Taking care of myself so I can live a longer life for my family
This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of American Heart Association for IZEA. All opinions are 100% mine.
I’ve enjoyed running since I was in 7th grade. I remember not running for about a year in college, but picking it back up after I graduated and feeling better physically and mentally. I don’t do well mentally when I’m missing out on exercise.
For several months after our son was born, we only owned a jogging stroller. (We still have the jogging stroller and it has gotten the most use out of all of our strollers.) I couldn’t wait until I was able to actually run with my son in the stroller. I eventually had goals of running various 5ks with him, and two summers ago he and I ran our first 5k together. We ran a 5k last New Year’s Day as a family, and my son and I did a 5k last summer (with me pushing the stroller each time.) Last April, my husband pushed him during a tough race. I think my son has been part of 4 races now – and he’s only 4 years old.
The first race was a little confusing to him. By the second race, he was getting the hang of how things happened and by that third race he was yelling at my husband to go faster or slow down.
I really wanted my son to understand that exercise was important to me, but I also don’t want him to think it’s more important than HE is to me. It makes me happy when I can combine exercise and family time.
Our daughter is due next month. I’ll go back to work 10-12 weeks after she arrives and my goal is to walk with her as much as possible during my time at home. I want her to see from the get go that fitness can be fun, as well as important.
I want to be around as long as I can to see my kids grow. I want to see them as adults, and I want to be around to be a fun grandmother. I don’t want to be a parent who can’t be active with her kids.
Last summer, I got my son involved in our garden, and I plan on doing that again. He was so excited to see “his” carrots grow from seeds. I feel that if he is involved in the garden decisions (and the work!) he’ll be more likely to eat the vegetables we grow. Same goes with fruit. We give him the chance to tell us what he wants each week, and that empowers him. He’ll actually eat the fruits and vegetables he requests.
Taking care of myself has to be a priority of mine. Every mom should be making herself a priority. Without good health, we can’t be at our best for our kids and loved ones. The American Heart Association created the Moms Unite Facebook Group for moms to share healthy recipes, tips and inspiration – it’s a great resource! Want more recipes or tips? Be sure to check out the American Heart Association’s Pinterest page.
Life Is Why – what is your reason for taking care of yourself?
