Welcome to the ultimate game of life – motherhood, where every day is a championship match, and moms are the MVPs. In this exhilarating journey, moms don't just survive; they thrive. Just like the athletes hitting the field, moms tackle each day with the resilience and determination of champions.
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Conquering Each Season of Mom Life
FIT4MOM x Jessica Maurer x Christina Maril
The Athletic Season – Preparing for Motherhood
Before the big game begins, athletes have already participated in a multi-month season! Similarly, moms undergo a unique athletic season known as pregnancy. The nine months leading up to the birth of a child involve physical and emotional preparation. The body goes through transformations, and moms learn to adapt, just like athletes fine-tune their skills for peak performance.
The First Quarter – Newborn Boot Camp
The first few months of motherhood can be compared to the intensity of the opening quarter of a football game. The daily playbook includes sleepless nights, feeding schedules, and diaper changes. Moms display an unwavering commitment to their little ones, reminiscent of athletes pushing through the initial challenges on the field.
The Second Quarter – Toddler Tackles
As children grow, the challenges evolve, much like the shifting dynamics of a football game. The toddler years bring new obstacles, testing a mom's agility and patience. From navigating the 'terrible twos & threes' to keeping up with a bundle of energy, moms exhibit the endurance and resilience of seasoned athletes in the second quarter of motherhood.
The Third Quarter – The School Daze
As kids enter school, the third quarter unfolds, bringing new challenges akin to the shifting strategies in a football game. Homework, extracurricular activities, and social dynamics become part of the game plan. Moms showcase their adaptability, ensuring their team (family) is well-coordinated and thriving.
The Fourth Quarter – Teenage Turbulence
In the next stretch of motherhood, the challenges may intensify, mirroring the high-stakes moments of the fourth quarter. Navigating teenage emotions requires strategic parenting. Like seasoned athletes, moms draw on their accumulated wisdom and experience to guide their children toward independence.
Postgame Celebrations - Parenting Adults
Motherhood doesn’t stop when the child hits 18. While the focus shifts from school events to life milestones, moms remain pivotal in providing support, wisdom, and a steady presence. The postgame celebrations include witnessing the achievements of adult children, offering guidance from the sidelines, and savoring the sweet victories of seeing them flourish independently. Just as athletes revel in championship glory, moms take pride in the resilience and love woven into their family's story. The postgame celebrations in motherhood are not just about the end of a game; they mark the beginning of a lifelong connection and an enduring legacy.
Mom life is a continuous training ground where moms develop the endurance, strength, and love required to conquer each stage of the game. From the pregame warm-up to the final whistle, FIT4MOM recognizes the incredible athleticism of moms in their daily routines. So, as we cheer for our favorite teams in the Super Bowl, let's also celebrate the real MVPs – the moms who exhibit unparalleled strength and resilience in the game of motherhood.
We can’t leave you without some athletic drills to try. Join Christina as she lays out the playbook for this year's game!
PLAYBOOK
6 different movements completed for :30 after each of these game time plays:
Field Goal
Interception
Punt
Touchdown
End of Quarter
Timeout
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FIELD GOAL: Alternating Reverse Lunge with Goal Post Arms
Find your strong posture with feet under your hips, core zipped up, and arms overhead. Step back into a lunge by bending both of your knees. As you come down into your lunge, bring your arms down and bend them to 90 degrees to end in the goal post position. Pressing through the front heel while your arms come back overhead, return to your original standing position. As you repeat this move, be sure to alternate the leg that is stepping back into the lunge with each rep.
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INTERCEPTION: Fast Feet
Start with your feet a little wider than hip-width apart and zip up your core. Bend your knees and start moving your feet. Try to stay low the entire time with your chest lifted and core zipped. How fast can you go?
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PUNT: Squat and Alternating Front Kick
Your feet should be hips distance apart, and you should find a strong posture with your hips over your heels, ribs over hips, and chest over ribs. Sit back and down with your hips as you bend your knees into a squat. As you press back to standing, think about pressing into your heels and zipping your pelvic floor together and up. As you reach the standing position, raise one leg in front of you and extend the knee straight and kick forward. You are aiming for a controlled movement, so keep your strong posture so you don’t lean away from the kick. Be sure to alternate the leg you kick with after each squat.
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TOUCHDOWN: Jumping Jacks with a Clap
Stand tall with your feet together and your arms out to the sides. Keep your chest lifted, shoulders back, and core zipped up. For a low-impact option, alternate stepping your feet from side to side. As your feet are spread apart, bring your arms out to the side, and as you bring them together, clap your hands in front of your chest. For a high-impact option, jump your feet out to the sides landing just wider than shoulder-width.
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END OF QUARTER: Lateral Flexion
OPTION #1: Begin by standing tall with your feet shoulder-width apart with hands behind your head and knees slightly bent. Engage your core and maintain a tall posture, with your shoulders back and your head aligned with your spine. Slowly and with control, lean your torso to one side, keeping your body in a straight line. As you bend, your hips should stay stationary. Gently return to the standing position by contracting your oblique muscles to bring your torso back upright then lean to the other side.
OPTION #2: Stand with your feet wider than shoulder-width apart, turning your toes slightly outward. Keep your chest lifted, shoulders relaxed, and core zipped. Extend your arms straight out to the sides, parallel to the ground. Slowly bend your knees and sink low, keeping your chest upright and your back straight. Make sure your knees track in the same direction as your toes and aim to get your thighs parallel to the ground. While holding this position, shift your torso to the to one side, leaning your torso sideways from your waist. Keep your arms extended and your core tight to help you maintain stability. Your pelvis and legs should remain stationary, with the movement coming only from your upper body. Slowly return your torso to the neutral, upright position, engaging your obliques to control the movement and lean to the opposite side.
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TIMEOUT: Plank
Begin by getting into a push-up position on the floor. Your hands should be placed shoulder-width apart, with your fingers spread wide and your palms pressed firmly into the ground. Your legs can be fully extended or your knees can be on the ground. Make sure your body forms a straight line from the top of your head to without any sagging in your lower back or arching in your spine. Keep your neck neutral, in line with your spine, with your gaze directed slightly down at the floor. Continue to engage your shoulders, arms, and core, ensuring that your body remains in a straight line. Don't forget to breathe!
If you are newly postpartum, have diastasis recti or choose not to plank, you can opt to perform a Bird Dog exercise.
Begin by kneeling on the floor with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Keep your back flat, and ensure that your spine is in a neutral position. Your head should be in line with your spine, your gaze focused on the floor just in front of your hands, and your hips squared to the ground. Slowly extend your right arm forward, keeping it in line with your body, and simultaneously extend your left leg straight back, keeping it parallel to the floor. Ensure your arm and leg are both level and aligned. Hold the position for 2-3 seconds before lowering your limbs back to the starting position and repeat on the other side.
HALF-TIME BONUS
Complete all exercises in succession for 30 seconds each.
WANT MORE WORKOUTS, MAMA?
Check out these blogs to get ready to jumpstart your fitness journey!
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