By Dr. Katie Spruell, PT, DPT, CSCS, PCES | Amplify Physio | Maryville, TN
I love a massage. I love getting my nails done. Give me a quiet hour to myself and I’m definitely not turning it down.
But somewhere along the way, we started calling those things self-care, while the things that actually take care of our bodies became optional.
Moving your body. Getting stronger. Eating enough to fuel yourself. Drinking water. Sleeping. Going for a walk. Making the appointment you’ve been putting off for six months.
That’s self-care too.
And honestly, it’s probably the less glamorous version.
Because taking care of yourself isn’t always relaxing. Sometimes it’s getting up and doing the workout when you’d rather sit on the couch. Sometimes it’s going to bed instead of watching one more episode. Sometimes it’s carving out 30 minutes for yourself when there are approximately 847 other things you could be doing.
And especially if you’re a mom, putting yourself anywhere near the top of the list can feel selfish.
But I think we have that backwards.
Your Kids Are Watching You, Too
I don’t want my kids growing up thinking that being a good mom means taking care of everyone else while completely ignoring yourself.
I want them to see me move my body. I want them to see me strength train, prioritize my health, and make time for things that matter to me.
Because they’re watching what we do a whole lot more than they’re listening to what we say.
If I want my kids to grow up believing that their health matters, I think one of the best ways I can teach them that is by showing them that mine matters too.
And there’s another piece of this that I think about a lot.
I want to be able to DO things with them.
I want to run around with them. Travel. Hike. Carry things. Get on the floor and back up without thinking twice about it. And someday, I’d love to be able to do those things with their kids too.
That’s what I’m training for.
Strength Training Is Self-Care, Too
When we talk about self-care for women, strength training probably isn’t the first thing that comes to mind.
But I think it should be pretty high on the list.
Building strength isn’t just about changing how your body looks. We strength train so our bodies are capable of handling the things we ask them to do.
That might mean picking up your kids without your back hurting. Getting back to running after having a baby. Carrying all the groceries inside in one trip because obviously we’re not making two trips! Or simply staying strong and independent as you get older.
This is something I talk about all the time with my physical therapy patients at Amplify Physio in Maryville, TN. Whether someone comes in for orthopedic physical therapy, pelvic floor physical therapy, or simply wants to get stronger, I don’t want the end goal to be a list of rehab exercises forever.
I want you to be able to use your body.
The goal is to build a body that can keep up with the life you want to live.
Your workout should support your life, not become your life.
You Don’t Need to Overhaul Everything
This is where I think people get overwhelmed.
You decide you’re finally going to prioritize yourself, and suddenly Monday morning requires a 5 a.m. wake-up, 10,000 steps, four workouts, a gallon of water, Sunday meal prep, eight hours of sleep, and apparently becoming an entirely different person overnight.
Please don’t do that to yourself!
Start with one thing.
Maybe it’s a 10-minute walk every day. Maybe it’s strength training twice a week. Maybe it’s actually eating lunch instead of surviving on coffee until 3 p.m. Maybe it’s filling up your water bottle in the morning.
Make it small enough that you can actually do it when life gets chaotic. Because life will get chaotic.
Then build from there.
Consistency doesn’t have to be impressive to work.
You Don’t Need the Perfect Exercise Routine
I think we make taking care of ourselves way too complicated.
You don’t need the perfect workout. You don’t need an hour. And you definitely don’t need to wait until life “calms down,” because I’m still waiting to meet the person whose life actually does that.
Start with what you have.
Ten minutes? Great. Two strength workouts a week? Perfect. Walking around the field while your kid is at practice? That counts.
The little things you do consistently matter a whole lot more than the perfect routine you can only maintain for two weeks.
And taking care of yourself isn’t selfish.
It’s showing your kids that taking care of yourself matters, too.
Did You Know?
Only about 1 in 4 U.S. adults meets both the aerobic AND muscle-strengthening physical activity guidelines.
So if fitting exercise into an already busy life feels hard, you’re not the only one.
But you also don’t have to change everything tomorrow.
Start somewhere. Make it realistic. Keep going. Add more when you’re ready.
Because you’re not training just to check “workout” off your to-do list.
You’re training for the life you want to keep living.
Physical Therapy and Strength Training in Maryville, TN
If pain, pelvic floor symptoms, an injury, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, or simply not knowing where to start is keeping you from being as active as you want to be, that’s where physical therapy can help.
At Amplify Physio in Maryville, Tennessee, we combine orthopedic and pelvic floor physical therapy with strength and movement to help you build a body that can actually handle your life.
We work with women and men throughout Maryville, Alcoa, Louisville, Knoxville, and Blount County, TN, whether the goal is getting out of pain, returning to exercise, lifting heavier, running again, improving pelvic floor symptoms, or simply feeling stronger and more confident in your body.
Because rehab shouldn’t end with you being really good at rehab exercises.
Your rehab should eventually look like the life you want to live.