Feels Like Normal
Posted: January 24, 2011 at 8:21 pmI fear jinxing myself when I say…today went SO well!!! Things felt eerily easy and like I have done the 2 kiddo thing my entire life. I guess when life has to go on, you just make it happen. It also helps to have two wonderful children to call your own. I am truly blessed!
I do think being proactive on some things helped a lot as well. I focused on establishing some sort of basic routine the past 2 weeks to help ease me in. I prayed regularly through the day for God to help me approach each moment with patience, grace, and love. And we set up an old rocking chair we bought on consignment a few years ago in the play room.
May not be the most attractive or comfortable thing, but it keeps Makenzie feeling like I’m actively there with her even when feeding baby B. She used to flip when I would have to go into the living room to feed him. Today, she was happy as usual.
Despite the day going so smoothly, I still was ready to head out for some “me time”. I went to the gym for a quick workout. My first official post-baby workout!
I visited a treadmill with a magazine friend for an easy walk. I ended up with 2 miles walked around 3.8-4.0 mph and 3.0 incline.
That walk felt like one of the best workouts ever. Although I did eye the free weights area longingly during my session. I’m holding off on those for a little longer though. I have to ease back in, after all. Plus, its fun having workouts to look forward to. Tell me I”m not the only one salivating at the thought of lifting a barbell again.
Can tomorrow be this fabulous? I sure hope so! But I have learned it is best not to have expectations and just take each day as it comes. In fact, a very wise woman mentioned that exact thing to me today. Speaking of which – all of you are so wise with your healthy habits ideas. Some of my personal favorites I always strive for:
- Make small changes. (Theresa @ Active Eggplant)
- Writing things down or making lists of goals. (Katy @ Monsterproof)
- Get 1 serving of fruit or veggie at each meal. (Therese @ Therese and Ross)
- Plan out meals/prep food for easy access. (Mellissa @ A Fit And Spicy Life)
- Don’t get obsessive. (Sarah @ Yoga for Breakfast)
- Make food you love and have leftovers. (Nicole @ Prevention RD)
- Think about how good it feels. (Caree @ Fit-Mama)
- Do something consistently. (Felicia @ Taste of Health with Balance)
- Look at the bigger picture. (Christin @ Purple Bird Blog)
Thanks again for sharing! All great ones to put into practice.
Question of the Evening – What is your favorite low key way to exercise? Or how do you ease back into workouts after time off?
Tags: cardio, post-pregnancy fitness
I think one of the best ways to ease back in is to walk or hike. Do something that makes you feel like you aren’t exercising!
Yay! You had a great day! I am so happy to hear that! Definitely walk for now and don’t do weights. You will thank yourself later. It is frustrating, but you would be so much better off going slow than hurting yourself. Trust me, I have done that and it is more frustrating to know you could have taken better care of yourself. I hope you have a great evening!
Certainly don’t want to prolong getting back by any means. Good thing I’m used to listening my body, but also knowing when to hold off too. I feel like I could do a bit more….but I’m not. I’m handling things just as I did post M (bec both deliveries and how I feel afterwards are SO similar). They worked then and seem perfect for me now too. 🙂
Congrats on a successful day! Really happy for you–well done!
Great job with the successful day! That’s such a good feeling. I think the best way to get back into it is to go for a long walk and vary up the pace. So, it’s relaxing and fast-paced all-in-one! 🙂
Hooray for such a good day!!
And I love that you pray throughout the day for patience… I really should do that more often on days when Julia is driving me nuts.
Oh so glad you had a good day AND a great workout!
Congrats on getting to workout again! You are so inspirational.
Congratulations on exercising again! 😀 On low key days I hit the elliptical and stationary bike.
oh yea! so excited for you to get your sweat on. i know its a passion of yours. I hope all days are like this for you, youre a pro for sure!
Favorite low key exercise, outdoor trails with pups and hubs!
Glad you had a great workout! I bet if feels good to get back to the old routine!
