Meet Emily T.
What was your workout routine like pre-pregnancy? Did you have to modify?
I continued my exercise program during pregnancy, which I had been doing for a couple of years prior – 4 to 5 sessions per week at the gym. I was doing boxing, weights, circuits and yoga. I did stop jogging while pregnant, because it felt uncomfortable from pretty early on in my pregnancy. I also switched to pre-natal yoga, which was amazing and really helped me during labor, both with my breathing and my mental state in dealing with the muscles working and the intense pain.
I feel that being fit before I fell pregnant certainly helped me enjoy a beautiful pregnancy, helped during labor and helped me bounce back after having my little boy.
What kind of routine did you get into so you could bounce back after Jedd’s birth?
When I first had Jedd, I was doing a ‘Mums & Bubs’ class twice a week and I walked a lot with the pram. Then there was a period of time when his sleep routine didn’t really work with the group classes and it became harder to get there. I tried switching to working out early in the morning, but it didn’t last long because it wasn’t working for us. I was breast feeding and I wanted to be there for the first feed of the day. So there was definitely a period of time when it was difficult to get out and exercise on my own.
It must help living in a beach city with a great year-round climate, where you can just walk out the door with the pram.
Yes, definitely! Living 500 meters from the beach and having lots of wonderful walking and jogging paths all along the beach help to keep you motivated, fit and active. I always want to get out in the fresh air with the ocean by our side.
What are the challenges you face trying to incorporate working out, now you’re a mother?
In general, it’s challenging just to juggle work, motherhood and life. Also, fighting for exercise time with my hubby, Tim! Although the way we work it now is that we each have days during the week which are ours to schedule working out. I know if I miss the opportunity of my day, I won’t get it back, so I just have to get it done.
Mostly though, the biggest challenge for me and the reason I haven’t done as much exercise as I would have liked, is because of mother’s guilt. It’s an amazingly powerful feeling that no-one could prepare you for!
Tell me more about the mother’s guilt you feel. I feel like it’s a common experience, but it hasn’t really come up yet in a Fit Mama story.
Mother’s guilt has been and is still a big thing for me. I have never been good at putting myself first, even before I had Jedd, then when he was born I felt like it was my responsibility to be there for him, attending to his needs. I feel guilty for spending time away from him when I should be doing things with him. It has probably gotten worse as he’s gotten older, because now he pulls on the heart strings as well! I guess I just feel like if I’m not at work, then I should be taking him to the park or doing fun things with him, not doing things for myself. No-one has made me feel this way, it’s just me. I know it’s crazy, because showing him the healthy way to live is very important. It’s such a struggle.
I am getting better about it, though. Now I’m able to do both: exercise while I’m having fun with Jedd. He rides his bike while I jog alongside, or we go for walks with him in the pram.
What is your exercise routine like now? Do you have any particular goals you’re training towards?
Now I go to the gym twice a week, do boxing once a week and get out and exercise a lot with my little boy. Most weekends we walk to the park and we enjoy lots of outdoor activities together. For my two gym days, I do cardio for 40 minutes and then I do weights. I haven’t been doing yoga like I used to, although I need to!
My current goal is to lose 5kgs by exercising at least 4 times a week, eating clean (which for me is low carb, high protein, low sugar) and drinking 1.5 to 2 liters of water every day.
How has being fit and healthy benefitted you, especially now you’re a mother?
Exercising and being fit before, during and after pregnancy has certainly benefitted me both mentally and physically. Having a child is constant and you need a lot of energy to do everything you need to get done in the day, plus run around with them. I also do look forward to the time-out I get when I go to the gym, to clear my mind and get rid of any frustration I have. Since we do so much physical activity together, Jedd understands now that mummy needs to exercise and be healthy and it means he gets to play at the park, so he is happy with that!! It’s so important to show your kids how to live a healthy lifestyle and I’m glad I’m doing that for my little boy.
Thanks for being so open with me, Emily! It’s great to see how you’ve used the mother’s guilt to your advantage and turned it into a way of being active with your son. You’re an inspiring Fit Mama Friday! 🙂
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| Emily and Jedd on the beach in Wollongong |
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| Emily, Jedd and Tim out for a hike and admiring the view |
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| There IS snow in Australia….just not in this photo!! 😉 |
