Are You Physically Prepared For Grandparenthood?

Becoming a grandparent is an incredibly exciting and memorable chapter of life  I was the first of 4 grandchildren for my paternal grandparents and from the stories I've heard they were absolutely overjoyed by my arrival.  After raising 2 sons, to have a baby girl in the family was new, exciting and cause for ongoing celebration.  I still have the special Christmas tree and decorations they bought for my very first Christmas!  My maternal grandparents were equally overjoyed and my grandmother lovingly hand-made the majority of my clothes for the first 10 years of my life including dress up costumes and dolls clothes. Nothing was too much trouble for her where her grandchildren were concerned.. They showered me with love and attention and the feeling was mutual. To this day, while I have so many treasured memories of our time together, I still miss them and their postive prescence in my life.   All of my grandparents were in their early 50s when I was born but today with many women having children later in life, this means many first time grandparents are often in their 60s, 70s and beyond.  While caring for young children is a fulfilling and rewarding experience it can also be exhausting and physically demanding.  Whether you are a grandparent, parent, aunt, uncle, godparent or friend, if you are caring for young children you need to be physically prepared.  So let's take a look at how you can care for the children in your life whilst protecting your own health and create some treasured memories together too,

Improve Your Physical Fitness

Several of my clients over the years have fallen victim to what I call 'grandmotheritis" and this can happen to grandfathers too. They suddenly find themselves caring for their grandchildren several days per week, sometimes with the children sleeping over and they develop back, hip, shoulder or neck pain.  Parents have the luxury of caring for their babies from birth and as the baby grows and gradually gains weight the parents own bodies adapt accordingly to the additional weight so it's not as much of a strain. Grandparents, however don't have this same luxury and when they suddenly start lifting and carrying a 1 or 2 year old child in and out of car seats, a cot or high chair, they don't have sufficient strength and eventually, they become injured.  If you know you are going to be caring for your grandchildren start preparing as soon as possible.  Even if you already practice Pilates you need to increase your training just as you would if you were training for a walking tour or other major event.  Aim also to include regular walking, swimming, cycling or dancing as well.  Choose ways of improving your fitness that appeal to you. Don't choose swimming if you hate the water, but decide on an appropriate program for you and stick to it.  By the time you are ready to start caring for your grandchildren, you will be.physically up to the task and far less prone to injury, making the experience safer and more enjoyable for you and your grandchildren.

Protect Yourself When Lifting & Carrying Chlldren

Similar rules apply to lifting children as they do to lifting heavy objects. Check out my recent blog post for further information about how to lift safely. When lifting and carrying babies, try to alternate which hip you carry them on.and don't  lift them above shoulder height.  Avoid twisting or rotating your spine when you are lifting or lowering them as this puts.enormous strain on your spine and can damage the intervertebral discs causing the discs to bulge or herniate.  Instead, turn your whole body, not just your spine. Try to stay mentally present as children wriggle and squirm and can throw you off balance so you need to be ready to put them down safely with very little notice. Take some time to think about your lifting and carrying technique to make caring for your grandchildren a safer experience for everyone.

Set Boundaries & Practice Self Care

One of my clients had 7 grandchildren and she confidentially told me once she felt taken advantage of under appreciated by her 3 children.  She cared for her first 3 grandchildren 4 days per week while her daughter worked but then felt she owed it to her other children to do the same when next four babies arrived and needed care. She loved her grandchildren dearly but the days were long and she developed back pain. Just when she needed it most, she was often unable to attend Pilates as she accepted additional last minute caring when it was sprung on her.  She kept soldiering on and her pain grew worse.  Eventually she was forced to set boundaries and reduce her caring days which caused inconvenience to her children and left my client feeling guilty.  It's far better for everyone involved to set boundaries from the start and stick to them. You have to protect your own health and you want to enjoy your grandchildren, not feel.like they are a burden.

Pilates - The Perfect Preparation

Practising Pilates is the ideal way to physically prepare for grandparenthood. This whole body strengthening method keeps you strong from the inner or "core" muscles to the outer muscles while improving your balance, coordination and proprioception so you can safely keep up with your grandkids. As the sessions are tailored to your individual needs I can increase the intensity of your sessions so you are getting stronger as your grandbaby grows and becomes heavier.  While I'm not a grandmother myself,  I have been actively involved in caring for my nephew and god-daughters and understand the rigours that caring for children involves. Best of all, you can practise Pilates in the comfort of your own home with a program designed specifically for your individual needs.

If you are looking for a highly effective way of preparing for grandparenthood it would be my pleasure to assist you.  Contact me at [email protected] if you have any questions.  If you would like to be part of my unique online Pilates community and keep moving with ease as you age, click HERE to read about what options I have available.  I'd love to help you begin your Pilates journey and help you to be a strong,fit, healthy grandparent for years to come!