Walking has always been my go-to form of exercise. You can make it as easy or as difficult as you need to (especially if you have a treadmill and can incorporate some incline intervals in there). It’s my time to zone out and focus on me.
Yeah, I’m so glad you had a good workout today! I really have a huge appreciation for walking…it’s low-key but can be hard too!
Yay for your first day at home by yourself! It sounds like it went great! Workout out must have felt so so good!
Wow. God sure does work in mysteriously awesome ways…he was totally looking out for you today! I love that! And I LOVE that you got a workout in! You must be on cloud nine! My fave low key workout that I miss dearly? A walk with the hubs, holding hands on a summer night. I could walk for hours on a night like that. Bliss.
My favorite low-key exercises are ice skating and walking! The best part about those is that they can be a great way of tricking some of your not-so-active friends in to being active with you! 🙂
I’m glad your day went so well!
For me, hiking is a great low key workout. It doesn’t even feel like a workout because it’s so much fun!
Love hikes! Can’t wait to go hiking as a family again. We need to get another hiking pack with a kiddo seat.
Running is my go-to for all of life’s challenges. I can do it slow when I’m tired or I can do it fast when I’m upset. I’m so glad you had such a great day! You earned it! 🙂
So glad your day was a success! Hope the rest of your week at home goes as smoothly as today did!
I like to walk as my low-key exercise of choice. You still get great exercise but you can work at a pace that’s comfortable.
Yay for fabulous and successful days!! 🙂
I love doing light weights/stretches/ab work while catching up on my favorite shows or while watching movies with the family!
Yah for feeling normal!
Yah for workouts!
My favorite low key workout is hiking with my son in my back yard, which happens to be a mountain. Nothing too extreme- just enough to get our blood flowing.
I’m delighted for you that your day went smoothly. That is a HUGE feat. You must have been nervous leading up to it! I’m sure that your husband is beyond proud of you. You’re a great mom!
Here’s to (hopeful) smooth sailing the rest of the week! And if not, at least Monday was nice. 😉
Hooray for a great workout! Glad to see things are getting back to normal for you 🙂
I’m glad your day went so well & that you had time to get to the gym! I hope the rest of the week goes just as smoothly 🙂
Congratulations! So glad you had a great first workout!
I always start with 1-2 mile walks to get me back into the swing of working out after laying off for a bit. After a few days of that, I actually get excited about doing more!
You are incredbile! Already back at the gym…. you go girl! (BTW…totally didn’t realize you were just a hop skip and a jump over in Hotlanta!) Congrats on the 2 miles and feeling of normalcy, that’s huge!!
How cool! Where are you at?
I’m in Charlotte!! And I went to school in Greenville, SC (furman university) I’ve fallin in <3 the South!
Nice! So happy for you that things are so goood~ I usually do home workouts, and so when I ease into it after I’m sick or something, I usually do moderate bodyweight exercises for about 15 minutes.
my favorite low key way to exercise is to hop on an elliptical and do an easy 20-40 minutes while watching tv. just enough to get my heart rate up a little and the blood pumping. i also love yoga, which is relaxing to me, but not what i would consider an “easy’ workout a lot of the time.
Oh I totally crave the barbell lifting as well. And I might or might not have gotten into a “fight” today over the 20-pounders at the gym. 🙂 But walking is my favorite low impact activity. I think I can walk forever. And I totally watched the entire time traveler’s wife on the treadmill the other day. Fortunately it was a sunday morning and there was nobody around to kick me off the treadmill…
I am glad to hear that your day went so well. Routines do make things a lot easier! I use walking as my way to ease into routines after a break. Aside from that I have used dancing in the past. Just around the house of course, but my boys think it is funny when I dance for exercise!
I can imagine how good it must be to get back in.. I ran .2 miles a couple of weeks ago, my first run in a YEAR, and it was seriously one of the best feelings in the WORLD.
I can imagine! You have waited so long for that. 🙂
Walking is definitely my go-to get back in the groove thing to do – or a class since I feel more like i’m following! Great job getting back to it – you rock! I’m glad things are going so well with the 2 little ones!
