It had been a long day in the throws of motherhood. A grateful day. But a long and exhausting one involving lots of crying and screaming. And I needed to cool off in order to stop myself from getting snappy with my kids. So when my husband finished working for the evening I said "I'm going to the basement, I'll be back". And left the chaos. Haha just kidding. The chaos followed me to the basement. But I got on the treadmill anyway. I ran and the kids did what kids do and eventually my husband took them up for a bath and I was able to finish my run alone. I was able to breathe and release and sweat and start fresh. I was able to rejoin for bedtime and get to enjoy putting my munchkins to sleep.
Running and strength training make me a better Mom in so many ways. Here are just a few of them:
8 ways running and strength training make me a better Mom:
1 - They help me manage stress
Just like in the story above, running and lifting allow me to blow off steam. Steam that might otherwise be taken out elsewhere, like on my kids. But when I tire myself out on foot and get in a good solid sweat, I can release some of those negative feelings, embrace the positive endorphins coming my way and let go of some of the inner stress.
2 - They boost my energy
Running and lifting boost positive endorphins and decrease negative ones. They improve cardiovascular circulation and leave me feeling more energized than before. That's not to say they doesn't wear me out in their own right, but I always gain a boost of energy from my workouts. Energy that usually then flows straight to my kids.
3 - They recharge me
Running allows me time for me. Between the alone time, the focus on me/my body/my mind and the physiologic endorphins that it brings, I feel mentally reinvigorated after running. It usually allows me to focus on my kids with a more positive outlook than I could before the workout.
4 - They teach me resilience
Time and time again I push my physical and mental limits while working out. And I always tell myself if I can do hard things here, I can do hard things there. So when I'm having a particularly bad parenting day, I remind myself that this too shall pass and that I can in fact do hard things.
5 - They build my confidence
Running and strength training have transformed my confidence. This benefit does not stop at me, it reaches my kids. My confidence provides a positive example to my kids of what it means to stand strong in who you are, to speak kindly to yourself, and to encourage yourself. I love when my kids are doing something hard and I hear them say "you've this M, you can do it".
6 - They improve my mental health
Phewph. My head space is a hefty one. But because running allows me to clear my mind, think through things, and provides me with good endorphins, I can leave a run in a much better headspace than where I started.
7 - They help me appreciate my body
I focus everyday on the things that my body can do while running and lifting weights. Running and strength training help me to view my body as capable and strong and something worth taking up space. They have helped me appreciate my muscular legs and all that they can do. I am grateful to running and strength training for giving me this mindset.
8 - They make me grateful
Running and strength training not only make me grateful for me body, they also allow my head to free up space for everyday gratitude. They allow me to rid some stress and allow for breathing room. When I have internal breathing room I can see the little things, and be grateful for them.
Running and strength training have provided so much to my life. And the thing is, the more benefit that I gain, the better Mom I can be, and the more my kids gain. So even though I still sometimes feel guilty for taking time to do something for me, I am also so grateful that I have something that gives so much back to my family. It gives them me, and that is what they really need.
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