- samestarsmassage
May is Mom Month!
We want to share some great tips on how to keep yourself in the best possible shape, both mentally and physically when you are a mom. As we’ve now reached over a year of living in a global pandemic, it is more important now than ever that we put our whole family’s health first – and yes, that’s starts with the parents!
Take time for yourself. We know, you’ve heard it all before, but you really can’t pour from an empty cup. Physical pain, mental exhaustion and stress take a toll on parents – and making sure you are caring for your own mental and physical health is incredibly important. “Health” can look different for everyone. Some may find a 6AM run before the kids get up the most beneficial, while the next parent may need a weekly massage on a Friday to bring themselves back down to a level of decreased stress. Whatever it is, use your calendar, prebook that time and make sure you follow through.
Stretching. Morning, mid-day and evening stretching can not only ease pain (especially when you are picking up littles or working at your kitchen table all day), but it can actually help prevent injury as well. If you are not sure as to what stretches you should be incorporating into your day, let your therapist know at your next treatment and they will set you up with a Physitrack account, so you can follow along to videos and make sure you are stretching properly!
Strengthening. Building muscle, or even utilizing what you have may save you from future pain and keep you more energized. A strong core creates stability, and when you are carrying a kiddo on your hip – this is so important! Are your children older? That’s no excuse for not working on building muscle. Having kids in general can be exhausting – dropping them off at activities, engaging in family adventures and having them around more in the summer means you need to be on top of your energy levels. A study published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics reported that inactive people who normally complained of fatigue could increase energy by 20% and decrease fatigue by as much as 65% by simply participating in regular, low-intensity exercise. We aren’t saying you need to join your local CrossFit gym, or start lifting huge weights. Start small and work your way up! Your therapist can give you some strengthening exercises on Physitrack after your next appointment!
Get outside. We talk about this a lot, but how could we not? We live where you can see the Rocky Mountains! Taking a break from the house, from the laptop and from the schedules can be beneficial for both your mental and physical health. And this is a great way to spend family time! Alberta has some awesome family friendly trails (maybe we will touch on these next month!) so you can bring the whole family and reconnect with nature.
Don’t forget your friends. We had those once upon a time! We would meet up for coffee, for chats and for hugs. They’re still there, you just may not see them as often. As life has slowly transitioned us inward into our little family bubbles, we need to be more proactive when it comes to fostering our other relationships. Social distanced walks, Facetime chats or even the good old phone will do. We’re sure you have lots to catch up on, so get to it!
Our favourite way to stay happy and healthy as parents? We may be biased – but we love getting treatments. Regular massage, acupuncture and manual osteopathy keep us with clear minds, decrease our pain levels and keep our stressors at bay.
Click HERE if you’re ready to take care of YOU today!