In my last post, I wrote about how having a baby disrupted my lifelong exercise routine, and about the challenges I was having establishing a new one. One of the solutions I explored was joining a fitness club with a daycare centre. As things stand, it isn’t a viable option. Here are the issues:

- A fitness membership is a luxury I can’t justify being self-employed, especially when there is a fully-equipped gym right downstairs. A working mother might be able to afford a membership, but will very likely sacrifice time away from her family to visit the gym.
- The gym charges $5 per daycare visit. Even with a membership, to spend an additional $5 each workout (so three time per week = $60 a month on top of my membership!)….Not gonna happen.

Though the baby is still young, I have the luxury of working from home and have only one child. Mothers who work full-time at jobs outside the home and have multiple children have it much, much harder than I do.

I’m fortunate enough to have reached my pre-pregnancy weight about six months after giving birth, but I happen to be a nutritionist specializing in weight management.

Considering the cost of obesity on our health care system, and in view of the fact that pregnancy so often leads to weight problems, wouldn’t it make sense to subsidize or offer discounted gym memberships to new mothers (or for the first year after giving birth) as well as free daycare? There is no doubt in my mind that if that were the case at my fitness club, I would purchase a membership in a heartbeat.

After months of spewing fire at the beautiful but inaccessible gym across the street, I’m becoming more crafty. The Lululemon in the next neighbourhood offers free yoga classes on Sunday mornings. I signed up for the various internet ‘Groupons’ and have purchased uber-inexpensive sessions (four or eight classes) of fun activities including Zumba, bootcamp, and even pole-dancing. (Apparently it’s a really tough workout!) A couple of friends signed up along with me, so it’s a fun night out with the girls after the baby falls asleep, and a small and inexpensive commitment. Best of all, it feels great to feel my heart rate rise, to sweat, and to know that I did something wonderful for me.


 

Lisa Tsakos