I know that I need to exercise more. I feel great after I do it, however getting back into a routine is the hardest. I thought that I would be looking fitter and more toned by now after kids. This has not happened. It is hard to keep the routine and fit it all in with kids.
I do have a Nintendo Wii Fit that I like using and I feel best using while kids are in bed or away, I then can do all my exercises and not get interrupted.
These are the things that put me off doing exercise when I have a chance, then it is too late when kids are running around:
1. Slept in and miss my window
2. Not well, either headaches or something else
3. Too tired and cannot manage it
4. I suppose just being lazy
I have tried doing it with the girls but it has never worked. I have also tried going to the pool to do aqua aerobics say 3 times a week, and try and do some other things at home with the Wii fit, however the pool cancelled the child care session for when the aqua aerobics lesson was on, so it made it impossible to go – You can see more information on my post about “No More Pool”
Now need to get into going to the pool on the days I do have off, I have also thought on walking around the oval a couple of times as this will help. I don’t know if you are like me, when I go off and do things it means then the hours are less in the day that I do have off. I need to prioritise as I would like to lose some weight and get fitter. So I guess I need to structure it into my day in a better way.
Some links that might inspire us:
- Are you too tired to exercise – From losebabyweight.com.au
- 5 ways to workout with your kids – From Workout Mommy
- Fitness for busy mums – From Body+Soul
- Mums United – From Heart Foundation Australia
Do you have problems fitting in exercise? I used to be so good, I walked an hour a day and then the next day went swimming or did a session like aqua aerobics twice a week. Now with kids it seems like a struggle and something that ends up getting missed. How do you fit exercise in if you have kids? What are your tips and tricks? Send them on so we can all learn.
I am now going to make more of an effort to get fit. Maybe we can have an online group that helps each other and keeps up the motivation.What are your thoughts?
2 Responses
Camille
March 16, 2012Hi Suzi,
I lost a lot of weight through stress just over a year ago and ropped back to the size I was just after I left high school. Once I got over the stress I started putting on weight and decided to do something about it.
As you know, I don’t have children but with work and uni and a busy social life exercise often becomes my lowest priority too. I like walking so I try to walk home from work once a week (didn’t get to this week!) or go for a walk after dinner once or twice a week (er, I’ll have to catch up over the weekend!). But then that’s only 3 walks a week at the most so not enough to keep slinky.
So of course the only thing to do is change my eating habits so I don’t need to exercise so much in the first place.
Nowadays I have a good breakfast, eat my main meal at lunch and only something light for dinner (either an egg, soup or fruit, etc). I figure I’m only going to bed so I don’t need a large meal at night. I do low-GI carbs and lean protein and watch the sugar and fried food. But I really believe portion size is the key. I eat slowly and stop as soon as I’m not hungry anymore. Note, there’s a difference between being ‘not hungry’ and being ‘full’. Full means you’ve already over-eaten, not hungry (without being full) means you’ve eaten as much as your body needs and it’s time to stop. I do a lot of doggy bags now! I still love a glass of wine but I do 2 alcohol-free days a week and drink sensibly otherwise, not like the old days 😉
I started changing my diet by substituting foods for more healthy options. The goal for me was to change my diet for good, not just a short period of time, but to do this all at once would have been too difficult and I would have failed. Gradual substitutions make the changes achievable and the little successes spurred me on. Success is the best motivator, once I started seeing the effects of a few little changes I couldn’t wait to bring on the rest. For example, instead of a choc-chip muffin for breakfast, try a wholegrain blueberry muffin. Instead of battered fish with chips, try grilled fish with salad (and just a few chips if you can’t resist but eat the salad first!). Instead of honey chicken, try stir fried chicken and veg with a little honey instead.
I am so slinky now I’ve started wearing short skirts for the first time in over 10 years! I still allow myself hot chips and a chocolate croissant once a week and I’ll go all out on a special occasion. It’s ok to let loose now and then!
One last thing, be patient. You can go hard but you will probably exhaust yourself, hate every minute of it and end up failing. Or, you can do things gradually and thoughtfully and work out the best approach to fitness and health for you which will lead to lasting success.
Good luck! Keep us up to date on your progress!
Suzanne
March 16, 2012Hi Camille, thanks for your words of inspiration and I am glad you are slinky. Wearing short skirts is definitely a motivator. I do agree with portion control, I think that is a problem as well, and finding time to burn it off. I will keep you updated of my progress. Thanks for posting a comment.