7 Body Care Tips Every Mom Should Know for Better Health & Wellness

Motherhood is a beautiful journey filled with love, challenges, and countless sleepless nights. Body care for mothers is more than just pampering. While you spend so much time caring for others, it is equally important to prioritize self-care and your own well-being. Taking care of your body does not end at looking good; it is also about feeling your best and staying healthy for yourself and your loved ones.

After all, taking care of yourself is not just a luxury; it is essential for maintaining the energy and joy needed to care for your loved ones. In this spirit, I have compiled seven practical and rejuvenating tips to help you nurture your body and soul, ensuring you feel as cherished as you are.

1. Get more sleep

I know how busy life can get. There is work, family, chores, and sometimes our sleep and rest can suffer. However, you should be intentional about getting good, quality sleep, no matter how busy the days seem. This is because the only way our brain gets to excrete waste is through sleep.

Research has shown that lack of proper sleep might have a relationship/predispose one to have Alzheimer’s disease later in life, among other complications. The average sleep for an adult should be at least six to nine hours per night. Sleep is also a way for your brain to build strong neural networks and improve learning and memory.

So mum, next time you are tempted to go for a sleepless night in the name of making money, remember that sleep itself is part of the wellness toolkit and should not be compromised on, if not for yourself, but for the sake of the babies; they sure need you at every stage of their life, so for the family, sleep well, okay?

2. Move around for at least 30 minutes a day

You must have heard several times in the news about the importance of exercise. Now, I am not preaching the active form like going to a gym, registering for yoga classes, etc. While these are incredibly great, if you can do it, why not?. However, I understand that the discipline, consistency, and time to do that might seem scarce for our mummies, so instead, I am just going to advise you to keep getting yourself in motion for at least 30 minutes a day.

Body care for moms like you can be as simple as taking a walk to your workplace on your way back home if it’s not too far, or maybe during a break at work, you can stroll or jog to the restaurant nearby.

To be more accountable, you can even get some apps that will count steps for you, and yes, there are apps like that; just search. The beautiful thing about this is that you don’t have to do 30 minutes straight at once; you can do 10 minutes at different times of the day, and you can even do more depending on your capacity. To get yourself started, you can start with the smallest you can and increase it as you go forward.

3. Have a cold shower bath

Cleansing your body with cold water at least twice a day is nice. Warm/hot water can open pores and expose your skin to bacteria. Drinking as much water, between 7-8 glasses of water a day, is also a healthy lifestyle for your skin.

The use of facial products like face masks can improve blood circulation to your skin and boost your facial radiance. You can do this at home yourself or in a salon, whichever works for you. Look for some key ingredients in body products, from antioxidants to retinol, vitamin C, lactic acid, as this helps promote skin exfoliation.

Take the right supplements. Collagen supplements, including vitamins, help boost your skin and improve elasticity. You can get the best supplements in Nigeria at Mariam Grey Pharmacy by clicking here. However, you might have to consult your dermatologist to find out the correct ones, including dosage.

Reduce your risk of having skin cancer! Do you know that bleaching creams predispose one to have skin cancer? Also, use sunscreen, and don’t expose your body recklessly and directly to the hot weather. You can also do a skin check once a month. In addition, be on the lookout for any skin changes, like a mole or colour change, and report to your doctor as soon as possible.

4. Protect your peace of mind and take care of your mental health

I know how costly it can be to protect your mental health, especially with how miserable life can seem when battling toxic and abusive relationships. Many of us worry a bit too much about people’s expectations and judgment about us.

Dear Mom,  it is okay to be you and to care about you only. I know how hard it is to let go, but move on. In between trying to thrive and survive, we get exposed to stressors that are pretty detrimental to our physical and mental health. So a way to deal with that is to have different coping mechanisms at hand. You should have a stress-reduction technique handy, e.g having a good and reliable support system like friends and family.

5. Have children by choice, and not by chance

Yes. I’m talking about family planning. I know you probably can’t control yourself/your spouse, but you can make arrangements beforehand. Go to a health facility and get the necessary information and resources that will equip you to have sex without unwanted pregnancies entirely. Take that action!

6. Quit smoking

Just like taking alcohol, there are thousands of diseases associated with smoking. This ranges from diseases of the respiratory system, particularly the lung, to having awful effects on pregnancy, such as fertility issues, low birth weight,  including predisposing you to cancers, etc. So your goal should be total abstinence from smoking and drinking, and if you find it difficult to stop, seek therapeutic advice from healthcare professionals. That way, a plan can be developed for you.

Also, maintain a healthy weight.

Ever heard of Body Mass Index (BMI)? It is a simple way to gauge if you are in a healthy weight range based on your height and weight. If your BMI is above 25.0, you are overweight; if it is above 30.0, it is considered obesity. Limit cholesterol and include healthy fats. Unhealthy ones can predispose you to heart-related diseases like atherosclerosis, especially obesity. 

Regular health screening can make a big difference. Include that in your monthly and yearly plans to book an appointment with your healthcare provider to run the required screening tests. It would be best if you understood that prevention is not only better than cure, it is cost-effective too. For this, you can ensure your health is standard and it will make the whole process cost-effective.

7. Adopt a healthy sexual life

Sexual wellness is a big part of your life. Ensure that you recognize and acknowledge your sexual needs and discuss them with your partners. If it is beyond what you both can handle, don’t hesitate to seek a sex therapist. Sex can be an issue, especially when you are near or at menopausal age, with different symptoms ranging from low libido, painful sexual intercourse, dry vagina due to reduced lubrication, a reduced stimulus to sexual activities. These are common problems encountered at that age, so you and your partner need to come together to understand and support each other, including seeking help.

Taking care of your health does not have to be complicated. Small, intentional choices like prioritizing regular check-ups can have a huge impact on your well-being. The key is consistency.

Remember, your body is your lifelong home, and how you treat it today determines how well it serves you tomorrow. Start making these changes now, and future-you will thank you!