Before I knew I was going to be a mom, I was a professional snowboarder, kickboxing three times a week and spending all my free time at the gym. I was sure that my pregnancy would be easy, without any complications, and I dreamed about how my baby and I would do yoga together. I was going to be the happiest and healthiest mom ever! Well, or I really wanted it … However, the reality turned out to be completely different. Only when my daughter was two years old did I have the energy and time to do at least some exercise. I had no idea about all the difficulties of motherhood and could not even imagine that all the injuries received during training and competitions would remind me of myself after childbirth, and I would lead a sedentary lifestyle. Fortunately, this time is behind us, and now I want to share my experience of how I managed to return to sports and an active lifestyle. Here are three lessons that I learned (I hope they will be useful not only for new mothers): 1) Be kind to yourself Before pregnancy, I considered myself a super athlete, I was quite naive, demanding and did not forgive myself or others for any shortcomings. My idea of what it means to be in good shape was ironclad, but my body has changed. Until I could step back into the gym again, I had to learn to let go of my mind, live in the present, and enjoy the moment. 2) Not enough time? Try something new! I didn’t play sports because I didn’t have time for it. This conviction was my main obstacle. The more I thought about how much time I should spend commuting to the gym, the more excuses I found for not going there. One day, out of complete desperation, I decided to start running around the house … I hated running, but my body and my mind required training. And you know what I found? What I really like to run! And I still run, and in the last three years I have run two half marathons. So, it’s not a lack of time, but old habits and beliefs. 3) Celebrate your life – you never know who you inspire Of course, it was difficult for me to forget about my past achievements in sports and start everything from scratch. My progress in running did not seem so significant to me. However, I noticed that when I told my friends about them, I inspired them with my example, and they also started running. And this is such a great reason to rejoice! And I realized that no matter what you do, rejoice in it, share your joy with others and celebrate your life! Source: zest.myvega.com Translation: Lakshmi
2022-11-11