I have never been what you would call an athletic person. Nope, not at all. There was a time that I at least tried to be but sometime in my early twenties I lost all interest. Then after I had my first baby I really lost interest. Let’s put things into perspective here, a little history:
The only time I did anything growing up was because my mom made me. She made me ride a bike at age 8, made me learn to do a cartwheel. Threw me into the lake…I was going to water ski whether I wanted to or not! The list goes on and on. Thank goodness she did, (mom if you’re reading this, thank you!) because I was a wuss. Plain and simple. I think the funny part is my mom could tell you I was content with that, who needed to do cartwheels anyway? But I usually found I loved whatever it was she made me do. Which is why she did, she knew I would.
Then I moved out of the home, no more promptings from mom. That is where my husband comes in:
The first time I played tennis with Aaron he could be heard shouting across the court: “babe…it helps if you bend your knees!”. The first time we went snow skiing together it ended with me in tears in the middle of the slope. We rented a boat in Texarkana with a bunch of friends and after watching Aubrey gracefully pop up out of the water on a slalom I decided I was just enjoying the ride, surely my knees couldn’t handle that. I had come to the conclusion that I just was not that woman. And then I convinced myself that I was content with that. I had settled on the idea that I wouldn’t ever be the sporty type, but that was okay I was good at other things. Until I met one of the coolest ladies ever in Moab Utah.
She was there with her husband and two boys enjoying all that the Canyonlands has to offer. Literally all…mountain biking, hiking, cliff diving, four wheeling, even river rafting. We got to know them the first morning we were there in our hotel parking lot, where they had invited us to tag along on the jeep trail. We spent the day with them and at the end of the trail they were headed back to there hotel to jump on the bikes for a quick ride. I thought they were nuts! Weren’t they tired? I for one was beat and couldn’t wait to get off the trail. They were literally running circles around us, and they had about 10 to 15 years on us. We met up with them the next day on the trail and I had a better chance to get to know her. She helped me with my two year old while I carried my baby on my hip. She talked about participating in triathlons, marathons, and various sports as I listened in complete awe. Then she said the thing I needed to hear:
“I wasn’t always this active, actually I was kind of a wimp, but I realized if I didn’t want to get left behind I was going to have to buck up!”
Her husband was active, her boys were active, and if she wanted to spend time with them she’d better learn to like it too. And as she learned, she realized she loved it and she was good at it. Her boys were proud to have a mom that went on their adventures with them, and their friends would say “Your mom does that? Cool!”. That was the best way to describe her, so cool.
From that day I decided I was going to try a little harder. I want to be someone my son looks at as adventurous, up for a challenge. Not the mom standing at the door waving goodbye as they set off. I don’t want my little girl to grow up with the same fears I had rather look at me as a source of inspiration as I did my mom. Where would I be if not for her promptings?!
I have figured out it is all in my head. I am much more athletic than I ever gave myself credit for. I was the one dragging my husband to the ski resort this winter at any chance we could. He still had to persuade me down my first black diamond trail, but I did it, and loved it! I was the one who showed him how to do a 360 on a jet ski this last summer. This summer I hope to conquer mountain biking. I have always been the one riding comfortably in the jeep thinking those on the bikes were nuts. Not this year!
A lot of you out there are probably laughing, but seriously this is big stuff for me. Big. I have had to push myself. You come to an age where no one is going to do that for you. It started with not wanting to be left behind. I wanted to be active for my kids, inspire them to live active lives. Now I just find I like it. Love it. Who knows, maybe I will become an adrenaline junkie! Okay probably not, but I will be able to show my daughter how to do a cartwheel.
Any thoughts for me…little bits of wisdom? Are you an active mama, or want to be one?
Shared this post on Amy’s Anti-Procrastination Tuesday party, good stuff, and on Amy’s Finer Things Friday, she has a great message today!
