Category Archives: Yoga + Fitness

Yoga Strong Every Day

Yoga Strong Every Day | reflectivemama.comBaby finally fell asleep an hour after his bedtime, and then woke up almost an hour earlier than usual. So it goes. However, it made for a long two hours of breakfast and playtime before his morning nap. When he finally went down, the last thing I wanted to do was head back into the playroom to unroll my yoga mat.

For a second, I considered skipping practice. Almost immediately (although not as quick as I would like), I thankfully dismissed the idea. Skipping a workout would only begin a downward spiral leading to more and more skipped sessions, muscle loss, and pounds gained. May sound a little dramatic, but I’ve been there before. My brain deeply connects to one of Gretchen Rubin’s Secrets of Adulthood from The Happiness Project*, “What you do every day matters more than what you do once in a while.” Continue reading

Kicking Up My Cardio with Billy’s Favorite Moves

 

Confession: I love Tae Bo | reflectivemama.comFit Bottomed Girls recently published a top ten list of fitness DVDs to try at home. I took it as a personal to do list. I started by logging onto my library’s website to see which DVDs they had in stock. A cost-conscious mom, I always try my library first to decide if DVDs worth buying. However, their selection wasn’t exactly Amazon’s, so I had to tweak the list a tiny bit.

Instead of Billy Blanks: This is Tae Bo, I was able to borrow Billy’s Favorite Moves. Dedicating Baby’s second naptime a few days a week to this venture, I put on some fun workout clothes and my old jazz sneakers to dress the part. Continue reading

Finding My Post Baby Yoga Practice

Finding my Post Baby Yoga Practice | reflectivemama.com

 

Prenatal yoga brought me so much physical and emotional support during my pregnancy. Back then, I was committed to going three days a week. Before Baby was even born, I was looking forward to Mommy & Baby yoga classes as soon as I was cleared to exercise. I counted out six weeks from Baby’s last possible entrance into the world and wrote two months worth of classes into my calendar, plus additional reminders on my iPhone.

Oh, how those reminders taunted me. Six weeks postpartum, I was so sleep deprived I could barely function enough to take a shower. When Baby was eight weeks old, I started reading every book I could find on baby sleep. Mommy & Baby Yoga felt like an epic adventure I could only dream about. I was too scared to wake Baby up from a nap or of being out too long and missing his “sleep window.”

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Adventures in Childcare: Community Center Gym Daycare Edition

Adventures in Childcare: Community Center Gym Daycare | reflectivemama.com

With a husband who works 12+ hours a day, at least five days a week, Baby spends the vast majority of his time hanging out with Mama. A difficult sleeper to begin with, previous babysitter’s have not been able to get Baby to go to sleep while I’m out. Add to that his refusal to take a bottle or sippy cup, and you’ll get an idea for how often Baby’s by my side. I know, the problem is definitely more with my attachment then his. I’m trying to let go, get some “me time” back, and expose Baby to some other caregivers.

One idea I tried was to find a gym with a daycare to watch Baby, while I sneak in a workout (or shower, or coffee…). I was looking for a place where I could leave him for 30-60 minutes, one or two days a week. Way back before Baby was born, I took Zumba classes at our local community center. I looked them up and checked out their childcare options first.

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Prenatal Yoga Bliss

Prenatal Yoga - prepare for labor and birth with an incredible community of fellow mamas | reflectivemama.com

Photo by Ashley Walburn, www.mamayoga.net

A dancer growing up, I always liked the idea of yoga. Yet regular practice has tended to be difficult for me to maintain. In the months leading up to my wedding, I attended classes 2-3 times a week and started to see a noticeable difference in strength. I’ve always been a weakling, but through the regular yoga practice I would feel my strength building week by week in different poses.

Then I got married and my part-time position became a full time job. Lacking the motivation of wanting to look great in my wedding dress combined with a less flexible work schedule, my practice went by the wayside. Months went by, the job didn’t work out, and I got pregnant. Enter prenatal yoga.

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