I used to say my son had two speeds: high and off. Awake, he was an energetic kid who never stopped asking questions and building contraptions. When he fell asleep, he did so by humming to himself. It’s one of my favorite memories of him as a child.
I sometimes think his enormous energy by day and his rhythmic humming by night was a byproduct of all the hours I spent exercising while I was pregnant. I imagine all those days he bounced around inside me as I did aerobics or weightlifting. By the time he came out, being active was second nature to him. And his humming matched the rhythmic movement of my many hours on the Stairmaster.
In fact, I was nine months pregnant and on the Stairmaster at the YMCA when I first felt contractions. I finished my workout and called my doctor. Yep, my son was on his way.
As I look back, I think exercising not only helped me have a healthy baby and pregnancy, but it also became an example for my son of how to live a healthy life. One time when he was five, he turned to my husband and said, “When I grow up, I want to be ripped… like Mom.” We still laugh about that. But you know what? He’s now 24 and an avid weightlifter. He’s definitely ripped… way more than mom.
Lynn Epstein
Active YMCA member, volunteer, donor and mom.