Spending a Saturday with my sister and niece was a common occurrence when they lived nearby. On one of these occasions, our girls’ day included some shopping, lunch at Chipotle, and a two and a half mile walk while my niece got to try out her new stroller that she sits on like a bike. As I was carrying my niece to the car after shopping, I realized that my left arm, the one I was using to carry her, was getting quite tired. I jokingly, but also seriously, said that my left arm would be very sore later and I wouldn’t be able to figure out why. 

This reignited a conversation my sister and I have had a few times in the past: why are so many of us willing to carry heavy children around all day but are afraid to pick up a dumbbell or do any strength training?

Later in the day while we were on our walk, my niece figured out that she was able to steer the stroller/bike by turning the handle. This meant that it was much more challenging for my sister to keep the bike moving in a straight line, and she mentioned how much she had to engage her core muscles to keep the bike on the road, especially while we were going up and down hills. The conversation came up again: any parent or guardian I know would do anything for their child, yet so many people are unwilling to translate all of the activity they do with their kids into their training. 

I do not have any children of my own yet, but from watching others and being around all of my nieces and nephews, parenting is a very physically demanding job. You’re required to hold and carry your child for most of the day and figure out how to get everything else around you done at the same time. Spending a little bit of time with young children is enough to wipe out all of my energy, so I can only imagine how physically demanding it can be to have children of your own. On Saturday, I was very grateful to have prioritized strength training for so long because it made carrying my niece much easier than it would have been otherwise. 

The two biggest fears I hear around strength training, especially from moms, is that lifting weights will make them bulky or they’re worried about getting injured. Both of these concerns are extremely unlikely, as it is very challenging to put on muscle mass and getting stronger decreases our chances of getting hurt. It’s much more likely we become injured in our everyday life if our body is not prepared for the stress it is put under. The best way to be prepared for the demands is to practice through strength training. 

When we make decisions out of fear or to avoid something, like not strengthening our bodies because of fear of muscle mass or injury, we set ourselves up to achieve our fears and make them become reality. The irony of the situation is that the exact thing we are afraid of is the tool to help us avoid what we don’t want in life. It makes sense to not want to be hurt so you can take care of your child, and the best way to do that is by taking care of yourself and making sure your body is prepared to handle all of the stresses of your day. Even the smallest amount of training will make a tremendous difference in how you feel every day, no matter what your life looks like.

Xoxo

Coach Maggi