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{ 21 comments… read them below or add one }
What a great post! We have the same kind of philosophy at our house. My husband and I are nowhere NEAR athletic. We never did organized sports as a kid. But we have always loved camping, hiking, biking…and I have always been a gym junkie: cardio classes, Pilates, Yoga. We just want the tot to move, get out there…SO we go for nature hikes a lot! Even in the snow and mud. We put on our gear and get out there in the woods. It’s AMAZING what your kiddo will see and learn out in the woods. We go bike riding quite a bit as well. I’ve also started teaching him some Yoga poses, which he loves and he took a soccer class at school. When we get together with friends, I am the Mom who is out there with the kids playing and running while the grown ups are sitting and chatting. (Our friends get a real kick out of seeing me play tag and then call “time out” for a sip of my drink!) If you don’t get up an move around…your body will forget how to do it! Last week my husband was rolling on the floor laughing because I was SURE I could do a tri-pod headstand….and I did! Go me!
I love you Tina. I loved your post of splashing in the puddles. You are one of those ‘cool’ moms too.
I have always been one of the adults sitting and watching, so I’ll have to make a point to be the Tina mom!
I was blessed with some good genetics that allow me to eat whatever I want and not show it, so I never bothered with exercise – until my first daughter was born. She popped out looking just like my husband’s side of the family and I suddenly realized that she may not be blessed with my same good genetics. I determined to become a very healthy person so that she would grow up with that lifestyle and have an easier time battling anything she may need to. And after the first few months (which are hard!), I found that I love it! I now have three kids and we are an incredibly active family. And you know what? The increased activity may not change the way I look, but it absolutely changes the way I feel. :) So like you said, I think doing it for your kids can be a powerful motivator. But I think in the end, when they are grown and gone, you will find that you are still doing it — for yourself!
You know it’s funny you should say this. That is probably exactly what happened when my mom had me! She was naturally thin and I was…well, not! And my daughter is the same, so yes it has always been in the back of my mind that if we are an active family, she will have a better shot at maintaining a healthy weight.
Thanks for taking the time to leave some wisdom…and you’re right, I am already finding I will be doing this for myself.
I don’t consider myself very athletic, and I’m not really the type to throw some sneakers on and head out the door for even a walk. However, since becoming a Mom there is something inside me that really wants my son to enjoy the outdoors as I did as a child. I spent many days outdoors growing up. We haven’t had too many warm days this year but the few we had, we were outside. My son loves exploring our yard and his desire fuels my motivation and I look forward to the activities that lay ahead.
Thanks for sharing your post as this has been something that was swirling through my mind lately and to see it written out by someone else helped me realize there are more of us out there.
It’s interesting how most kids naturally have desire to explore and be adventurous, and sad that as adults we tend to forget it. Let me know how it goes! Hope you have many a warm days.
Being more active has been on my mind a lot lately. As the weather warms up I am going to try to get outside more and be more active.
Right there with you, although I found the cold a little fun too…but the warmth…
Last summer we had a “Bucket List Summer”. We fortunately live in a state where there is alot to do. While not all our activities were persay “active”, we did and saw so much! I let all the kids submit there bucket lists with a few requirements. They had to pick something that was free, and then they could pick something that wasn’t. Then they had to pick something we or they had never done, and then they could pick something we had done before. We ended up seeing much more of our surrounding area, we spent valuable time together and some of our neighbors and friends joined in our adventures. Our plan is to do the same thing this summer, there were two activities we didn’t get to, so they are first on the list for this year. I think one of the best lesson’s they learned was that the funnest things to do are usually FREE!
I loved your bucket list idea…loved. Actually I was thinking I would ask you to right a post foe me about it. That would be awesome.
By the way, I look pretty good driving your ride around jackson. I found a little fabric store today and thought of you. Then I found a knitting shop…we should learn to knit! Want to?
