Get Outside, Mama

Cheers to week three of shelter in place here on the central coast of CA. Am I the only parent looking for any and every excuse to get out of the house? We’re out of self rising flour (that I’m not even sure what to do with?) I’ll go to the store. The dishwasher is full? No need to turn it on, I’ll go buy us more dishes. What do you mean the Christmas decorations don’t fit in the twelve designated bins we have in the garage? Target, here I come. Equipped with surgical gloves and a week’s worth of wet wipes, a shopping trip isn’t looking entirely different from the status quo if you’re a parent. Only now, the wet wipes are for me, the 11,000 surfaces that I’m bound to touch, and every single item that enters our home.

If we’re just being honest, though, it’s killing me. Can we all just admit here and now that this is hard, it may get harder, and that we don’t want to do it anymore? OK, tantrum over. You see it’s killing me because my business and livelihood depend on being outside, with other mamas and their babes. We stride with our strollers, babies strapped to our chests, and help mom find her fit. It’s not just about the fitness, but the connection, the camaraderie, and the sanity that we gain from being around others that are in the trenches with us so-to-speak. So to have to take this business inside, without the ability to physically connect, tickle each other’s babies and laugh through the lack of sleep over coffee, frankly, it downright sucks. 

I tend to think a lot about what it means to be able to offer something unique and valuable to society. It’s what helps me sleep at night, knowing that there are families that benefit from the service of FIT4MOM. We teach child-friendly fitness classes, offer playgroups and mom-only events, to moms at any age and stage of motherhood. I say that families benefit from our services because a mother’s mood generally sets the tone for her entire family, and by now we know that fresh air and exercise are proven to be an effective way to boost your mood. 

That being said, I’m finding it hard to feel valuable amongst the chaos that is COVID-19, when our reality has inevitably become virtual. That’s why today and every day I’m challenging myself and my fellow mamas to go outside. If you never use the tools I’m about to give you I won’t know the difference, but I swear to you, they will make you feel better. So if you only have five minutes, this is what I want you to do. 

• Find yourself a spot in grass where you feel safe and grounded (bonus points for doing this barefoot)
• Place both hands on your diaphragm or belly and start to concentrate on your breath coming from here instead of your chest. Feel your stomach expand and contract. 
• Become mindful of your posture. Rotate your shoulders back a few times and pause them at neutral. Distance your feet shoulder width apart. Fight the urge to “lock” your knees. Close your eyes and find your balance. 
• Up the intensity of your belly breathing. Imagine that you’re wearing a corset as you “lace up” your core muscles around your spine. 
• With your eyes closed, slowly take one hand up and over your head to rest on the opposite ear. While supporting your head with your hand, slowly stretch your neck away from it’s shoulder. Repeat this on the other side. 
• Rock back and forth on your heels, waking up your calves and ankles. 
• Hinge at the waist with your back flat and press your hands towards the ground away from you. 
• Slowly roll up one vertebrae at a time. 

If you’ve found any sort of relief from these exercises, then my work here is complete. If you’re hungry for more, and you have a stroller-age kiddo, this audio track is for you! Strap your child into a stroller, grab yourself a water and a mat or towel for floor work, and get going! Lisa Druxman (Chief Founding Mom of FIT4MOM®) will guide you through a 30 minute start-to-finish workout based on her original concept for a mom-based fitness class almost 20 years ago. You can stream this class and her entire podcast for free on Spotify, or anywhere you stream media. 

With Gratitude (and a mouthful of Cadbury Eggs)

Ali Bateman 

Pre and Postnatal Fitness Expert, Owner of FIT4MOM SLO County