My fitness goal for June was to get 10,000 steps per day for at least 20 of the 30 days. I felt like that was a fair place to start, and I promised myself new tennis shoes if I reached it (much needed). I would be getting more exercise than usual while also striving for something attainable that I wouldn’t constantly beat myself up over for not achieving. I achieved my goal 2 days before my deadline, and I was momentarily proud of myself but that feeling was quickly followed by internal criticism starting with ‘you really shouldn’t be gloating, it wasn’t that hard’ and ‘this is your bar for fitness achievement now? C’mon’.
It stinks that it has been so challenging for me to adapt to my new normal in regards to what to expect from myself and my body. Even though I know all the ins and outs of anatomy and the changes we go through during pregnancy and postpartum life, for some reason my mind forgets that MY body went through all of that. Nine months of changes, and I expect to be normal in 4 short months? Yeah, right. Most of my life I have been an athlete, transitioning to running miles a day for exercise as I got older, and it’s hard for me to be okay with accepting that most days walking with the boys is my only form of exercise. Does anybody else struggle with this? There are so many changes that come with motherhood – the obvious one, having a child to care for, is just the tip of the iceberg.
The reason I started monthly challenges was to remind myself that reaching a goal is still an accomplishment even if it’s not the same goal I would have set for myself when I was 25 and kidless. I need to learn to adapt to my new body, new schedule (hello quick 10 minute workouts during overlapping nap times), and new “normal”. Check out my “accountability calendar” ↓. It is very helpful to see my progress (or lack of) every day when I walk into my kitchen.
Whatever you are striving for in your life, you can do it! Don’t downplay it. Even if it is something “simple” like taking the stairs once a day or having one less cookie (darn it). Let yourself feel proud, you deserve it. ♥
My goal for July is to do 20 Fitness Blender workouts – it is the 13th and I have done 1, so wish me luck! Thankfully, life with kids is always changing, and we are currently in the phase of better naps (hallelujah!) so if I can handle the dishes and laundry taking a backseat occasionally I know I can accomplish this!
If you haven’t checked out fitnessblender.com, you should. It’s free and it has loads of different workouts you can filter based on time, difficulty, and body area.