Does it bother anyone else when celebrity moms claim they lost their baby weight so fast because running after their new little one is all the exercise they need? And then a few days later you usually seen some paparazzi picture of them leaving their trainer’s gym? Me, too.
The truth is, the only way to drop weight or to stay in shape is through intentional exercise. To most people, this conjures thoughts of blocking out 2-3 hours to get ready to go to the gym, the commute to the gym, time at the gym, when most moms can’t even find time to go to the bathroom.
The good news is, a workout doesn’t have to happen all at once to be effective. All your muscles know is whether you used them or not, not when you used them, so take that big daunting workout and break it up into short, manageable pieces, without even leaving the house. Here’s how:
Make a list of all the exercises you want to do. You want to choose exercises that hit all the major muscle groups: legs, arms, abs, back and core.
Next to those, write down how many reps you want to do of each, and repeat for how many sets you want to do (usually 2-3) so your list looks something like this:
Squats 10 10 10
Pushups 10 10 10
Lunges 10 10 10
Crunches 25 25 25
Put your list somewhere you will see it throughout the day. As you complete each set, cross it off. Do ten squats while you are checking your email. Do lunges while you are waiting for the water to boil. Do your crunches during commercial breaks. Then, when you cross off all your exercises, you are done!
You can even get your kids in on the action. Cardiovascular exercise is also important, especially for weight loss. However, it is also the most time consuming. Fortunately, your kids need cardiovascular exercise as well, so use it as quality playtime. Play tag in the park, go for a hike, go swimming at a local pool – anything that gets your heart rate up for an extended period of time. Plus, it will probably tucker the little ones out and you’ll get some quality time with yourself while they nap.
Being a parent is one of the most common excuses for not working out, but the truth is, if you are a parent, you especially need to stay active to keep yourself healthy for your children and to set a good example. So get moving!
