I have a confession to make – I’ve stopped exercising. Mind you, I have (in my mind, anyhow…) a good excuse, but I have officially stowed my (very tight!) sports bras and sports socks away till after the baby comes to visit, and I’m totally OK with this decision.
All through my pregnancy with Austin, and for most of this one as well, I was diligent about getting my sweat on 4-5 days per week, be it through videos and DVDs at home, biking, XC skiing, snowshoeing, or walking. I’m sure this was part of the reason I didn’t blow myself out during pregnancy #1 (I squeaked by only gaining 24 lbs, which was probably gone after 2 months…and was totally one of those bitches who could squeeze into my (looser) pre-pregnancy jeans about a week after coming home). And I maintained this same schedule, as much as I could, during this pregnancy. But for the past two weeks, I SWEAR that my hips have been spreading. I have this ache in both of my hips and lower back, and the more strenuously I move, the worse it gets. It started after the first beautiful, sunny spring day we had this year. Lyndon and I took Austin for a five-mile walk – which felt great! Sunshine, warmth, skin exposed to the sunlight and taking in some vitamin D…but once we got home, I started to ache, and it has just gotten worse. In the mornings, when I normally pop in a DVD and get moving, I can barely walk, and I just don’t think that lunges, squats, and step aerobics are going to improve my state.
Mind you, I’m still trying to keep myself on track by taking short walks here and there, stretching, and playing with a very active 19 month old, but for the first time in a really long time I have absolutely no guilt about resting my body, and it feels great! Mornings are no longer a rush of get dressed – excercise – shower – make the baby breakfast and the hubby coffee – attempt to eat while drying hair and cleaning oatmeal off the floor…instead I can move at a leisurely pace, even check Facebook and blogs, enjoy my breakfast, and play with Austin. It is liberating to give up the morning exercise guilt and just let me body concentrate on growing a healthy baby. I only have a few weeks left before life takes a swing towards crazy, and I intend to savor every last moment of calm that I can!
