Knocking Out a New Workout Routine

Hey all you mommas out there!

Alicia Keys has a song on her third album called “Superwoman”. I’ve always loved and identified with the song, but never more than after I became a mother of two, stuck in quarantine with a 5 and 1 year old, along with my husband.

Before the pandemic, it had been hard trying to balance adding a new kid to our hectic mix, but I had made progress. I figured out a good schedule with the new kid, tried to fit in some quiet “me” time every so often, and even got back into my workout schedule…then COVID-19 happened and all that work went completely out the window. Suddenly, I was juggling working remotely as a training and development professional, interacting with my 5 year old, and supporting my husband as he navigated our new normal of being at home with our energetic and engaging kids – a real feat for someone highly introverted and in need of his alone time and space. All on top of mothering a new life; a new bundle of joy who had inadvertently become very attached to momma.

And so my quest to find some semblance of normalcy in utter chaos began.

It took months before I got the hang of working with kids running around. My husband and I divided and conquered what we could, with him mostly tackling our 5 year old while I had the baby, and us attempting to switch from time to time for some chance at variety. I worked around my daughter’s eating and sleeping schedule, only to dance around my pumping schedule as well. With all of this, one aspect of my old life that never seemed to lock into place was my old workout schedule.

Prior to the virus I had a long standing love affair with Orange Theory Fitness. I had gone 3 to 4 days a week religiously until I got pregnant. It was at that time that my doc benched me due to two previous miscarriages (you can read about my experiences with miscarriages here). While I was sad to be derailed from my progress and routine, I wanted what was best for our new miracle. I never thought I wouldn’t be back for almost a year! Turns out our little woman had other plans for me.

Between constant morning sickness and sciatica, I didn’t feel up to the intensity of OTF until after our daughter’s birth. So, I felt so much joy returning to my old love after the long absence. I got in all of a month before this new coming of the plague emerged.

Trying to find an at home workout routine was a real beast. Especially with the kiddos running around being cute distractions. So, how did I manage? Well, as Alicia Keys’ says...

“I am a superwoman. Yes, I am! (Yes, she is) Even when I’m a mess, I still put on a vest, with an ‘S’ on my chest, oh yes, I’m a superwoman!”

Mid-way through the pandemic, as we learned more about how it worked, we started having my son go to daycare three days a week because he needed that interaction and we trust the things they've put in place to protect our kids. In those early days, I decided to work out with my daughter right before my husband came home with him. That took some trail and error. I learned that my little woman would tolerate her activity center for the first fifteen minutes or so of my workout – just long enough for me to get in a good ten on the treadmill and into the first few of my weight workouts. Then I’d place her on the floor close to me while I finished. Keeping her involved also helped. When it was time to do some cardio movements, I substitute whatever the system called for with some mommy-and-daughter dance time or other alternatives. It wasn't perfect, but I kept my heartrate up and Baby Girl seemed to have a good time as well. It worked for a while...and this Baby Girl grew into a toddler and that plan was shot.

I spent months languishing to find something new. I decided that being around people during a pandemic wasn't my jam, so I had to determine an alternative to OTF. After searching a lot of options I settled on the Tonal. I loved the idea that it gives both me and the hubs options for both cardio and lifting. While waiting for it to arrive I discovered my new love...yoga! These days I wake early (5am) to do a quick and heartrate racing yoga session. Sometimes my little woman complies and stays sleep, others....well you know how things go. I also take in an hour yoga session every evening using Insight Timer. I love this app because you can work with the same teachers and it's free! Donations are welcomed and encouraged, but not mandatory, and once you get to know your favorites, believe me, you want to donate. Between that and my Friday - Sunday Tonal workouts, I think I've finally got the "taking care of my body" item on my list checked off. Though I'm sure a new hurdle will show up at any moment and I'll have to rethink things all over again, but that's life!

When it comes down to it, trying to balance all that we need to do with what we WANT to do for ourselves can be quite a battle, but try not to throw your hands up in frustration. It may take time, but I know you’ll find a balance that works for you...for a while at least. And when you have to change due to some growth spurt or sleep regression or whatever else the universe decides to throw at you, know that you are definitely not alone. Just stick with it, momma. You’ve got this!

What are some of the ways that you’ve incorporated your own workout routines? Or anything else that you’d like to do for yourself?