Ok, so I know that's a little harsh, but it's true. We all have the same hours in a day and somehow plenty of us manage to work out in that day. But now that I have two very young and very needy children I understand much, much more how moms can become overwhelmed and find it hard to make time for a workout. When my kids are napping I always find myself weighing the options of how I should make use of that time. Should I shower? Should I clean? Should I work on my blog? Should I work out? Should I water the flowers? Should I REST? I can never get all of them done and so I understand how challenging it can be some days. When I do work out, though, I always feel so much better. I've spent some quality time on myself, I feel more energized, I feel stronger. You may regret NOT exercising, but you'll never regret the time you spent keeping yourself healthy.
So today I wanted to share with you a few tips that I have used myself to help you get some exercise in even with busy, busy schedules.
~Write it down on your to do list. It's not an option of whether or not you do it. It has to be worked into your day. Period.
~It's ok, and actually beneficial to keep it quick and simple. Do a set of lunges, rest for 30 to 60 seconds. That's it. Begin your next set. (In other words, don't rest for five minutes in between sets!) OR do a set of lunges. Immediately do a set of bicep curls. Immediately go back to lunges. This keeps your heart rate up and you burn more calories and improve your cardiovascular fitness. OR if you're only working upper body, do cardio intervals between sets. Do a set of chest presses, then do a minute of jumping jacks. Do another set of chest presses, and this time jump rope for a minute. You see what I mean.
~If you have a favorite show you like to watch and you still haven't gotten your workout in for the day, work out DURING your show. I know, it doesn't sound like much fun but you WILL feel amazing afterwards! It'll be one extremely productive episode of Grey's Anatomy! Two days ago I worked out while watching Oprah. Did I regret it? Of course not! But I would have regretted watching it from the couch.
~Involve your family. This is probably the easiest to do. If you are a stay-at-home-mom it's challenging to get time to yourself. Instead, strive to get active with your children. Ride bikes, go for a walk in the neighborhood or on the beach (you can look for shells, sea glass, and crabs), play tag (this will REALLY get your heart rate up), climb trees (seriously, I still do it), go swimming, go hiking, go surfing, go kayaking...the possibilities are endless.
It's easy to make excuses. Anyone can do that. But be above that. Do you truly desire to be fit and healthy for life? If so, excuses won't hold you back. If so, you'll do what you need to do in order to get there.
It's a beautiful day here in North Carolina. Enjoy it!
3 comments:
Ok, no excuses! I always think I need an hour to excercise...then, I don't. It's nice to hear your approach to quick workouts, as well as play time with the kids.
People should read this.
Thanks! Hopefully those that do will be encouraged. At my gym we are currently doing a Biggest Loser contest and we had a woman I know come and speak about her extraordinary weight loss. One of the things she said may be beneficial to those trying to lose weight is to right down all of your excuses! She claimed that she had every one in the book, although at the time, she didn't realize them for what they were. But if we begin by being honest with ourselves and saying, "Ok, these are the reasons I am most likely to give myself for NOT wanting to do this today or take it seriously just yet." That way, we're more ready for it and more likely to find a way to work ourselves through those excuses.
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