What’s Your Excuse?
I am still trying to work out how I can manage to make time for three kids, a full-time job, marriage, sanity and a workout. It is harder than one thinks!
I recall having Baby Boy #1 and thinking it was hard. Now I have THREE BOYS, and it’s like climbing Mt. Everest… every day! Amazingly, one child now seems so easy to handle!
Some women have the luxury of nannies; some have family help. Others do not have any advice except maybe the local babysitter once in a while.
Finding the time to balance it all and still be YOU is tough. Lots of comments flew across the Internet when Maria Kang’s photo became viral. She titled the controversial snapshot, “What’s Your Excuse?”
To her credit, she looks fantastic, has three children and somehow has the time (or makes the time) to workout. I think she is a role model – someone who most women should aspire to be like (healthy).
After the birth of my first, I did have time for me because he took naps, and I was a full-time SAHM (stay at home mom). Working out happened because time was there for me!
Then as Baby Boy #2 arrived, I had a little less drive but was still teaching yoga. My second child did not nap, and a part-time job made working out a rarity.
Now that I’m working full-time and juggling the kids from daycare to home, making sure I spend a reasonable amount of time with them and my husband, cooking their meals (and my own) and getting in enough sleep to keep me sane, I struggle with finding time to workout. Or is it that I push it off? (A glass of wine and watching Scandal seems to get me every time!!!).
I have become lazy – no doubt about it. Waking up a couple of times in the night will do that to you. But a few weeks ago, when I signed up for the biking leg of a triathlon, it gave me a reason to take the time to workout.
So here is what I have found to be helpful when you have only 30 minutes a day to spare, and you want to get in shape.
1. Mark Your Calendar: Sign up for a race or event. Will set your sights on a goal and an end you can visualize: crossing that finish line. Here are a few tracks I highly recommend: Pretty Muddy, Disney Princess and IronGirl.
2. Set a Goal: As soon as kids are asleep, put on the workout clothes. If you are a full-time worker, make the switch right after you get home. Just seeing yourself in those clothes will make you want to get them all sweaty. Also, set a goal such as, “If I workout each day this week, I will treat myself to some cute workout gear!
3. Workout at Home OFTEN: Only have 10 minutes? No problem! eDiets sells some great DVDs. If you are at work, you can always take that lunch break to get in a nice walk or even a HIIT workout!
4. Lead by Example with Your Kids: Get outside with the kids. Sure, going for a walk might not seem like much, BUT it is something. If you have the money to invest, get a jogging stroller like the one from BOB or Bumbleride – or check out your local consignment shop to see if they have any gently used ones. That way, you can take the kids with you while you exercise. Most gyms offer childcare. It’s another excellent way to make sure you can get in your exercise while the kids are still close. There is also a high group exercise class called Fit4MOM that’s available in almost every city. There you will meet other women, get your workout in, and still have the kids with you (NO EXCUSES, right?).
5. Hold Yourself Accountable: Consistency is key! Once you find that workout that seems to work with your family’s dynamic, stick with it! You will see over the weeks that the more consistent you are how quick the results come.
So, what’s your excuse?
