I’ve been a mom for almost eight years and have only just begun making exercise a priority. Why did it take me so long to make a solid attempt at getting healthy?
Because I felt guilty about it.
That’s right. I had exercise guilt.
How many times have you thought about exercising but guilt stopped you? You spend all day either working or taking care of your kids, yet you can’t bring yourself to carve out a mere thirty minutes to take care of yourself!
So how did I get over the guilt and get started on a path to wellness? I had a very tough run of sickness last winter. I spent a lot of time in my bed with different illnesses missing out on life. It was all because I hadn’t been taking care of myself for a long time. I’d let myself go.
My body’s natural defenses were nowhere to be found.
I knew what I needed to do to get healthy but I was stopped in my tracks by the “mom-guilt.” Inside my brain I heard . . .
My kids need me. My husband needs me. I should be spending the next thirty minutes with them – not exercising!
It was my husband who eventually helped push me out the door to go for my first run, which led to my first 5k. He said, “Go honey, I’ve got this.” And the rest is history.
When I realized the world would not come crashing down without me, that’s when I finally felt free to exercise.
If you’re like I was, unhealthy and unhappy, but you don’t think your family can spare you? Believe me – THEY CAN! The little bit of time you spend on yourself will help you so much when it comes time to take care of everyone else.
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