Strong as a Mother

Strong, as a mother. How?

Being strong, as a mother, is so much more than muscles. They say that you never really know how strong you are until being strong is your only choice. But what does that really mean? My transition into Motherhood brought me to my knees. To say I struggled would be an understatement. I felt like my entire identity disappeared and my physical body collapsed under the pressure.

You see, strength is as much about our internal world as much as it is muscles. Strength is being weak and persevering in the face of adversity. Strength is vulnerability and having the courage to show it. And it is often from our weakest point that we rise and find our strength once more. Rising strong, rising fierce, is a gift to all women. Through pregnancy, birth and beyond we travel through our pain, our doubts and fears to discover our true strength.

Strength and Exercise

As a Personal Trainer you would naturally assume that my gig is mostly  physical strength. However, that is only part of it. Many years of mothering have taught me about change, adaption, patience, awareness, modifying and ultimately finding a new way of being. I have come to learn that there are no rules to strength and fitness and it looks differently for each of us.

There are, of course, the basics that you cannot overlook. For example, seeing a Women’s Health Physio as well as working with a Coach that understands the female body after birthing babies. But then it’s about whatever works in your life – for you and your family. Truly learning to meet your body exactly where it is today is the key. Remembering that what is right for another may not be right for you.

Being strong when you are weakened

I didn’t have to think much about exercise or movement in my life until it was restricted around the activities, habits and routines of small people. I am often asked about what exercise to do if you only have 15mins OR how to exercise when you have little energy and/or lack motivation. The thing is that as mothers we are in a unique position denied to many an office worker. We have a golden opportunity to build great strength everyday because we often don’t stop moving! And as such we can,

• practice breathing techniques multiple times a day
• work on stability and mobility as we walk, lie, roll, squat, lunge, sit, push, pull, rock, sway every day with our small humans
• discover more optimal movement patterns that assist and support our pelvic floor and core unit by working with professionals who know their stuff

Being a Mother is learning about strengths you didn’t know you had, and dealing with fears you didn’t know existed

Don’t underestimate the power of the small actions done daily to reach those bigger gains and goals. I know it’s cliché to say but the reality is that everything big starts small and focussed (Acorns and Oak Trees!).

Recently I walked amongst the giants of strength when I visited the Redwoods in the Otway Ranges. As I stood in awe of these mighty trees it truly starts to drop in – strength is trusting the process, going slowly and consistently over time and stopping to breath in the moments. If you want to learn about all facets of strength then go the forest and stand amongst the trees.