Debut time here at A Lovely Little Wardrobe. I’m venturing out into something new. It’s not a topic that is new to me, just one I haven’t blogged about much in the past. But that is all changing! Why? Because living a healthy lifestyle is something I really strive for and I want to encourage others to do the same.
Believe me, friends, {If I can do it at 52 what’s stopping you?} is going to be my new motto and tag line for this series. I’m serious! If I can work out and build muscle you can too. I haven’t been the athletic person most of my life but the day my husband said I was an athlete, it all changed.
To kick off this series, I’m collaborating with Heather who blogs at Adventures with Four. By four she is talking about children. A busy mom who has something to say about getting in some exercise. Listen up for her great tips.
Sticking with an exercise routine can be a struggle for anyone. But for moms, squeezing in workouts can feel darn near impossible. After all, how are you supposed to find time to work out when you can’t even go to the bathroom by yourself?
These days, I’ve got three kids around, at least one has radar that alerts her the minute my feet hit the floor each morning.
I have found that it is really hard to find the time to exercise, even if I wake up early. At least, not without being interrupted by “Can I have a glass of milk?” and “When are you going to make my Nutella sandwich?” or my personal favourite “Do you know where (insert whatever they need right now because they lost it- again!)?” Which of course will be followed by “Mommy!! I spilled my milk… “.
Awesome. Bring on the day.
I had always thought that for exercise to be effective, it needed to be long, sweaty, and agonizing. So for a season, I would wait until nap time and squeezed in a quick 30 minute video before the kids woke up. Was it getting me in shape? Sure. Was it fun? Not on your life.
Now, don’t get me wrong. Exercise makes me feel great and gives me a huge energy boost. It improves my mood and reduces my stress helps clear away the cobwebs. I wanted all of those benefits. But I was having a really hard time consistently fitting exercise in, between being a wife, a mommy, going to school, working full-time from home, keeping up with the house, etc.
The fact is that anything is better than nothing. If we’re moving and getting active, we can’t go wrong.
Here are 5 simple ways moms can squeeze in exercise.
Play outside: My youngest LOVES playing outside. If it were up to her, we would live outside. In the winter she was dragging her skates over to the ice deck now she’s spending her afternoons blowing bubbles, riding her bike up and down the green belt , and flying kites with her big sister. I find that an easy way to stay fit is to play outside WITH my kids.
Involve your children: Run to the mail box, ride your bike with them when they go to the playground. Set up an obstacle course in the living room and race your kids to see who can wiggle their way over and under and around the fastest. Your child will love spending this extra time with mommy. Or better yet check out Pinterest and do one of a gazillion “10 minute workouts” with them.
Park far away: Wherever you go, choose a parking spot that is as far away from the door as possible. Those extra steps add up.
Take the stairs: Whenever given a choice, always take the stairs. Climbing stairs is a great way to burn a few extra calories.
I want to be there not only for my kids but for my grandchildren as well. I don’t know where or when we decided that exercise was “work” and not “fun” like it was back when we were kids.
Time to find the fun again!
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