I remember very well how it was working second shift, then sleeping a few hours before needing to get up to take care of my family. I also remember how the stress of trying to do all the errands, housework, and cooking while trying to spend time with my 3 kids and husband before it was time to leave for work sometimes made it impossible for me to stick to my weight loss plan. As for exercising..who had the time!
However, I reached the point where I couldn't fit into any of the smocks we needed to wear at work. I could barely walk or even play with my kids. I decided that things had to change and I stopped letting stress become an excuse for avoiding exercises!
Each of us has 24 hours a day that we must fit all of our daily activities in, how is it that you cannot find time for exercises? Don't you brush your teeth, or take a shower everyday? Why do you do these? Because they are part of your daily routine. You know that if you don't brush your teeth regularly, you will suffer from tooth decay. Similarly, if you don't take a shower regularly, you could skin diseases, or at the very least, not smell very pleasant! You should know that if you don't workout regularly, you will become overweight and make exercising a part of your daily routine also.
It's not right to use the 'lack of time' as an excuse for avoiding exercises, as I did for years, when to be honest, I was afraid of exercising and didn't know where to start! This might be what is really preventing you from exercising too.
I'm hoping that these tips will help you achieve your fitness goals!
1. Find a friend to workout with. Working out alone is not always an enjoyable experience. However, if you can have a friend workout with you, chances are that you will start loving your workouts instead of hating them! Plus seeing someone else working out in the gym will motivate you to continue with your exercise routine. You don't even have to go to a gym, if you have a very child, put them in the stroller and go for a walk, or take the dog for long walks. If you know another working mom, or a few of them, who has the same fitness goals as you, then rope them in as well. It is more fun to walk with a friend, or even your family. Maybe you could start having the whole family go for a walk after supper.
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| Photo by: Peter van der Sluijs |
2. Get an IPOD or something similar. I used to walk with a cassette player (yes I am dating myself I know..LOL) Take it with you whenever you hit the gym or go walking. This is a great way of kicking out the boredom out of your workout routine!
3. Do what you love. There are exercises that you probably don't love to do and if you force yourself to do them it is only a matter of time before you become bored and stop doing them. If you find exercises that you actually love, then it becomes easier, even enjoyable, to do them. They don't have to be situps or squats either! Do you like bike riding? Take the bike instead of the car occasionally. Put on some music at home and dance while doing the housework. Swim laps at the Y, or your own pool if you are lucky enough to have one. Anything that gets you moving and makes you work up a bit of sweat is good for you and if you love doing it, you WILL do it!!
4. Start slow: If you have never exercised in your life, it is only natural that you will be afraid to hit the gym or think about walking for miles. Ignore people who say that you have to exercise daily in order to lose weight. Instead, try to take it easy: start by working out only for fifteen to twenty minutes per day, for two or three days a week. As your body gets accustomed to your new workout routine, you can scale up the intensity of your workouts!
I know that these tips can work for you because they worked for me!
Remember at the beginning of this I mentioned that I had gotten fed up and decided to change things? Well, I ended up losing 144 lbs in 1 year, and went from a size 30 in jeans to a 16! Actually, I could wiggle into 14's but 16's were comfortable.
HOW did I do it?
I started walking a few days a week. At first I thought I was going to die, just a trip around the block seemed to take forever. But soon it was 2 blocks, then 3. Finally I measured out a 4 mile route and every morning after the kids went to school, I laced up the sneakers, put the headphones on, grabbed a bottle of water and hit the streets. After a month or so I was able to walk that 4 miles in 20 minutes! I did that 5 days a week and added aerobics (Sweating to the Oldies with Richard Simmons is GREAT!!) 2-3 times a week. I also began walking during the 30 minute lunch break at work while drinking a Chocolate SlimFast.
My point is this. If you want to live longer, to be there to see your children grow up, to meet your grand and even GREAT grandkids, or if you just want to be healthier for yourself, to be more confident and have better self esteem (believe me, your whole personality and outlook on life changes as your size changes!!) then you have to MOVE! Of course, you also have to change your eating habits......but I will leave that subject for another post!
If I did it, I know YOU can do it too! In fact, I will be joining you on this journey because I gained a few pounds back recently after I quit smoking and am working to get rid of them again.
Shall we do this together??
