7
Tips for Busy Moms: How to Exercise at Home
I saw this post on Mother’s Day, so I thought I’d share it
for the benefit of busy mom’s that see my posts. Maybe you can do the same – share it on your
site so your busy mom friends will get some ideas.
I'm a busy dad, not a busy mom. These tips are good for anyone. The best gym is the one you go by every day
because it is the most convenient. It
doesn't get any more convenient that in your own home. To travel time, the schedule is flexible, it
just needs to be important. You make
time for the things that are important to you.
So, busy mom or busy dad, these are good tips. I like #7 best.
7 Tips for Busy Moms: How
to Exercise at Home
By Contributor on May 2, 2015
When it comes to stay-at-home or work-at-home moms, knowing how to exercise
at home is
often not just a matter of timing, but setting your environment, arranging
something for your children while you are exercising, and planning out both
warm-up and recovery routines. With so much thought required for home exercise,
many moms do not take the time to exercise, even though they know the
health benefits: physical, emotional and mental.
With
the issues faced by moms in mind, these 7 tips will help you take the time to
exercise without undue stress:
1. Schedule – There is a reason the best
classrooms have regular periods every day, predictable activities and more.
There is also a reason kids complain any time a new teacher or substitute
messes with the plan. Schedules are comforting and predictable, and ensure that
life will have some structure to work around. When you are beginning a home
exercise routine, it is important that it becomes a part of your regular
schedule. If you have school age children, fit it in in the morning after they
have gotten out to school. With younger children, exercise during nap times or
quiet time.
2. Set the Environment – In the busy living spaces we
call home, there is rarely space to set up a complete exercise room. But,
moms can set the environment by putting exercise materials out by some
open floor space. Pick space which will not interfere with other family
activities when you do your regular exercising.
3. Set Your Goals –
Exercise is an important part of healthy living, but the vague goal of “being
healthy” is rarely enough to overcome the challenges to a regular home exercise
routine. What motivates you to workout needs to be measurable (lose 30 pounds,
run a marathon) and have a time frame. Without the motivation from a great
goal, you will not overcome your natural inertia.
7 Tips for Busy Moms: How to Exercise at Home
4. Involve Others – As a parent, there are two groups of people who can help you
exercise, free of charge. Friends and your family. Some moms don’t have
enough time with their children, some don’t have enough time with their
friends. Let that desire for fellowship push your daily activity. Whether it is
planning that parent/child run your teenager has been begging you for, or
taking a morning jog with a friend, the companion will inspire you to continue
exercising, and vice-versa. With modern technology, you can not only connect
with friends and family through home-based exercise routines, but also connect with nutrition and
fitness coach on mobile computing
devices.
5. Regular Warm-Up and
Cool-Down Routines – Often a big obstacle to in home workouts is the mental energy it
takes to decide what to do. With regular stretching
and warm-up routines at the beginning of your exercise, you will have time to
calm down and focus on what your exercise goals are. With a regular cool-down
routine, you will be able to take time to plan how to do the rest of your day,
without stressing about how to cool down. Don’t forget that your cool-down and
recovery program needs to include quick nutrition like
a quality shake.
6. Plan Nutrition – From the cool-down recovery
program to your regular meals and snacks, nutrition is a key part of any
exercise planning system. Get rid of the sugary and fatty snacks: yogurt, nuts
and fruit, and cheese are all healthy, easy alternatives to the candy and
bagged goods (chips, pretzels, etc) which moms so often use. Our “101
Healthy Shake Recipes” is a great free resource for building
your nutrition.
7. Plan on Failing – Whether you are just starting home based exercise or are a pro,
the secret to a great program is it makes you stretch. The important thing
about stretch goals is you often don’t hit them. This is a positive thing: you
can learn how to better plan, set more appropriate goals and gain better
health. Do not beat yourself up when you do not hit your goals, when your
exercise takes too much out of you or when family gets in the way. Rest,
recuperate, learn, and get back in the saddle.
An exercise at home routine is
only one decision away, so why not start your work outs today?
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