If getting in shape is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, you have plenty of company. In January, gym memberships soar, exercise bicycles are excavated from beneath piles of household clutter, and runners can be seen chugging around the track in brand-new sporty duds.
But if you’re a busy mom, jump-starting an exercise routine can be daunting — no matter how motivated you are. Finding time can be the greatest challenge: How do you squeeze exercise in around pediatrician appointments, birthday parties, and work demands? When you do find yourself with a slice of free time, you’re likely to have a long list of tasks competing for your attention — making it hard to justify leaving it all behind to go to the gym.
But physical fitness has been linked to everything from cancer prevention to improved mental health and energy levels. And mothers need regular exercise as much as anyone else — maybe even more, given the challenges of being a parent. If you’re a new mom, getting in shape will help you regain a sense of control over your body and your life. For experienced moms, exercise can provide an outlet from the ongoing pressures of parenthood.
To celebrate the New Year, and help you get motivated, we’re highlighting stories of real moms who are getting in shape and making it work. Exercise has not only improved these women’s health, it’s helped them build community and increase their confidence. Being active has reacquainted them with their bodies, given them contact with the natural world, and provided them with a sense of accomplishment.
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