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Sarah Stage didn't wait until Jan. 1 to start her New Year's resolutions [2]. The "six-pack mom," who had jaws dropping in 2015 due to her toned abs throughout her first pregnancy [3], recently gave birth to another baby boy [4], and she's proving that a newborn baby might be better than a pair of dumbbells for a workout. On Dec. 30, Sarah took to Instagram to share a video [5] of her "first workout in 9 weeks," with none other than her sons, 2-year-old James and 2-month-old Logan, getting in on the fun.
"No excuses! This morning was my first time working out in 9 weeks and although I have a long way to go to build my muscle strength and endurance back up again (so please don't body shame . . . again! As we all are different shapes and sizes), luckily there's an inner-strength that's been building since I've had time to reflect," she wrote.
Although many Instagram users have criticized the inclusion of her baby in her workouts, the 33-year-old mom and fitness blogger [6] explained that it's these little moments where she's able to bond with her children while simultaneously focusing on self-care [7].
I've learned that when I focus on being in the moment together with my babes [while] reducing my own expectations of what needs to be done in a day, I'm more content because I know I can't get these special moments back and all the little things don't matter. I've also realized that it's important to also make self-care a priority [9] and try to do something for ourselves daily [10], this morning for me, it was doing a 20-minute workout at home. I know some mothers feel guilty about doing things for themselves and I've even gotten mom-shamed for taking the time out for myself, but if we are happy, then that makes us better wives, friends, daughters, mothers, etc. Whatever your fitness goals are, I want to be a support system to help you reach them.
As a mother of two young boys, Sarah totally understands the struggle to make postpartum self-care [11] a priority, but she's offered her workout plans and free nutrition guides [12] as an excellent way to start. "I know how hard it is to balance fitness, family, career, and breastfeeding every two hours . . . Sometimes the most difficult thing is just getting started, but I got your back," she wrote. Sarah's balancing motherhood and fitness both literally and figuratively!