of mommies.
