Why Mom + Baby Exercise Isn't Actually Exercise
Why? Half of the mom and baby hour time, if not more, is spent feeding/changing/soothing/holding/paying attention to your baby (which is great! Shows you’re a great mom) but that means it has become time for the two of you, and is no longer time for you
Need more to read? Of course you do. Here are my favourite snippets from “Exercising to Relax” by Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax
“The mental benefits of aerobic exercise have a neurochemical basis. Exercise reduces levels of the body's stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body's natural painkillers and mood elevators. Endorphins are responsible for the "runner's high" and for the feelings of relaxation and optimism that accompany many hard workouts — or, at least, the hot shower after your exercise is over.”
“Stress comes in many forms and produces many symptoms. Mental symptoms range from worry and irritability to restlessness and insomnia, anger and hostility, or sensations of dread, foreboding, and even panic.
Mental stress can also produce physical symptoms. Muscles are tense, resulting in fidgetiness, taut facial expressions, headaches, or neck and back pain. The mouth is dry, producing unquenchable thirst or perhaps the sensation of a lump in the throat that makes swallowing difficult. Clenched jaw muscles can produce jaw pain and headaches. The skin can be pale, sweaty, and clammy. Intestinal symptoms range from "butterflies" to heartburn, cramps, or diarrhea. Frequent urination may be a bother. A pounding pulse is common, as is chest tightness. Rapid breathing is also typical, and may be accompanied by sighing or repetitive coughing. In extreme cases, hyperventilation can lead to tingling of the face and fingers, muscle cramps, lightheadedness, and even fainting.
The physical symptoms of stress are themselves distressing. In fact, the body's response to stress can feel so bad that it produces additional mental stress. During the stress response, then, mind and body can amplify each other's distress signals, creating a vicious cycle of tension and anxiety.
Because the root cause of stress is emotional, it is best controlled by gaining insight, reducing life problems that trigger stress, and modifying behavior. But stress control can — and should — also involve the body. Aerobic exercise is one approach; physical fitness will help promote mental fitness. But there is another approach: you can learn to use your mind to relax your body. The relaxed body will, in turn, send signals of calm and control that help reduce mental tension.”
Action Step:
Text me, right now, and let me know what your game-plan is for exercise. Let me know when you’re going to start, what you’re going to do, when you’re going to do it. Let me be your accountability buddy and also let me know how it feels so that I can help you to monitor what level of exercise is reasonable, whether or not you might need to see someone to support your return to exercise (for example, let me know if you’re peeing while brisk walking or jogging) and also let me celebrate you. Leaving the house alone to get some ‘you-time’ is a big deal and deserves a celebration. And you know I’m always down for that.
- Exercise is a pseudonym for alone time.
- So what does that mean?
Why? Half of the mom and baby hour time, if not more, is spent feeding/changing/soothing/holding/paying attention to your baby (which is great! Shows you’re a great mom) but that means it has become time for the two of you, and is no longer time for you
- Exercise is one of the best opportunities to have an hour of alone time where you aren’t a mom. You can stretch and pant and get the blood pumping and, most importantly, release some endorphins.
- Logistically, what’s required? Someone to watch your baby and “finding” the time. Time isn’t found when you have a baby because I promise there’s not much extra of it just lying around, it’s designed and built into the day. And exercise isn’t necessarily a spin class or weightlifting, especially at the beginning. It’s handing the baby over as soon as they’ve been fed once your partner gets home and then leaving the house. Walking around the block three times, lunging around the track at the park, getting in the car and driving to the gym where you can pick up a few heavy things and put them back down, maybe a little bike ride or a dance class.
- The #1 key is that you have to leave the house and you have to be alone.
- Harvard Edu says it best
Need more to read? Of course you do. Here are my favourite snippets from “Exercising to Relax” by Harvard Health Publishing. https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/exercising-to-relax
“The mental benefits of aerobic exercise have a neurochemical basis. Exercise reduces levels of the body's stress hormones, such as adrenaline and cortisol. It also stimulates the production of endorphins, chemicals in the brain that are the body's natural painkillers and mood elevators. Endorphins are responsible for the "runner's high" and for the feelings of relaxation and optimism that accompany many hard workouts — or, at least, the hot shower after your exercise is over.”
“Stress comes in many forms and produces many symptoms. Mental symptoms range from worry and irritability to restlessness and insomnia, anger and hostility, or sensations of dread, foreboding, and even panic.
Mental stress can also produce physical symptoms. Muscles are tense, resulting in fidgetiness, taut facial expressions, headaches, or neck and back pain. The mouth is dry, producing unquenchable thirst or perhaps the sensation of a lump in the throat that makes swallowing difficult. Clenched jaw muscles can produce jaw pain and headaches. The skin can be pale, sweaty, and clammy. Intestinal symptoms range from "butterflies" to heartburn, cramps, or diarrhea. Frequent urination may be a bother. A pounding pulse is common, as is chest tightness. Rapid breathing is also typical, and may be accompanied by sighing or repetitive coughing. In extreme cases, hyperventilation can lead to tingling of the face and fingers, muscle cramps, lightheadedness, and even fainting.
The physical symptoms of stress are themselves distressing. In fact, the body's response to stress can feel so bad that it produces additional mental stress. During the stress response, then, mind and body can amplify each other's distress signals, creating a vicious cycle of tension and anxiety.
Because the root cause of stress is emotional, it is best controlled by gaining insight, reducing life problems that trigger stress, and modifying behavior. But stress control can — and should — also involve the body. Aerobic exercise is one approach; physical fitness will help promote mental fitness. But there is another approach: you can learn to use your mind to relax your body. The relaxed body will, in turn, send signals of calm and control that help reduce mental tension.”
Action Step:
Text me, right now, and let me know what your game-plan is for exercise. Let me know when you’re going to start, what you’re going to do, when you’re going to do it. Let me be your accountability buddy and also let me know how it feels so that I can help you to monitor what level of exercise is reasonable, whether or not you might need to see someone to support your return to exercise (for example, let me know if you’re peeing while brisk walking or jogging) and also let me celebrate you. Leaving the house alone to get some ‘you-time’ is a big deal and deserves a celebration. And you know I’m always down for that.