Tuesday, September 30, 2014

60-Minute Workout for Busy Moms

60-Minute Workout for Busy Moms -- a breakdown of what it REALLY looks like when a mom with children under 3 tries to exercise at home   {posted @ Unremarkable Files}

It's a challenge for all the busy moms out there to carve out time for exercise.
But it's so worth it, and totally doable! In fact, I do it every morning. After getting the older kids up and off to school, and feeding the baby, here is my 1-hour routine:

9:30  Swaddle baby, put down for nap.

9:32  Baby wakes up and starts crying. Intend to change into workout clothes and hope baby will fall asleep in the meantime.

9:33   Phone rings. Pick it up in case it's important. Credit card company is selling identity theft insurance. Cannot get off phone.

9:35  Head back upstairs to soothe baby.

9:45  Baby is finally asleep. Look at clock. Decide to work out in pajamas today.

9:47  Open fitness DVD case. Case is empty.

9:48  Ask toddler if she knows where mommy's movie is. Blank stare.

9:52  Find DVD tucked into cardboard box lined with toddler's blanket and pillow. Give toddler stuffed animal to put to bed instead.

9:53  Play DVD. Use foot to clear toys in 5' x 5' area of floor space.

9:54  Fitness instructor on screen enters spacious studio. Notice instructor's artfully applied makeup and brushed hair. Flick blob of oatmeal from pajama shirt.

9:55  Run to kitchen to pour glass of water.

9:56  Toddler wants water, too. Tell her to get some herself. Does so successfully. Take mental note of budding capacity to care for self.

9:57  Warm up begins. Jumping jacks. Sharp pain in foot. Find small Legos on floor. Mentally outline lecture for older children about choking hazards and baby deathtraps.

10:02  Pick up hand weights and begin bicep curls. Toddler wants weights, too. Point to nearest object and suggest using it as weight. Toddler refuses, insists on help finding more acceptable weights.

10:05  DVD paused, search accomplished, toddler has found weights.

10:06  Toddler doesn't like her weights, abandons them for nearby object you first suggested.

10:07  Military press. Toddler points out ladies on TV are lifting their weights higher than you.

10:09  Toddler spills her water.

10:10  Move on to backward lunges. At least burning arms and shoulders get a break.

10:11  Stop to comfort crying toddler after stepping on her (even though she was warned 5 times not to go behind mommy right now.) Miss all lunges working the right leg but not enough time to rewind DVD. Worry legs will look lopsided.

10:14  Instructor takes to yoga mat on studio floor. Look for spot on rug that looks relatively clean. End up wedged between coffee table and sofa.

10:15  Toddler picks up your weights. Fear she is going to drop them on your face and/or break own toe. Internal debate on whether chance is worth keeping her occupied for a few more minutes.

10:17  Proceed with bicycle crunches. Toddler sits on your stomach and laughs. Is adorable. Vow to never forget this moment.

10:18  Toddler riding you is no longer cute. Are hot and annoyed. Yell at toddler.

10:19  Mom is not fun anymore. Toddler wanders to her room to play.

10:20  Hear baby stir. Nowhere near end of DVD yet.

10:22  Begin doing squats. Toddler reappears and crawls through legs.

10:23  Toddler asks if it is snacktime.

10:24  Answer snacktime question 6 more times. Tell her it will be snacktime when movie is over.

10:25  Ignore further inquiries about snacktime. Try to go to your happy place.

10:26  Happy place is gone. Planks are most excruciating exercise ever designed. Wonder if instructor is lip-synching since she is also doing planks but is able to breathe and count.

10:27  DVD freezes. Remove disc and wipe on shirt. Insert into player. DVD starts over from beginning.

10:28  Baby begins crying. Turn off TV. Toddler asks if it is snacktime.

10:29  Run through abbreviated version of cool down stretches, note dismal lack of flexibility.

10:30  Retrieve baby. Chug water. Get snack for toddler. Calculate actual time spent working out this morning. Have burned number of calories in single Goldfish cracker in last hour.



And there you have it. Proof that a busy mom can make time for fitness, for an hour every day.

If you want to vicariously work out with me, two of my favorite workout DVDs are No More Trouble Zones and 30 Day Shred with Jillian Michaels. I also like Cindy Crawford: The Next Challenge Workout, and not just for the awesome 1990s hair and outfits.

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Unremarkable Files

4 comments:

Mummy Fever said...

Brilliant - sounds familiar #sharewithme

Unknown said...

I like Leslie Sansone's walk-at-home series. A mile, in your living room, in 20-ish minutes (including warm up and cool down).

Still trip over kids, clear the floor with foot, and argue about snack time and a zillion other questions, but for less time.

Jenny Evans said...

Sounds good to me!

Unknown said...

This is hilarious. Particularly the part about sitting on you being cute and then not so cute. I do the same thing! I decided yesterday that just taking my 2-year-old basically anywhere is a workout. I chased her all over at the pool yesterday and the ball filed almost every day before that.