Back when middle child was around 5 months old I finally started going to the gym again and I’d only been working myself up to it for about ten years (I kid you not!). I’ve been a member of many gyms over the last 25 or so years and my results varied greatly but generally the disappointments were entirely my own fault. The best results I’d ever had were more than 20 years ago when I trained with Pat Henrys gym on Pembroke st. I shed over a stone when I did an intensive 6 weeks training and diet with him. The results were amazing and I swore I would stick with it but hey life got in the way and I never got back to that shape or fitness level again until I joined BodyByrne that is.
This time my goals were different – I didn’t care about the weight or my dress size but wanted to be fit and strong to take care of myself and of course my little brood (so much lifting when they’re small isn’t there). My diet needed tackling too as I had pushed a lifelong love of chocolate into the next dimension as the tiring days of being a mother to two tiny people caused my cocoa bean intake to go through the roof – I’m talking 4 or 5 full size bars a day, sometimes more.. (I know right – jaysus wept!).
So my trainer Amanda gently put my nose to the grindstone and we saw the results pretty quickly. As I said already it wasn’t about honing my silhouette or getting back into my old jeans. I don’t care too much about that stuff anymore. What I wanted was to get fit, get strong and get healthy. With two sessions a week I was starting to feel all of those things after about two months and i was loving it. The little bonus of achieving those things is the side effect of shedding a few pounds anyway and getting back into things that had become a little snug over the years. It’s not what matters in life but feck it, its nice to feel good about yourself.
When I got pregnant on baba number 3 I trained right up until week 37 and could have continued right to the end but I wanted to take a bit of time out to do some other stuff just for me before baba arrived (and all spare time disappeared for a while!).
I swore I’d go back training when Gracie got to about 3 months old but baba did not want to play ball – she wouldn’t take a bottle for love nor money so I couldn’t leave her with anyone. Eventually she gave in a little and would take a little bottle if she was really hungry so I got back to the gym when she was about 10 months old. I’ve been going again now for over 
6 months and I can really feel the results – my back (which historically is a weak point for me) has really strengthened and I can pick those little babas of mine up in a flash (thank you lunges!). Gracie weights about 25 pounds now and I can carry her with one arm for good stretches of time with no bother – that might seem irrelevant to some of you but I’m often doing housework such as loading/ unloading washing machines and dishwashers with her in one arm. Yes she’s clingy but I love it!
If anyone suffers with aches and pains and I don’t mean the chronic stuff but just general day to day mild irritations then all I can say to you is get training and see how much easier and enjoyable your life will be.
I go to an amazing physical therapist from time to time with my little niggles that pop up here and there and he just said today that he can really see a huge improvement in my muscle tone after only a few months back at the gym. He told me recently that he treats some ‘older’ ladies who’ve been doing yoga for years and years and he says their mobility and posture is wildly better than most women of their age and its all because they kept/keep moving. So thats it folks – find something you love to do and keep doing it!
And remember.. strong is the new skinny!