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But even if you’re a “seasoned, veteran” of motherhood, stress can manifest in many different ways. A lot of people think stress means physical reactions to situations i.e. heart palpitations, anxiety, sweating etc. But in reality, most of us who live in such a whirlwind of craziness are under some amount of stress all the time. We have just adapted to it - or so we think we have.
A by-product of stress is Cortisol. Cortisol is the hormone that is released when you are under stress whether it's good or bad, but this is not the concern. It’s when there is excessive amounts in your body that it can actually shut down your body’s performance and can lead to obesity, high blood pressure and ulcers. On the flip side, exercise helps to decrease this hormone and increases the happy hormone - Seratonin. But you are not going to exercise every day now, are you?
Well as much as we are tempted sometimes, we can’t very well hang up our mom-coats and say “I quit”!! There has to be an alternative and this is where exercise comes in. However, I realize this is easier said than done for a lot of women. But what if I said that high amounts of stress can actually make you gain weight? Or for those of you who do exercise but don't make other lifestyle changes, stress can actually inhibit you from losing weight. I know, it doesn't sound fair but really, if life was fair we would all be assigned a full time cook and cleaning lady when we came home from the hospital.
So if you are a new mom or an adequately experienced one like myself, let this be a little push in the right direction. Find whatever it is you need to de-stress and start doing it. Although exercise saved me, it’s not the only option in giving your brain a break and focusing on you. Stretching, meditation or taking a hot bath while hubby takes the baby; these are all good options and you don’t even have to leave the house (unless you want to – wink)
Now you don't need me to tell you to take time out for yourself because you know it's true. All I can do is make some suggestions, tell you the risks and hope you make the decision that’s right for you.
Samantha Montpetit-Huynh, CPTN-CPT, PFS, NWS, RAB, TTDR
CORE EXPECTATIONS Pre & Postnatal Exercise Specialist
coreexpectations.com/blog
twitter.com/CoreExpectation
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