Anxious Mums by Jodi Richardson

Anxious Mums by Jodi Richardson

Author:Jodi Richardson [Richardson, Jodi]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781760897765
Publisher: Penguin Random House Australia


Chapter Six

How exercise helps with anxiety

Exercise has always played an important role in my life and I put a lot of it down to the netball and running Mum used to do when I was little. I loved going to her games and hanging out on the sidelines. When I was old enough, we’d go running together. I have such fond memories of those times. Incidentally, Mum’s approaching 73 and still walking upwards of 20 kilometres a week. As mums, we have a big influence on our kids’ lifetime exercise habits, which of course has knock-on effects for their physical and mental health.1 What we do becomes the norm for our families.

I’m lucky in that I absolutely love playing sport and exercising. I played netball for 25 years and then took up karate after having the kids. I started when I was 40 and train two or three times a week with a dedicated, experienced and knowledgeable sensei and a ‘family’ of fellow ‘ninjas’. I’m also a member of a brilliant local CrossFit Box, where I train a couple of times a week while the kids are at school.

I love exercise for so many reasons, but above all, it’s the physical and psychological strength and resilience that comes from working hard with great people that elevates my life. Exercise helps me keep my anxiety in check and the amazing feeling that follows a workout stays with me long after it is over. Sport and exercise are not only part of the fabric of my personal life, they have been integral to much of my professional life as well.

Now, I can hear you saying, ‘That’s all very well and good, Jodi, but your kids are at school,’ and you’re absolutely right. One of the things we know for sure about becoming mums is that many of our freedoms of the past are on hold, for a while anyway. Walks with bub in the pram are, of course, a great way to keep moving, but that depends on where you live too – not all suburbs have footpaths! Distances walked can also be determined by how many children we have – prams can get heavy, especially on hills, with a toddler and a baby on board.

It can be quite the challenge fitting in one or two exercise sessions a week with babies and toddlers – I found that too. Carving out time for exercise can also be particularly difficult for single mothers and those without much, or any, support.



Download



Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.