Being a mom is time consuming. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing more I would rather do with my time than be with my two children, but I am also a wife and I want to look and feel great about my body. I also want to maintain a healthy lifestyle that my girls, 4 and 6, can learn from and look up to. To do achieve my desires, I must make time to exercise. Finding time for me is a challenge all in itself, so I asked my friends how they fit exercising into their hectic schedules as mommies. These are the top tips that they follow and I follow to get in some exercise time during the day.
• Make an exercise appointment. Plan out your exercise schedule each week, put them in your calendar, and treat them like any other appointment that you do not want to miss. The trick is to find the time that works best for you. Sometimes it is easier to get in a workout before the family wakes up, and other times you may find the time after the family has gone to sleep. Some days I plan to hop on my treadmill when I know my younger one is napping. It all depends on what you can do. If you cannot do it all in one shot, then follow the next tip.
• Split up your workouts. It’s actually been proven that splitting up your daily exercise is just as effective as performing it all at one time. Utilize all the time that you have available by splitting up workouts. Take ten to fifteen minutes to get in a walk, or divide your treadmill time in half, fifteen minutes in the morning and fifteen in the evening. All of your efforts will add up, and you will feel the benefits.
• Find some helpful friends. Swap child sitting for a friend. When she is out running errands, offer to watch her children in return for watching yours while you run to the gym. You may also be able to find group fitness classes that will offer childcare during the workout. Find other moms with similar exercise needs and form a stroller group or just visit the park together to work out while your children play.
• Use family time to exercise. Exercising as a family activity can be very rewarding, not just physically. You will also spend some quality family time together. Find activities that you and your family can enjoy together, like walking after dinner, going on hikes, bicycling, swimming, playing tag, or sports. You will find that your whole family will start feeling better the more time you spend exercising together.
Kel Jones loves to write about finding a balance in life as a mom and allied satellite tv for busy moms. She feels like she has achieved the ultimate balance in her duties as a mother, wife, and freelance writer.
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