I would love to hear Shasta’s bucket list. We are always looking for good ideas for an adventure. Sounds like lots of fun!
congratulations and enjoy the ride! i think its a great thing you are doing for your family AND for yourself! take it slow, set a goal at a time and you’ll be amazed at what you can accomplish. want to run? sign up for a 5K 3 months from today and look up an online beginners training plan. you will be amazed what you’ll be able to do in 3 months. and then when you do that, give yourself 3 more months and sign up for a 10K. then onto a half marathon 3 months after that. i just organized a trip of 27 girls to vegas for the half marathon there and 95% of them were self-proclaimed “non-runners” who didn’t believe they could do it and just signed up for the fun girls getaway weekend……well, every single one of them finished AND surprised themselves with great times in the end! believe in yourself and set a goal at a time and you will go places, my friends! enjoy all of your new adventures!
That rocks Sarah. As a self proclaimed “non-runner” I think that is the best idea! A girls trip is the best motivation.
We could make some kind of TMH event out of it. hmmmm
Hey Destri, great post. I just got back from Spring Break with the family in FL. I haven’t had a computer so I missed tmh this past week, but we had a blast. Talk to ya soon.
Thank you so much for this!
My husband has been telling me he wants to go camping. I was like, “take the boys and have fun!” But, I guess I do need to buck up! :) Even if it’s not my favorite I want to build those memories with my family.
Learn to like it girl’s. Remember that thing that your husband didn’t want to do because it was silly or stupid. When really he would enjoy it if he were to do it. Like chick flick or walking the mall. Maybe checking out the antique store in a new town.
It’s all the same. You give to his side and he gives to your side. Sometimes its a little probe that they need. We need it to.
Learn to do it together and talk about it. Get a sitter and go for a day trip. Sometimes that few hours alone just talking about things is better then a full blown vacation.
Well sometimes.
I was a “non doer” until after I had my 2nd child. I was so tired all the time. Never enough energy to play with my kids. I decided that I needed to do something about it. I refuse to be the Mom who holds her children back from adventures because she’s too tired to do something. I have a great inspiration from my father. He’s in his 50′s and has run 5 marathons participated in countless races and adventure races. We trained slowly! (I had never run in my life!) It’s taken 3 years but I completed my 1st marathon in January and my husband is now involved. We compete in adverture races for FUN! You can do it! Start slowly and realize that this is a life style change. You can either invest in your health now in running, biking, being active or when you get older you can invest in medicines and dr’s bills. Good luck!
I’ve stood in the middle of a black diamond run and looked down it. This is definitely a big deal!!!!!!!
Your story is my story… up until the part where you actually started participating in this stuff with your family! I’m a total wuss. I love a little July 4th wiffle ball or maybe a game of “HORSE” on the court, but I have no interest in most competitive or fast sports.
I married an athlete, however, so I suspect that as my children get older, I’ll have to figure out how to stay involved in their increasingly high-speed activities. Your friend is right: I don’t want to be left behind!
For now, I’ll stick with brisk walks, yoga, and floor scrubbing as my “activities” of choice. :)
I love this post! I, too, am that mama who had to overcome. I was a cheerleader and a dancer in my youth, but that was as adventurous as it got for me. I spent most of my twenties pregnant and/or nursing our five children. I, too, came to the realization that I’d have to step it up quite a bit to keep up with my amazing family, especially when my husband could easily grace the cover of any men’s fitness magazine or GQ. My primary motivation was the pursuit of better health, but I figured that if I want to keep up with these guys on a trail or elsewhere — or even go upstairs without being winded — I’d need to make major changes. I love being active, and I’m a workout junkie now. Our teenage daughters usually join me in my workouts, and I’ve been known to do some of their track drills with them. You won’t find me on the ski slopes (yet), and I prefer a leisurely jet ski ride without donuts; but I’ve learned to love adventure, I’ve run a couple of small races, and building fun memories with our children (who are now all old enough to participate) is priceless! I’m happy for you that you met a woman who could inspire you. It took the same for me — meeting older women, some with more children, in stellar physical condition with lots of energy — to realize that I CAN be that woman. Way to go! Keep it up!
I’m an active momma. I was before I had my son, and as soon as I was able, I was back exercising after I had him. I do it for myself, it’s my time away, it keeps me happy and allows me to let off some steam. But I also do it for my son. I want to set a good example for him. Now that he’s 2 I keep him as active as I can, even if it’s just kicking a ball around the house.
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