It is a mother’s conflict: the balance of time spent on oneself, one’s work, and family. Exercising/staying active can seem like a dispensable luxury. When there are so few hours in the day to get everything done, it can feel selfish to spend one of those hours on something like an activity for oneself. It certainly felt that way to me.
I have been back and forth in both situations as a working mother and as a SAHM. No doubt I will be going back and forth in those same situations in the future. Both situations are demanding. I started to exercise when my children were little and then, out of guilt in being pulled in so many directions, I gave up exercise… until I realized that I wasn’t spending any more time with my family in that extra hour, I was spending more time feeling exhausted and going through the motions of the day. I wasn’t enjoying each moment as it came along. I wasn’t fully present with each conversation. It was then that I realized that exercise for moms is not a luxury. It’s a necessity.
