Finding The Time to Exercise

Janice, a wife, mother, employee, runner, softball player, and internet addict has agreed to guest post for MomItForward. She is the owner of MomOnTheRun.net.

Before I had children I often worked out twice a day - I'd do a circuit strength training program over my lunch hour at the gym across the street from work, and then go for a run after work. Needless to say I was very, very fit!

But now that I have kids finding the time to exercise is far harder. OK, I admit it. Finding time is damn well near impossible! Those darn kids can't look after themselves. (Well they could, but then the CAS would be on my case). No wonder so many of us parents have gotten fat. Eating too much and exercising too little has a tendency to do that. Now that its the New Year and I've set all these amazing resolutions I've found that there are essentially 4 different times in the day I *could* exercise: before work, during lunch, after work, or after the kids go to bed. In an attempt to find the best time to exercise, I brainstormed my excuses for not exercising:

Before work:

• It's too hard to get up that early
• What happens if I wake up one of the kids while getting ready to workout/run? Is it fair to leave my hubby to tend to the child I woke up?
• What if hubby is away on business? (Hubby travels quite often). If one of the girls get woken up by me then I will have to look after her and won't be able to workout anyway. (It's just safer to stay in bed).
• When will I shower? The kids will want to join me in the shower or will beat the crap out of each other while I'm showering (for the record, I shower at night after the kids go to bed).

During Lunch:

• I'll get too sweaty and stinky
• When will I eat my lunch?
• Won't I be too hungry?
• When will I run errands?

After Work:

• Who will pick up the kids?
• Who will cook dinner for the kids?
• Will the kids miss me?

After the kids go to bed:

• I'm too tired
• There are too many other household chores to do
• When will I be able to relax (and blog)?

After reviewing my list of excuses, I came to the realization that my lunch time excuses were the easiest to overcome. I don't sit near anyone at work so who cares if I stink? Who cares if I get sweaty? A quick wipe of my face with a towel and a spray of perfume can fix that. My hair? Who cares! I wear it in a ponytail most of the time anyway! Hungry? I can eat a small snack before I run. Lunch? Who needs an hour to scarf down a sandwich and a few carrots? Errands? Those can be done after work, or even better, after the kids go to bed (The Wal-Mart near us is open 24 hrs and so is the grocery store!).

So for the past week I've run on my lunch. And you know what? I highly recommend it! I actually liked my lunchtime runs. After running I felt way more alert and productive. JOgging helped me to think problems from the morning through. It also helped me to stay on track with my eating. Much to my misfortune I found that I didn't have time to pick up an extremely fattening burger and fries - I only had enough time after my run to eat the healthy lunch that I brought - helping me even further to reach my goals. So if you're having a hard time finding the time to exercise, why don't you try exercising during your lunch hour?

Remember:

You can have either fitness or excuses
But not both!

How to Get What You Want

Holly Rigsby Guest Authors for MomItForward during our week of Topic Talk about Fitness. Holly runs three websites and is a creative powerhouse in helping women get fit and achieve their fitness goals. We're thrilled to have her advice today!

Get Fit and Yummy Blog
Get Fit and Yummy (See her videos!)
Get Fit and Yummy (the community)

You set your fitness goals and you are on your way.....so what strategies will bring you the most success?

Your Success Strategies
~ Passion
Do you care deeply about the goals you have set for yourself?
Do you Love what you do?

~ Preparation
You must be ready to learn, to plan and to practice.
Do you have a system in place that allows you to do this on a daily basis?
Do you allow for practice of new habits? The process of trial and error allows you to refine the steps you are taking so you end up taking the best, most productive steps forward each day

~ Action
You must DO in order to achieve. You simply cannot produce results by thinking, wishing or hoping.
What are you Doing to make your goals a reality?
Action must be ....Immediate. What can you do right now? Why aren't you doing it?

~Inspired
Any action you take based on an inside nudge or sudden desire...Listen to your Intuition!
This is really a Double Must.
You have the thought or idea coupled with a small dose of excitement - this is the ideal moment to jump on that thought and take action.
The key to creating new results is to put your thoughts aside and follow your feelings. This means being in tune with those moments when you feel good and acting on them.

~ Risk
When you are reaching for the stars it is vital that you Step Outside of your Comfort Zone. Face your fears and just act.
Instead of focusing on all the worry and fear of what could go wrong, turn this energy around and faced brand new experiences with thoughts of what the outcome can be!

Watch as you are overcome with a confidence you didn't realize you had.
Ready to make it happen?

Get your Fitness Action Plan in working order today.

As you begin, keep in mind the changes you are making do not have to be dramatic and difficult.

It may not be pretty or perfect the first time through, but at least you took a shot. Keep using what works and toss the things that don’t.
This is the true recipe for success as you continually make progress on Getting What you Want.

Holly Rigsby America’s #1 Busy Mom Fat Loss Expert, ACE certified personal trainer, author of Fit Yummy Mummy: 16 Week Lifestyle System for Busy Moms, helping moms burn the baby fat and get their body back in just 90 minutes a week.

Topic Talk—#GNO Fitness Highlights

Introducing Renee one of the MomItForward's Guest Tweets! She guest posts today with a recap of the #GNO Fitness topic. She specializes in Designer Diaper Cakes From CutieBootyCakes.com. You can catch her on her blog of the same name!

Health and fitness are near and dear to me. I used to be a health fanatic and had a body to die for. At this point my body is in need of some work and based on the level of participation during GNO, I am not alone. For those of you that missed the discussion, here are a few highlights.

Motivation
Busy Moms inevitably place the needs of others before their own and have a to-do list a mile long. The first question raised last night was where does the motivation come from? Initially, I answered: it came from other women in the Modern Mom Challenge, but that is not exactly right. I get inspiration from the women and from within. I think about staying healthy and setting a positive example for my son. I think about my fat pants which became the only pants that fit (tightly) and my refusal to buy larger sizes. I think about how good I feel with the endorphin high after exercising and all of these things motivate me.

Incentive
One GNO participant @PsychMamma gives herself points for exercise and healthy eating. She is rewarding herself with an iPod for the points earned. @RedLotusMama purchased a new pair of jeans after losing weight. For each milestone that you reach, give yourself an incentive for a job well done. This will help get you off that couch! (photo by butterflywings)

Time
Moms are notorious for having packed schedules and the question was asked - how do you find the time to exercise? Everyone has twenty minutes. While your child is sleeping or right after you put your child down for the night. I use the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred, a complete cardio and strength workout that is challenging and done in 20 minutes.

Exercise
Be creative! Try dancing! Belly dance, Zumba, and my personal favorite; dance hall reggae are all available on YouTube. Find a group of instructional videos on YouTube, have fun and get the exercise in. If you have cable, OnDemand usually includes Exercise TV, a great variety of exercises available at the touch of a button. Use what you have in the home - if you have stairs climb them for 20 minutes. Take a walk, put your child in the stroller and enjoy the scenery in the great outdoors. You don’t have to have a gym membership to get results. And finally, if you want really efficient workouts consider interval training. Walk for 5 minutes and run for 1, gradually increase the running time and decrease the walking, soon you will only run. In my experience you get the most bang for your buck when you control the intensity.

I encourage all of you to join the Modern Mom Challenge, I believe that having the support of a great group of women really does help when trying to meet your goals.

Tips:
Be sure to check with your doctor before starting any exercise regime.
Drink water, at least 8 glasses a day. Many times thirst is mistaken for hunger. When you are in the mood to snack have a glass of water and wait 20 minutes. If you are still hungry, eat.