hello, babes!
happy shiny monday to you, and i hope this finds you well. today i have for you a few words on perspective affecting results and physical-izing your pandemic day.
not just counting steps
the physicality of motherhood is often foremost in my mind, and i've been thinking a lot lately about that in the context of mindfulness and daily movement patterns in a pandemic. eating feelings and the quarantine fifteen aside, our covid-era bodies are a little different because our daily movement requirements are different. for instance, i've noticed in class that everyone is super strong in plank, a generally static exercise, but that maybe our ankles are getting a bit wobbly because they are unused to balancing, or our quads and calves need a little extra pump because they aren't hauling up a gazillion subway steps every day. i feel the need for more posture work than ever before, as many of us are hunched over our work or technology, and because anxiety, fear, and grief all manifest in the body and we literally carry the weight of the world on our shoulders.
this is only human. there is much we can do to help, but even the best or most intense one-hour workout can't fully combat 8-10 hours of work, or stress, or breastfeeding all night, or only walking the same path from bathroom to desk to fridge, over and over again. me, too - even though i still get to exercise for money, i am doing so much less frequently than ever before (7 hours a week versus minimum 20) and while my post-baby strength/bikini-confidence goals are still a work in progress, i am still roughly where i was when diego was ramona's age.
why? because of perspective and mindfulness: i propose that the more we view our daily movement as exercise activities, the more positive mental and physical results we'll see.
as a movement professional, it honestly wasn't too hard to get back to fighting shape after having diego - it was, after all, my job to exercise, and i had daily access to pilates apparatus and lots of time for walking around. but with ramona, it has been a different world. i, like many or most of us, simply move around so much less, and i haven't so much as touched a spring or strap since early last march, and while i have lots of time every day in which i'm not working for money, absolutely none of it is free (because i am a stay at home mother = a worker with constant work piles that are never, ever complete).
it might sound a bit silly or even selfish, but i view taking care of a baby as an intensely physical act with whole body potential. playing with her by tossing her into the air is strength for shoulders and triceps, long stroller walks a great opportunity for centering and healthy wrists, chasing after diego on the playground can become real cardio intervals, and doing the dishes is a true test of alignment. not to mention squats and lunges going down to play on the floor and getting back up, or lifting people up onto the changing table 50 times a day. even running errands with ramona in the carrier (because when else would you strap a 20lb dumbbell to your chest to go walk around and buy bananas?)
the point is that contrary to the narrative i've received that mom bodies are less strong, toned, or beautiful or in more pain than non-mom bodies, i've found that by treating motherhood as physical work and exercise, i have been able to strengthen my body, reduce pain, and beautify myself (albeit more slowly than i'd like - the camera really does add pounds and reveal allllllll the weaknesses).
i'm not the first to write about the power of perspective to create the shifts and changes we want to see in our lives - there is much out there on this topic - but i am a pretty decent example of it in action. some things, like making it through two pregnancies without stretch marks, are either genetics or just luck, but many many other things are entirely within our control to change for the better.
as you go through your day, see where the movement happens, and be excellent in your execution of it, however mundane. carry your grocery bags home like you're uma thurman hauling water up the steps in kill bill, or hinge your hips and keep your back straight as you bend to wash your face, vacuum the floor with your non dominant hand, walk your dog with bearing and aplomb.
also, never miss an opportunity to foam roll or stretch when it's time to relax in the evening. after all, you've had a hard, physical day, whether you "worked out" or not!
that's it for today, babes. as always, i love to hear from you, and i can't wait to see you onscreen soon!
keep pulsing,
Annie
