Saturday, August 11, 2007

Can postpartum exhaustion still be my excuse?

Last night I did my first postpartum workout, a mommy & baby yoga/pilates DVD I picked up at the thrift store a month ago.

Does it still count as postpartum if the baby's already 14 months old? Is it still "mommy & baby yoga" if the baby would rather pull all the videos out of the drawer in the media cabinet than help me work my abs by playing airplane?

It felt so good to stretch and use my stiff muscles; I don't know why it took me so long to finally get out the yoga mat again! I was pretty good about getting regular exercise for most of my pregnancy, and it made a huge difference in how I felt. I'm not sure whether I got it into my head that exercise is a "should," which takes the fun out of it, or a "luxury," which makes it feel too indulgent. Either way, for a year my neuroses have convinced me to sit on the couch and knit instead.

Knitting can be meditative, and therefore good for the mind, but it makes for a soggy body if it's your only hobby. And as it turns out, exercise is good for the mind, too, sending blood flow and endorphins to the brain, and reducing stress and depression. We all know this, right? So why do I sit on the couch every time I get a moment to myself?

Beats me. But I'm going to start lying down on the floor instead.

4 comments:

Lift Up Your Hearts said...

I can relate, Amanda. It's been 12 years since I exercised hard and regularly. That is sad, isn't it? But! Five weeks ago I started again and have been working hard 5-6 days a week. I can tell such a difference in how I feel, and the inches are slowly coming off too. Keep up the good work!

Anonymous said...

Great blog. Thanks for visiting mine. I had never thought about exercise being a luxury before. I'll have to give that a shot. I am still having a hard time getting back into the yoga groove and it is absolutely taking it's toll on my poor body.

Bliss said...

exercise? does doing laundry and going to the library count? in my mind, i'm riding the cycle at the gym at least 3 times a week. in reality, i'm on the laptop blogging my heart out or surfing the web until my eye sight is blurred and my fingers are tired. hey! does THAT count as exercise? my fingers have really big muscles. '-)

Unknown said...

yes, postpartum can be your excuse!!

your nutty neighbor :)

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