Let’s be honest, motherhood is a challenge to our physical well-being. Whether because we are growing a baby in our womb or we just don’t have time to hit the gym, physical goals seem to get knocked off the stove altogether (not just put on the back burner!)
Here’s a few ideas, though, to change our mindset about how motherhood could become the means by which we get some physical fitness accomplished even amidst meeting the needs of our toddlers or teens.
Remember to check with a health professional before doing any exercises! The following are pointers, not prescriptions!
- If you’re already on the floor with kids, do some yoga or ab work
- Run around in the park with your kids or race them when you can
- Use the bars at the park to do some push-ups or use those steps for step work.
- Turn on some fun, loud music, and dance, especially when things get tense at home.
- Do the cha-cha or something like it while vacuuming and other chores around the house
- Squat whenever possible around the home – why bend over to get that bottle off the ground, “Now here we go, just bend those knees keeping your feet hip-width apart, now straight down, that’s right – now on the count of three, 1, 2, 3…squat, pick up, stand up slowly, squat, put down the bottle, stand up slowly, squat again, pick up the bottle, slowly stand, give the baby the bottle, your doing great, keep up the good work!”
- Kegels are perfect while making dinner or waiting to be seated at the restaurant – trust me, Girl, your menopausal able-to-sneeze-in-public self will thank you later.
- Refrain from eating what the kids leave on their plates. Just let it go.
- If you’re helping kids with their homework, you don’t have to sit there! Stand, and do strength training with hand weights–which could just be a canned food item from the pantry! (Don’t do serious weights more than two times a week)
- Make healthy food for everybody, with everybody. Involve the children in the planning, preparation, and clean up as much as possible! Their involvement is key to their enjoyment of the meal!
Photo by James Wheeler on Unsplash