Getting Real with Kira Hazledine

Let’s give some back story here. I used to love going to the gym. The workouts felt great, I felt great, and I was happy that I was doing something for my body besides shoving ice cream down my throat. The gym was my go-to stress reliever, and it wasn’t too expensive, so win. I was disappointed when I gracefully fell down my stairs in my rush to get to work on time, giving myself a good ankle sprain.

Exercise Isn’t Always My Priority

As much as that sucked, I figured I would be back on my feet soon enough, running and weightlifting. But then I got pregnant, and my OB advised that because I hadn’t been regularly working out, now was not the time to get back into my hardcore routines. That sucked even more. “Try yoga”, people told me. No offense to all you “yogis” out there, but I struggle with yoga and any other workout that doesn’t make me feel like I’m dying. I LIKE the suffering of running and weightlifting, so to each their own.

So, I started walking on the treadmill (yawn), but that only lasted until my morning sickness kicked in. I spent the rest of my pregnancy napping when I could and eating mini corn-dogs (GASP! The nitrates! Yes, I know, insert eye roll here). Clearly, working out was not in my pregnancy plan, at least, not until the plan was eviction at 41 weeks. I did a lot of walking late 3rd trimester, and no, it did not bring on labor.

Fast forward to now, as I sit with my 17-month-old darling daughter. For months, I claimed I would get back into shape when I got a gym membership. That hasn’t happened. I tried home workouts several different times, only to fall off the wagon. I figured that I would stay dedicated with the gym membership that never came.

What Now?

Now, I have chosen a free home workout available on YouTube that I like doing, and they’re only 20 minutes long at most. I can handle that, and we also go on a lot of walks and runs with our jogging stroller. Now that I know I won’t get the gym membership I crave, I force myself to get some exercise, regardless of Hallie tackling me every five seconds. And you know what? It works.

It’s not easy working out with Hallie running around, but she’s a champ all her own. She’s my biggest motivator, and drags the yoga mat out herself if it gets too late in the day. Her jog in place is hysterical, and she does her best to imitate the moves with me. It’s very entertaining, and at first she was distracting, but now it’s bonding time. Sure, it’s annoying when I can only get 10 push-ups in because she’s climbing on me, but our squats are solidly done and we’re always giggling.

Teaching Healthy Habits by Example

It may be only 20 minutes, but it is 20 minutes that I’m doing for me and no one else. It’s a step towards self-care, which I suck at, and it makes me feel good trying to be healthy for both myself and my daughter. She will learn that exercise is part of a healthy lifestyle, along with healthy eating, and I really can’t be disappointed in that. I miss the gym, but I won’t complain about our home workouts. Unless she poops in the middle of the session, which is more often than not. I whine about that a little.

There’s a million ways to incorporate exercise in the day, and I’m hoping that Hallie and I can explore other activities as she gets older. Let us know what activities you and your family enjoy!