Moms of today are truly incredible. Days are jam packed with caring for families, home, helping friends, running to and from sporting events, taking care of elderly parents and some moms work outside the home as well. Moms of today live very physically demanding lives. Yet, how many of you take the time to give the very best care to your bodies that go non-stop? When you make your “to do” list prioritizing and scheduling important things for the day or week ahead, is there a block of time set aside every day for you? Do you make sure your body gets the good nutrition it needs to keep you healthy and strong? If you make time to exercise and eat right here are some great benefits that you will enjoy:
- More Energy
- Decrease Stress
- Improve Posture
- Tone and Firm Your Body
- Increase Your Metabolism (i.e., burn more calories!)
- Sleep Better
- Make Yours Bones Strong
- Live Longer!
Of course being a mom presents the very real challenge of finding time to workout. Keep these ideas in mind for those days you simply cannot fit in half an hour of time for yourself. Go outside with your kids and play a game of tag, Frisbee, or [nmslink:football, football], you’ll get a great workout. Or take the kids and their bikes and go out for a ride or to the closest school and let them ride their bikes around the track while you power walk or run. If your baby is still in a carriage, go for a brisk walk, you will return rejuvenated and refreshed. Remember you don’t have to do 30 consecutive minutes of cardio to receive benefits – three 10 minute sessions equal the same.
If you find some time without the kids, don’t pick up that phone and start chatting, go pick up your friend and walk while you talk. Is there a favorite TV show you watch? Instead of sitting on the couch try these easy “no equipment needed” exercises. 1 set of 8 repetitions for each exercise equals 1 circuit, do three circuits for a great workout in 30 minutes:
- tricep dips
- bicep curls (holding two bottles of water is great for resistance)
- lunges
- pushups
- squats
- crunches
Sensible eating and good nutrition are also necessary for good health and vitality. Here are some easy ways to eat healthier.
- Drink 6-8 classes of water every day. Keep a bottle of water with you at all times. It will help cleanse your body of impurities and keep you hydrated.
- For a quick healthy snack, put pre-washed and cut veggies in snack bags in the fridge.
- Make Trail Mix (nuts, seeds and dried fruit), pre-measure for portion control (1/2 cup) and put in a snack bag. This is great for energy and a quick, satisfying snack on the go.
- Nature is a wonderful thing – a piece of fresh fruit is always the perfect serving size.
Remember, choices you make every day will affect how you feel today and in the future. Stay fit!
Christina Matthews
Certified Personal Trainer
Copyright 2007, Christina Matthews. All rights reserved.
You can contact Christina at christina.matthews @ comcast.net (make sure yu take the spaces out before emailing)
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Moms are truly awesome. and they are never thanked enough for their job. It’s hard to picture they needing to exercise, being their job so intense and tiring!
sounds like some good advice. personally our family finds itself so busy my wife has trouble finding the time to keep herself as healthy as she would like. thanks!
1 set of 8 repetitions for each exercise equals 1 circuit, do three circuits for a great workout in 30 minutes:
That’s a great idea, and something else to remember is that you can exercise right NOW, even as you’re sitting down and reading this–deliberate tension is a great way to tone muscles. Pull your tummy muscles in, tense, and hold for a count of five, and then release slowly. You can perform the same sorts of exercises on your buttocks and thighs, and if you do it right you’ll feel the burn without ever getting up from your chair.
You can also perform these sorts of exercises while you’re at working or driving or chatting on the phone.
I LOVE that the exercises you’ve described can be done without equipment. That makes it so much easier. I don’t have space in my home for large pieces of gym equipment. Thanks for sharing!
This is some good advice that is practical as well. With small children, it is often so hard to find time when they are not on you or you are doing something for them. Yet, 10 minutes, three times a day is a more managable way to exercise.