Diaper bags, pony tails and treadmills . . . new mom Amanda P. blogs about her fitness journey

Going to the gym is rough enough, add a heat wave and you are one brave soul. Now try schlepping your gym bag, the baby bag and the baby carrier across the parking lot...I actually tried convincing myself that all this heavy lifting meant I could skip arm workouts today. It's pretty bad when you're already sweating before you even put on your sports bra. But no matter the excuses my mind was coming up with this time, I pulled my hair into a pony, grabbed my water bottle and got my butt out of the locker room. 

The main fitness center was pretty quiet today, no afternoon cardio classes, (thank god, i thought to myself). Maybe I could actually get in that light jog I had planned on doing during my last visit. There were two other ladies on the tread mills, so I hopped on one in between both of them. These machines ask your weight, your age, how long you plan on working out ... gosh, I wasn't prepared for all of this. 

Let's see, I looked over my shoulder and made sure no one was sneaking a peak as I typed in my weight and age. Then I tried to sneak in my own peak at my neighbors treadmill to see how long she was planning on working out. Because I'm a girl and girls are nosy and competitive. Then I saw that she had already been on the treadmill for 42 minutes! I was not ready for that type of commitment. And she was running! Had she been running that entire time? What speed is she going? Is she gonna judge me and my 4.0 speed with an uncommitted 20 minutes? Ok, game on! 

I popped up on the treadmill and hit the up button until I reached a 4.8 speed and started my little jog. I can do this, I can keep up with Legs to my left. I hit one minute, two minutes, five minutes and started closing in on ten minutes. My legs started burning, my face was flushed and I probably sounded like a horse in heat trying to catch my breath and then I made the awful decision of looking over at the mirror. Bad choice! If you think you look a hot mess, I am fairly certain that you do, indeed, look a hot mess. I turned away from the mirror and tried checking out  Legs to my left without actually turning my head to the left. She was closing in on 60 minutes of running at a 6.0+ speed and her sweat sort of sparkled on her forehead. Like really!?! Why does she get to look so cute while shes running and I'm over here working with flushed cheeks,a faucet of sweat running down my face and the breathing situation of a smoker? 

But I had to get real with myself. I'm willing to bet that this wasn't Legs to my left's first time at the rodeo. She more than likely has trained weeks, months, if not years and built up an endurance to run long distance. As a girl, I feel like I am always comparing myself to my peers around me and the person who happens to be running alongside of me at the gym spares no expense to my comparative nature. It gets the best of us sometimes. 

But if we aren't careful, it can really get in the way of our own progress. As cool as it would be to just throw on a pair of sneakers, hit the track, and run 5 miles without a blink, in reality, I am my own person and I am working out at my own pace and building up my own endurance.

So maybe in a few weeks, I'll be that chic on the treadmill running a committed full hour at a 6.0 speed, but until then, I'll remain thighs to the right sporting a confident smile.

~ Amanda P.

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CHHRC member Amanda Powell shares her story about getting back into shape (and back into life) after having her first baby . . . please follow Amanda on her amazing journey!

Everyone tells you that having a baby changes your life. In the back of your head, for 10 long months while you carry them inside of you, you think, "yeah yeah..." And then you finally get to meet that precious little face and kiss every single finger and every single teeny tiny toe and you finally get it, this really does change everything. And while you love spending every waking minute with this precious little gift, what everyone did not tell you is that this changes EVERYTHING! 

No more late nights out and sleeping in, no more sporadic movie dates with your husband, no more quick CVS runs to grab mascara, because all of these "normal" activities involve bringing a bottle, extra diapers, baby toys, a pacifier, a stroller, and of course, the baby. 

Well, after three amazing months of maternity leave, I am back and I am ready to prove that while having a baby changes everything, this is my time to start changing the things I actually want to change. In order for me to be a good wife and a good mom, first and foremost, I need to take care of myself. Not a single day went by, while I was on maternity leave, that I didn't shower or put on some form of eye makeup. If I can make time to pretty myself up, then I certainty can make changes to my schedule to make time for my health. And lets face it ladies, speaking of changes, our bodies take one heck of a change during pregnancy. What was once that "healthy glow", seemed to quickly change into stretchmarks. And lying on the couch holding your baby, catching up on Real Housewives re-runs does not help the situation at all, trust me! What DOES work is making changes in your routine and setting priorities. I am a full time working mom, trust me, I am all about prioritizing. I right now, health and wellness needs to be on my list.

So today, my fitness journey has officially begun. Even on the way to the gym, I was thinking oh goodness, am I really ready for this? I can just turn around, go back home, and watch tv...oh look, there's a McDonalds! But no, I drove straight to the club, with all those bottles, and extra diapers, and baby toys, and pacifiers, and the stroller, and my son Paddy, and I marched right in and knew this was the right decision. Of course the sauna room and coffee bar looked enticing, but when the club director tells you that you are just in time for the 10:30 Group Active class with Stacy, you really don't have much of a choice but to take Group Active with Stacy. And when Group Active Instructor Stacy puts you smack dab front and center of the class, you know this means business. 

Now, I by no means have any type of coordination when it comes to fitness classes, so I immediately apologized in advance to the two woman behind me, but they just smiled, and to me, their smiles said "girl, you got this." The first 15 minutes went by with a breeze. Sure, graceful Stacy was punching, kicking, and jumping to the beat, and I'm sure I looked like an ape throwing my own poop in a cage, but I found my own sort of rhythm. 

But it was after those 15 minutes that my body just started screaming "what are you doing to me!!??" It was as if my inner self felt like she was getting the tar beat out of her and wanted nothing to do with the situation. My legs burned. My armed killed. My stomach was nauseous. I needed water..... Quick, run out and grab water and never ever go back in that torture chamber. So I ran out and grabbed water. And I watched the class continue for 4 minutes, for 5 minutes, for 6 minutes. And that's when it really hit me. This change is not going to be easy. This change is going to take a lot of commitment and dedication. And as my husband says, you can't always be pretty, you have to sweat a little. So I matched my pretty, not so little, behind right back into class and finished the last 30 minutes. And boy did I sweat...

Or do I mean swear!? My legs still burned, and my arms still killed, and I still felt a little nauseous, but I finished the class, and it felt SO amazing! I had to change my mindset into believing that I could do this, and that I can continue to do this! This change is a journey, and I'm all in. And the way I see it, any excuse to buy more stretchy tights from Athleta is a good enough excuse for me ... because unlike my husband, I think pretty and sweaty can make a fabulous combination!