Mom Walking Groups
Consistently working out and grabbing that endorphin rush is so key to having enough energy to face the day with your kids. I am in such a better mood when I am working out with a group at least 3-4 times per week.
My background and early morning workouts
My background is in competitive swimming, so I am on a Masters swimming team currently where I try to go at least three times a week.
I tell my husband if I can get to bed by 10:30pm, then I can make the 6am workout. If it gets past that 10:30pm time, then I am pretty much a no go for my workout the next morning. That 5:25am alarm sounds really loud, even though its my iphone’s beautiful tower bells ring. 🙂
Because my husband wants me to be in a good mood, he knows that working out is key for me and will not suggest to watch a Community or 30 Rock or Mad Men when it is 10:15pm. As tempting as it is to watch one of our favorite shows once we have FINALLY gotten all three kids down to bed, we both know its in our best interest to ensure my good mood.
Anyway, I digress a bit. On to the topic for today – the benefits of being part of a Mom Walking Group.
My Walking Group Experience
I started walking with a group of Moms about two years ago. We were very dedicated and met three times per week at 5:30 in the morning to conquer a 4.7mile walk that included many steep hills. I remember that after our first walk, I said I could never do that course again. The hills were a little too steep, I was a little too out of breath, and it was just all around painful.
But, two days later, I sent out the confirm email to the four other group members to meet the following morning. You see, once I got over the first walk and had a day of rest, I was actually looking forward to our next walk.
After the initial sore muscles and extreme fatigue, you realize that the endorphin rush and the feeling of accomplishment far outweighs any initial pain. Also, after the first week, and completing the walk three times, I wasn’t really sore anymore and felt quite a bit stronger.
When I push myself to the limit and really take consistent workouts seriously, my sleeps at night are of a much higher quality. My head hits the pillow like a ton of bricks and I sleep soundly for the whole night. No mid night wake ups or trouble going to sleep.
Group Walking is Therapy
When you get a group of Moms together with similar age children, the conversation topics are Endless. There are so many different issues to deal with while raising young children.
- School and the state of our Educational System
- Study Habits and how to improve them
- Sports
- Are we signing our kids up for too many activities?
- College Planning
- Home Care
- Gardening
- Fatigue
- Kids Products
- Best places to vacation
- Where to find the best deals for everything
The list goes on and on……
I always found that I could come to the walk with an issue to work through, and in our hour and half together, it was either solved or I had been given a clear path for solving it. Sometimes just venting about something was all I needed from my group.
Laughter is the best medicine. Without exception, there were always a LOT of laughs. Get a group of Moms together to chat and extreme hilarity is a guarantee. 🙂
See Mommy Run
I love it when a group is started online to help a community. With See Mommy Run, their website is helping the community of Moms nationwide by providing a place to find other interested walkers in your neighborhood.
I am lucky enough to have a large group of Moms near me who have a strong interest in consistent workouts, but if you are having trouble forming a group, the See Mommy Run website will be a huge help to you.
The website has newsletters with very helpful information on staying in shape and keeps you up to date on different walking and running events. Many of the events support a valuable charity.
Walking Group Conclusion
My walking group lasted about a year and half. It was so much fun and truly beneficial to me in countless ways. I see the members around town and we share that bond of having walked many many miles together, helped work out each other’s issues and listened to many venting sessions.
I am now swimming three times a week and really enjoy the camaraderie with the other swimmers, but we do not get to chat during workout as much as with walking.
Time to start up my walking group again.
Set up your own group. I promise it is SO worth it. Even if its for once per week, just get it going. Have Fun!! 🙂
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