Donna Marino
I have five children.
Before I had kids my activities included dancing, volleyball and softball and going to the gym. Motherhood changed my focus from my body moving to a body that was there to mother her kids.
My body would bounce back after my pregnancies without too much trouble. With time, a decent metabolism, healthful diet and busy lifestyle my body would balance out between pregnancies.
After my fifth child that changed.
As my body aged and life got more stressful, my body had more difficulty bouncing back. In addition, my children occupied much of my focus and I put them first before my own needs and schedule. I yearned for a time when I could care for my body again through exercise and activity.
During the pandemic, things came to a head.
I had many kids homeschooling and I entered into perimenopause. Things were stressful and chaotic. Quarantine provided an opportunity to become more than a family-we became a team. My sons encouraged me to build a small home gym in the basement. They began working out to structure the long days and so did I. I found a moment to breathe when I went out to walk the dogs or put on my air pods and walked on the treadmill a few times per week. We became a family that would eat, sleep, work and work-out together.
My body noticed the benefits of exercise: a clearer mind, more energy, better circulation and I was getting stronger. As COVID rules began to loosen ,I returned back to my small community gym that encourages personal growth. It felt good to become part of a positive social connective group again. Now I was motivated by them and my family to stay active. The gym helped me enjoy working out instead of dreading it. I felt empowered like I was reclaiming my body after years of being the primary nurturer of others.
I feel very lucky to have my body. It’s done so much over the years. It’s given life to a beautiful family and now it’s still giving life to me.
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