Running into Barriers

I have always enjoyed working out. In high school I loved running cross country and track. It was fun, and it was my way to deal with stress and push myself.

Fast forward a few years, and I was working to maintain a light-to-moderate workout schedule throughout my pregnancy while dealing with sickness.

After having my baby, I was excited to workout again, push my endurance and rebuild strength (and lose the “mommy pooch”). I was ready to start a more intense workout program and was so excited to see myself lose the weight and gain the muscle!

I would wake up early or stay up late to get my workout in everyday for the first two weeks, but somewhere in the third week I would hit a wall. Trying to be persistent, I restarted that workout program multiple times always to get stopped during the third week. It seemed like I would either get a migraine that would knock me out, or my energy would get zapped. One week I got a cold, and I tried to keep pushing through until it got worse and I realized I needed to take care of my body. “Wait, I thought I was taking care of my body?” Slowly, I started having “ah-ha” moments. One thing about me is that I often have an all or nothing attitude, and I realized this attitude was leading me to push my body too hard to the point where I was just wearing myself out.

Push Yourself, Not Punish Yourself

Last week I went to a Mom’s Day Out activity where we did a High Fitness class. I loved it and realized that I need to work out to refresh myself, not to burn myself out.

Though I want to workout to look my best, that is not my end goal. You should workout to push yourself not punish yourself! I’ve realized that it is all about finding balance. Find exercises that you love and enjoy!

Some of my favorite workouts that work for me and my current lifestyle are workouts that include my baby or can be done next to her:

• Dancing workouts almost don’t feel like a workout. I’m just having fun dancing! 
• Hiking while packing a 21 pound baby is a workout in and of itself. It is so refreshing hiking in the foothills of the Wasatch mountains. 

Finding Balance

Yes, these workouts are not super killer intense workouts, but I realized that this is what I need for now. I’ll switch things up in the future, but this fits me now. It’s all about finding balance physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Listen to your body and do what works for you! Your health should not be an all or nothing situation. Finding balance is about the joy in the journey and pushing yourself because you want to, not because you feel a guilty drive to. I love the excitement of pushing and stretching myself to achieve goals. However I feel cheated of that feeling when I am constantly putting myself down or working out just for the scale. You can do anything, but not everything.

Don’t be afraid to try something new. Find something that you enjoy and will refresh you to help you get over those workout barriers! Have fun!

Take Advantage Of What Is Nearby

It is important for us to visit what is nearby because we don’t know how long we will live in our current location. We want to make this time count and save money by not having to travel far. Living in Utah, there are so many national and state parks within just a few hours. This is great for those who love outdoor adventures.

A few weeks ago we visited Moab with Casey, Tara and their baby. We wanted to use this weekend getaway as a trial run for our big trip to Italy. For Jake and me, this was our first real family trip with our baby.

We left early on a Friday afternoon to avoid rush hour traffic and enjoy few hours in Arches National Park before sunset. We stayed Friday night in Moab and spent Saturday exploring the park before driving back home. There are so many fun hikes; unfortunately we didn’t have time to do everything we wanted. We went to Sand Dune Arch and Landmark Arch where we could also see Double O. We didn’t have time to hike to Delicate Arch, but we were able to see it from the lookout point. We wished we could’ve had time to actually hike to it, so make sure when you plan shorter weekend getaways, you know exactly what you want to do so you don’t run out of time.

With our first trip with a baby, we learned that we need to travel at a slower pace to accommodate our baby’s needs. We’ve also had to learn how to change diapers and nurse in small spaces. We are progressively getting better at this though! However, naptime is starting to make travel more difficult. Our baby was fussy at the beginning of a longer hike, but she was finally able to relax and sleep in her carrier as we hiked. We are working on these little things to help make traveling with a baby more convenient both around home and when we go out of state.

We ended up spending more money on our Moab trip than we had originally planned. We found a hotel room that was not too expensive by going during the off-season. We spent more money on food because we didn’t plan our meals very well. As a nursing mom it was hard to find the least expensive option when all I could think was “FOOD. NOW.”

Overall, this trip was a good reminder that you don’t always need to go far away to have a great vacation. There are so many places in every state to visit! It’s important to take advantage of what’s nearby. For us, Moab is about a 3 hour drive, but you can vacation even closer to home if you want!

Staycations

My first staycation was when I was about 9 or 10 years old, my family and extended family planned a small family reunion in Salt Lake about 45 minutes from our homes. This was my first memory of actually seeing Salt Lake. It was so fun to stay in a hotel, go ice-skating and visit historic sites including Temple Square.

Staycations are a great way to see and enjoy some places without breaking the bank. You can find inexpensive places to stay for one or two nights. You can also make a day trip to a cool city nearby or a fun place to explore. Creativity is your best resource when planning a staycation.

Don’t Wait To Travel

If you really want to travel, don’t wait until you have time or can afford it. Look for travel destinations near you. You could spend the weekend away, or just a few hours. Don’t look for excuses; instead look for opportunities to see the world starting in your own backyard.

We are planning on documenting more of our weekend getaways and staycations. What are your favorite weekend getaways?