Walking is my favorite exercise! I love it.
So glad you got your ‘me’ time!
I like the tip about “thinking about how good it feels”. Great post!
Who watches your kids when you’re at the gym? Just wondering 🙂
Also, I would encourage you to stop reading things like Glamour. I stopped even giving fashion magazines a second glance a few years ago and it feels fabulous, like I have control over their insulting portrayal of women. Sorry, I don’t mean to be so negative but I feel passionately about that!
Peter gets home from work at around 4:30, which is about the time B finishes eating in the late afternoon. So he watches them for me to run to the gym quickly right after that.
And I hadn’t read a Glamour in forever actually. I just grabbed it from the shelf to have something to occupy me while walking. I do like having magazines to distract me with cardio on machines. I flip over a large part of it though.
I’m so glad your day went well! With two kids it really relieves so much stress to get that workout in the evening. Good luck with the rest of the week!
Awwe, thanks for the “bigger picture” props up there. I love that your posts really get me thinking… lord knows I need help to think positively lately, but I’m trying my best!! <3
Glad today went so well!!!! You deserve it for sure! I like taking the dog for a walk or doing anything fun that doesn’t seem like forced exercise.
Glad your day went well – and whoo hoo for the gym!!!! Find something that you LOVE and it won’t feel so much like a workout. Get outside, get some fresh air – just move. 🙂
I think walking really is the best low-key form of exercise. It’s easy and fun, so you don’t even feel like you’re working out but soon you’re exhausted! Yay for things going back to normal!
I’m glad your day went so well! Great job with being so well-planned.
My favorite low key exercise is taking Meghan for a walk in the stroller. I can’t wait for the temps to warm up so I can do it again!
I know. I miss family walks. That’s honestly why I hit up the treadmill…I’m too much of a wimp to walk in the cold.
My favorite is jogging. I just love it 🙂
I remember when I had Courage, Chase was about to turn 3. I was also surprised at how easy it was?! I think since it is the 2nd child, we are not as nervous, we already have a schedule in place for the first child too. I loved it!!!
Glad your day went so well and that you got to go to the gym!!
So happy your day went well! I hope today goes just as smoothly 🙂
Oh, i’m so happy to read this morning that yesterday felt like a “normal” day for you!! yayaya!! Here’s hoping today goes just as great!!!
I love Glamour magazine. It is awesome!
I guess my low key is a good, steady, speed walk like you just did to ease back into it. It supplies a “just enough” kind of workout.
If I haven’t been exercising consistently, that means I really need to change it up. Or, I ease back into with just making it a priority to do some movement — even if it is 10 minutes of lifting free weights at home, or running on the treadmill for 10 minutes. Usually just a little bit of exercise helps me remember how much I love it and before I know it, I’m working out consistently!
Good for you! I thought the move from one to two children was a bigger deal than from 2 to 3. I like your suggestions about planning and making healthy changes. I’m a family doctor and mother of three. I’m on a continuous personal quest for good health and provide lots of hints for others to do the same. See my post on success strategies for making healthy changes at http://www.doctorcarriesbetterliving.com/2010/12/making-healthy-changes-how-much-how.html
I’m so glad you had such a great day.
What a difference prayer makes (along with all the other work you did to lay the groundwork a smooth day), right?
You make baby making and baby raising look so easy… I hope I’ll be as good as you are when the time comes!
So happy for you that things are going so well 🙂 That seems like a great first-day-back workout! You go girl!
Congrats on getting back to the gym! I bet it felt so good to workout, post baby!!
I’m thoroughly convinced that walking (on the treadmill, specifically) is one of the most underrated exercises! Sure, it might not be as intense as running or doing level 5 on the elliptical machine, but I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve lost track of time just walking and reading/watching TV on the treadmill! And I always feel so refreshed afterward. It’s definitely my go-to workout when I want to keep it low-key!