e043 – The Part-Time Jungle Podcast: Motherhood & Movement with Christina Whelan Chabot

Christina Whelan Chabot lives with her family on their beloved farm in Ontario. She is a best-selling co-author in the You’ve Got This, Mama series and juggles motherhood, a role at the family business and her Pilates business (Matters of Movement). Not to mention her brand new podcast of the same name. During COVID-19, she began a Move Better Feel Better campaign directly supporting women’s mental health. After graduating from the exercise sciences Master’s program at the University of Toronto, she went on to study Pilates, the Franklin Method® and the Oov, in an effort to help people find the freedom that a fit and healthy body and mind will provide.   In this episode: The Double Shift. Working and mothering can prove to be difficult, especially when it seems like the work never ends. Christina talks about her double shift as a businesswoman and a mother. Healthier Habits. Change needs to be made in moderation, you can’t climb Mt Everest without learning how to hike. Movement and Accessibility. Reframing our mindset, approach, and expectations can help us to move better and feel better.  The Magic of Movement. Movement can positively impact so many facets of our lives including mental health, chronic pain, and anxiety. The Art of Change. This involves doing a visual sweep, getting clear on your “why’s”, and making a plan that works for you.  Overcoming Obstacles. If you think you need help, seek it out. Don’t struggle any longer than you need to, it’s okay to ask for help. Connect with Christina: Instagram: @mattersofmovement www.instagram.com/mattersofmovement Facebook: @mattersofmovement www.facebook.com/mattersofmovement Website: https://www.mattersofmovement.com Podcast: Matters of Movement https://www.mattersofmovement.com/blog Connect with Tiana and The Part-Time Jungle: * Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/parttimejungle/ * Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parttimejungle/ * Website: https://theparttimejungle.com   THE DOUBLE SHIFT Christina spends more time with her children than her husband does, this is because of his job. Along with Christina’s day job, she has the second shift of looking after her children, which can serve to be challenging as it appears to be a never ending loop of working and mothering. Despite this, she describes her home life as “the perfect chaos”, with a mix of work and interruptions. She also took her eldest daughter’s advice of being more present, as it is easy to be buried in work. So, Christina vowed to spend less time with distractions (such as her phone) and to be fully engaged while she’s in her mothering shift.  MOVEMENT The farm that Christina lives on is fairly big, so movement is a huge part of her life. She likes to stay active because it helps serve as a distraction for the things that spike her anxiety. Christina also teaches pilates, though she has to make sure her kids are watching TV otherwise she feels like she can’t do her movement. She mentions that she hires her children to babysit her youngest on the nights she teaches pilates, which is a great opportunity for her children to learn responsibility. Christina also says that she tries to move with the kids. It could be simply moving around the farm or throwing a dance party, but she wants movement to be a part of their lives.  HEALTHIER HABITS