ACK Wraps Help Moms Get Fit and Close to Their Baby
I was excited when my friend Brittney Hope Levine introduced me to her friend Leslie Brake, the founder and creator of ACK Wrap. I wanted to find a baby wrap that was fashionable, easy to wear, and would keep my little one close to my heart during my outdoor walks. After speaking with Leslie I wanted to learn more about how to use the ACK Wrap especially when trying to make time for fitness during a busy day.
Nadia Murdock Fit testing out ACK Wraps
NMF: As a mother of two how do you find time for a workout?
ACK Wraps: Working out seems like a daunting task when you are a mother of two. With the first baby, it was easy; I just exercised when she slept (newborns sleep up to 20 hours a day!). I lost all the baby weight by three months postpartum. This time around is a whole different ball game. My two year old is down to one nap a day which is usually around two hours long. That is my window of opportunity to get after it. If the new baby is sleeping, great. I always have 8 pound weights in my house and make the most of my time, whether it be 10 minutes or an hour. If the baby isn't sleeping, my ACK Wrap lets me wear her while working out, which she loves as well! It adds an extra ten-ish pounds to my squats and lunges which is awesome. I also walk with them in the morning before taking them to the park. Briskly pushing two littles with a jogger is a great core and body workout and is a good activity for the kids. We like to point out things we see during the walk to keep my two year old engaged. I make it a reward for her to get to go to the playground after the walk if she is good during the walk. Sometimes I even mess around at the playground while she plays doing walking lunges with the stroller, push-ups on the bottom of the slide, or jumping chin-ups on the monkey bars.
Founder and creator Leslie Webster working out with the ACK Wrap!
NMF: What is your favorite workout when seriously pressed for time?
ACK Wraps: My favorite workout when I am seriously pressed for time is a plank. I have a love-hate relationship with planks because I have always struggled with my core and I find them to be extremely challenging. Recently, my best friends and I were on a trip together and two of the girls did a FIVE-minute plank since we didn't have time to do a full workout that day (#goals). It is an awesome way to get your blood pumping quickly and then you can work your way up longer and longer each time.
NMF: When you are completely stressed out how do you recenter your mind and body
ACK Wraps: When I am completely stressed out, I try to take several minutes of deep breathing in child's pose. There is something about this pose that is completely surrendering and vulnerable, yet empowering at the same time. I realized the importance of this when I started teaching my daughter to deep breathe when she gets frustrated, yet I wasn't doing the same for myself. I struggle not to internalize when I am stressed which is what I am hardwired to do, so I have come to force myself to ask for help when needed. We put so much pressure on ourselves as mothers to be perfect with so much negativity and judgment everywhere. It is important sometimes to take a step back, look at our incredible children and say, "Damn, I'm doing a great job."
For more information on ACK Wraps visit: http://www.ackwrap.com/
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