My pregnancies were night and day, and six months apart. In my first pregnancy, with my son, I was barely making it through the workday. I had nausea and vomiting the entire time, leaving me completely exhausted daily. The last thing I was thinking about was taking a walk or working out. Fast forward to holding my six-month-old (to the day) child on my hip and a positive pregnancy test in my hand- I bolted out the door. I found myself putting my son in the stroller, dead of winter, and pacing back and forth down the street. I’m not sure if it was pure shock or denial, but I just couldn’t believe it. I was in the depths of postpartum, just gave up breastfeeding and started to feel like I was just now coming up for air after a year and half of very little control over my own body. I was desperate for that air, and for the first few months of my pregnancy, I was scared. So, I paced. And I paced. And I paced.
Weeks passed, which turned into months, and I kept walking my neighborhood. Back and forth, thinking of all the positives and negatives of having two kiddos nearly under the age of one, you could imagine. This pregnancy was different; I was able to walk all the way through despite other physical challenges. After my daughter was born, I continued walking, this time with a double stroller- and these are some things I experienced.
Walking brought me more mental clarity than sleep ever did.
I realized I had no outlet prior to my son’s birth for all the emotions that come with postpartum. I found whenever I had a free moment, I would just rest and catch up on sleep. Sleep is beneficial for many reasons and is extremely necessary for postpartum health, but a walk would clear my brain fog quite literally within minutes. I could feel the clarity. Even a quick walk to the front of the neighborhood and back, one mile in my case, would help me sort through my emotions. I was able to compartmentalize my feelings and think about everything going on at home. Walking has been linked to improving endorphins, your brain’s feel-good neurotransmitters, as well as an overall mood boost. While my husband would agree that the days I was able to go for a walk, I may have been more pleasant to be around, I would attribute that to the overall clarity I felt getting those steps in. Having moments to myself to sort through all the thoughts racing through my new-mom mind was huge.
I saved money.
One less hour on my phone turned into one less hour on Amazon. It’s as simple as that. I would doomscroll, looking at the latest gotta-have-it new-mom gadgets daily. What was going to make my life simpler with two in tow? Walking helped me step away from the shopping cart and focus on cheaper, better ways to spend my time.
It boosted my metabolism- a lot.
Adapting a daily walk into my life changed my body in so many ways during and after pregnancy. With my second pregnancy, while I was actively walking, I gained about ten pounds less than I did with my first. I had always hoped the pregnancy weight would just drop off, and shockingly, it did the second time. I lost sixty pounds this year, leaving me pounds lighter than before I had kids. To this day, I haven’t changed much about my lifestyle, other than incorporating a daily walk. It seems to have boosted the metabolism that I left somewhere on my college campus back in 2012. For me, losing this weight has been significant, as taking care of two kids is just as demanding physically as it can be mentally.
I found time to read.
Establishing a walking routine also gave me at least 30 minutes daily to listen to a book or podcast. I realized instead of listening to music, I could use this time to listen to audiobooks of material I’d been dying to read but couldn’t keep my eyes open long enough to read a page once the kids went to bed. Instead of googling my endless parenting questions, I would find podcasts regarding the topic, hit play, and hit the pavement. I was able to learn new things and catch up on leisurely reading I had missed in this season of life. Also, I’m a big fan of getting two things done at once.
I realized practicing gratitude is important and necessary.
I learned a lot through the physical and mental demands of back-to-back pregnancies and postpartum in general. What started as anxiety-driven pacing became praise pacing. Walking isn’t something I have to do; it’s something I get to do. That mindset changed my entire experience of becoming a mom of two. Walking makes me happy. Pushing my children in this double stroller makes me happy. Arranging my thoughts outdoors while taking in the beauty of the four seasons makes me happy. Walking around daily helped me put my priorities in check and grounded me during this season. It was the grounding I so desperately needed at times.
I’m not completely sure how I got here, but this last year I’ve been able to successfully create a healthy habit for myself. On the days I don’t get to walk, I almost don’t feel complete. Or at least, I don’t feel refreshed or refueled. Walking has many benefits, but the biggest of all for me was consistency. In times of joy, fear, anxiety, and happiness, I challenge you to lace up those shoes. Some days will be easy, some days will be really tough- do it anyway. Either way, if you are in the trenches of motherhood or just looking for a new goal for yourself this year, I urge you to set one and stick with it. See what a month to a year of consistency can bring to your life. Whether you are walking away or towards something, you might surprise yourself by what you learn along the way.
