I once dated a man who neither liked nor understood that I wouldn’t sleep with him and start our mornings slowly. This is what he loves to do and he wants to do it with me. I do this occasionally, but there’s just one problem: I go to the gym in the morning and nothing or no one disrupts the routine. He asked me to stop and rearrange my schedule for him.
Well, I told him no because I wasn’t going to sacrifice the routine that worked so well for me and made me feel so amazing.
I have always loved exercising in the morning. Once I had my kids, I decided I wanted to stick with it. Two weeks after my son was born, I bought a jogging stroller. Load him up and take a brisk walk to see how he feels. As I thought, it was glorious. Being a new mom is so hard and one of the things I miss the most is being lost in thought because I’m always thinking about my kids. Exercise can give you a mental break. and It feels so good to get out of the house and move.
Our daily walks became something I couldn’t live without. Two years later, when my daughter was born, one of the first things I did was invest in a double stroller. It took us a long time to get out of the house and it wasn’t easy, but it was necessary for my mental health and I knew that.
So when I found out I was pregnant with my third child (my second was already 7 months old), I felt a wave of panic. Pushing two kids in a stroller is hard, let alone three. To be honest, I’m tired. So I had to change everything. I started exercising in the living room for half an hour while my youngest took her morning nap and my oldest played on the floor next to me.
Yes, I had my share of meltdowns, tears, and many times when I had to stop what I was doing to care for them. But the more I stick to my routine, and the more my kids see me sticking to it, the easier it becomes.
Of course, when they get older, things get a lot easier. I can leave them alone, get some much needed quiet time, and get some exercise. My then-husband left for work early in the morning and didn’t come home until dinner time. To me, it’s family time that’s important. So I switched it to the morning and I’ve been a morning workout person ever since.
Now, I like to go when the sun comes up, if not before. This was my moment to clear my head. I put on my gym clothes, fill my carry-on cup with ice water, and head out the door for half an hour on the treadmill, followed by a half hour of weight training before heading out for the day. I know myself well enough to know that if I don’t exercise in the morning, I’ll never make it. Exercise helps me focus on being a mother and working, and also gives me the energy to keep up with life as a single mother of three.
My kids, friends, and partner know that there aren’t many barriers between me and my sport. them This is my time to decompress, invest in myself, and I don’t skip them unless it’s an absolute emergency. That doesn’t change because it makes me a good mom, a good friend, and a good partner. It was the most therapeutic and beneficial thing I have ever done for myself.
Honestly, it’s kind of crazy that anyone would think I’d give this up.
It’s time set aside just for myself, and in a world where I do things with and for other people, I need some time to just do things just for me. If I can keep my promise to myself and my three little kids and feel better about it, then there’s no going back.
Katie Lives in Maine with her three children, two ducks and a golden retriever. When she’s not writing, she’s reading, going to the gym, redecorating her house, or spending way too much money online.
