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busymum
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Topic: Being unfit/tired/etc Posted: 29 July 2007 at 7:46pm |
Ok ladies I need some post-baby womanly opinions  And just a disclaimer: this thread is not for chovy (or BSDH  ) and if he (they) decide to read it, it's at their own risk! Nhe he he
Ok so everyone knows that mummies are prone to tiredness/exhaustion etc. Especially new mums (that is, mums to new babies). But what to do about it? I try to eat well (healthy, regularly, not many sugary snacks, etc) and I need to watch my bedtime more, but what about fitness?
Now I'm not talking about weight or weightloss, just general fitness. A lot of times (not every) when I tell my DH (who really is my DearH but there are some things I don't think he'll ever understand) that I'm feeling tired/exhausted or whatever, he tells me that if I do some fitness regime or even do more housework, that my energy will recharge because it's being used. I argue that I do a lot of housework around here and sit-down times are to keep me paced for my rather long mummy hours (7am to 10pm and broken nights too), and that going for a walk would have recharged me before I had kids but things are different after having babies. He's not calling me lazy or anything, he thinks I do a lot around here and generally do a good job. (He helps out with bed routines and dishes/kids/etc on weekends, and we have a housekeeper to clean bathrooms/toilets/mopping/vacuuming. And I do the rest.) But he thinks I'd be easily able to do more if I just set my mind to it.
It's become a touchy subject around here.  What are your views and experiences with this?
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kebakat
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 7:51pm |
I've only just started getting out for walks. Becks and I (and kell when she can make it) are meant to go walkies monday and friday but I've been going ocassionally with DH and I must say that I do seem to feel better for it.
Today for example I felt tired as this morning. We went for a 3.5km walk and I felt lots better afterwards so I'm gonna try and go for a walk every day to use energy and get my fitness up
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marielb
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 7:51pm |
Hmmm, not sure here myself. I would love to have the time to go for a walk by myself, but not for the fitness aspect, just for the me time.
I find if I sit around all day I am much tireder than when I got out and do stuff.
My DH makes comments like yours has too, and I know he's not meaning to be offensive or anything either.
Its really hard to find time to do anything isn't it! And as for whether or not exercise makes you feel better, I don't know!!!!!!!
And you are doing a bloody good job with 3 under 4! They must keep you fit and young anyway!
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Maya
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 7:54pm |
Hmmm, thats a tough one for me coz I have trouble shutting myself down to sleep, so I exist in a constant state of go-go-go without a break. I definitely agree with you tho that at the end of the day when the kids go to bed I need to just sit on my butt and not do anything. That's usally when I work, coz it's mental exercise whereas the kids are physically draining.
I think that anyone with kids, particularly in families where there are more kids than parents  works 24 hours a day and there has to be a limit to how much you can do. So if you feel like what you're doing is enough, then it IS enough.
I'm lucky that Willie appreciates how much I do and is forever telling me I need to do less and not overcommit myself. Although he also doesn't offer to help out so if I didn't do it all it wouldn't get done!
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 Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
  The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
 Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
 Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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FionaS
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 7:56pm |
I definately find exercise increases my energy. My energy levels and motivation suffer if I don't get out for a decent walk. I used to walk to and from work and always really enjoyed it. Since it's winter and I'm at home with a baby I haven't done as much walking lately and I definately have less energy and motivation. Exercise increase blood flow and "feel good" hormones so basically acts as a natural antidepressant.
I too spend a great deal of time on domestic tasks and barely ever sit down but I find nothing beats a good walk.
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Mummy to Gabrielle and Ashley
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MILF
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 8:28pm |
i think that mental tiredness has a lot to answer for - how completely tiring is it to constantly tidy up a room, only to turn around and have it messed up again. you get to a point where you just cant be bothered and leave it all for a day.
i dont know how to get around that though, so any clues would be great! i know i am not so drained at the end of the day since i started running though. but that is easier said than done.
question though, what do you do for you, thats only for you? what time out do you take for youeself in a day? maybe you arent *recharging* in the right way for you?
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Lyla - mum to
Xanthe -  my big 4 year old
and
Jordis -  1 year old
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lil_miss
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 8:36pm |
Exercise releases the endorphins that make you feel more energetic and alive... contrary to the thought of it making you more tired - initially yes - but it actually does work :)
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my2angels
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 8:39pm |
One way i notice my general fitness is by skipping. When it got to winter and I couldnt walk I decided I was going to start skipping. At the start I could only do 100 skips and I would make myself do this during an tv ad. then hubby got in on it and within a couple of weeks we were getting up to 1000 skips a night, 100 per ad break. At the start I was getting my heart rate going and sweating more than I did on a 45 minute walk and when I started finding it easy we would push ourselves to another 100 a night. might be worth a go, just pick one program that you would sit down and watch at night and get your skipping rope handy
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Konagirl
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 9:38pm |
BusyMum, how about looking at it another way. Maybe trying to workout a way you can get outside once or twice a week is just that. A chance to get outside. Sun on your face (ok, that will get better in the next few months), some fresh air and different things to look at. Show the kids the ducks in the river. Walk them to park. Hmmm. Not sure what else to suggest. But I'm thinking that changing it to a chance to get outside with the added bonus of getting fitter might help and then as you get used to it and see the benifits maybe longer walks might start appealing more and the kids will be a bit older. One of the things I can't wait for is walking along beside my kid as he/she learns to ride a bike.
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Angel babies Mar '04, Oct '08 and Sep '09.
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mamanee
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 10:21pm |
It's definitely a touchy subject here too. My DP thinks the answer to everything is to get outside and go for a nice big walk. Once every fortnight or so he will decide that he wants to go for a walk so off he goes, and sometimes he's gone for ages. He tells me where he has walked and if I did the same route it would honestly take me about 2+ hours. So whenever I think about going for a walk, he suggests that I do the same route because it was a good walk or something. If I ever have a cold, a sore stomach, am tired, anything and everything is bought back to 'that's because you haven't been for a walk'. It doesn't matter what I say, he mentions it. It really really pisses me off because I KNOW I should go for more walks, but it's just getting that initial motivation.
Oh and the thing that pisses me off the most is that when I do go for walks (been for heaps lately) when I get back and it's only been 20-30 minutes he says 'Oh, that wasn't very long, you should go for longer'. I can't win.
I'm not too worried as that's pretty much our only issue at the moment. We have a somewhat volatile/love/hate/fiery relationship and although I love him dearly, sometimes I would love to smash him over the head with a big heavy object.
He's just as unfit as me, so it's not like he can talk!
Edited by neeandsam
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MILF
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Posted: 29 July 2007 at 10:31pm |
aaah sounds like true love  and you have HEAPS of time, sam is only 2 months old!
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Lyla - mum to
Xanthe -  my big 4 year old
and
Jordis -  1 year old
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Bizzy
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Posted: 30 July 2007 at 9:04am |
my husband thinks if i wasnt on the computer all day i would get more done and feel better. Maybe limiting your computer time might help too.
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mummy_becks
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Posted: 30 July 2007 at 11:06am |
Mine says the same thing. Fo outside and get soe fresh air. So I have taken his advice and it does work. I did it last Sunday went outside for 20 minutes pulling weeds out of the garden and after that I felt much better. And the walks I go on help as well. But having 3 kids at home with you all the time can makes things difficult to do that. And the weather here in Palmy doesn't help either.
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I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived!
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