For me, exercising is a priority. I make it work for myself and for my family. Exercising makes me happier and gives me the energy I need to be the best wife and mother. These are my FIVE steps to add exercise into your day.
Make a Plan
I am not spontaneous. I like to have a plan for everything and know what is coming next. Working out as a Stay at Home Mom is difficult. I wanted to set myself up for success as much as possible. I figured what time of day works best for me to work out. For me, its the morning. My mood is SO much better after I exercise. Yes, its harder to get up early but it's worth it. I like myself more after and I think my family does too. Then, I wrote it down. I can't just make up a few exercises and just do them and feel like I got a good workout in. Writing it down holds me accountable to it and gives me direction and focus. Plus, it saves me time and I need all the extra time I can get. Crossing each day off gives me so much satisfaction. I love to watch progress in action!
Wear your workout clothes to bed
I work out at home. No one sees me. No one knows if I wore those clothes yesterday or not. Well, except all of you reading this. I worry so much about making noise in the morning. My greatest fear is waking my kids up. Opening drawers makes noise. It seems like the quieter I try to be, the louder I actually am. Even if I don't wear my workout clothes to bed, I try to have everything laid out downstairs so I have no excuse. Not being prepared used to be one of my biggest excuses. Now I can't use it.
Be Flexible
This is difficult for me. I like routine and I like exercising in the morning. I also like the alone time of exercising by myself, before my kids wake up. It would be great for that to happen five days out of five. Realistically, it probably happens three days of the week. Usually, I am halfway through my workout or in the basement using the elliptical when one wakes up early. Sometimes my cardio gets cut short or I have to trade the morning workout for nap time or night time when my husband is home. I try not to get discouraged when it doesn't work out and just readjust my schedule to fit it in later. Sometimes, Bo watches PBS or joins in on the exercises. Reagan just needs a couple toys and some attention and she will happily watch me do squats or planks. Stressing about it doesn't help. Being willing to change it does. There are also days I miss a workout. It won't kill me. My kids need me more than my elliptical does.
Find a Friend
This has been the greatest thing keeping me on point. Knowing that someone else is doing the same workouts and is expecting me to do them do really keeps me motivated. Even on the days I don't want to do them, I know that she is probably doing them right then. I told her I would and I don't want to break that trust. It's also fun to discuss how our workouts are going, what is working, and what we could change. She encourages me and I encourage her. If you don't have a person like this, enlist your husband or a good friend just to check in with you. Maybe they won't do the workouts but they can still be a great workout to you as you work to get fit. If you need someone, I would love to be that person for you as well.
Take a nap
I know this won't work for everyone. It also doesn't work for me every day. Some weeks by Friday I am exhausted. Getting up early to exercise and staying up late to get a few chores done catches up to me by the end of the week. When I can get both kids napping at the same time, I try to take advantage of that time and rest. It doesn't always mean napping, but I usually fall asleep if I am just sitting on the couch reading or resting. Even thirty minutes makes a world of a difference to the rest of my day. There are nights that by seven, I am a cranky mess. I am tired and I just want the day to be over. I am no fun to be around. Those are the days I should have taken a nap. I also have to tell myself that the dishes can wait until later, or the floors can be mopped later. All the mess will still be there when I wake up.
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| Pretending to nap. They don't actually sleep together. |
Happy Friday and Have a Great Weekend!!
QOTD: What tricks do you use to her your workout in?
-Rach
