Episode 34: Workout Ideas For Busy Moms

Hello and Welcome to the podcast; Adventures of a New You

I am your host, Jen Parke a social worker and fellow adventurer!

We are approaching the last quarter of the year and if you take a look back at those goals that you set in January you might realize that you are not exactly where you want to be. Or maybe you are and you are already starting to look forward to next year. If you have heard of my girl Rachel Hollis and the last 90 days then this is the time to start planning for next year.

So the last 90 days uses the 5 to Thrive

1. Get up an hour earlier and use that time for yourself
2. Workout for at least 30 minutes a day
3. Drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day
4. Give up one food category you know you shouldn’t be eating
5. Write down 10 things that you are grateful for each day

I used to be the mom who picked up dinner and would sit and eat at the park. I lived in a crappy apartment that I loathed because everything about it represented everything that was wrong with my life. I wanted to have a house with a backyard for my son to play. So we spent so many nights at the park.

Now I drag the kid and the dog on runs at the park. They don’t always even want to come but it is so good for us to get outside and move!

I used to google how to fit a workout in as a busy mom. Actually I would google how to fit a workout in your busy schedule and a single mom.

As a full time single mom it can be very frustrating to not have time for yourself.

No amount of googling helped me find the answer. I’m not going to sit here and tell you to just find the time either. I’m going to tell you that you have to find your way and your time in a way that feels good for you. You have to weigh how you will feel. Some days the Mom guilt is all too strong and it won’t feel worth finding the time to work out. Other times if you don’t find the time to work out you will feel the mom guilt because you can’t show up for your family as your best self.

Working out is about self care and so is managing your mom guilt. Self care isn’t always about getting to relax. Self care is about literally taking care of yourself. If you don’t take care of yourself how can you truly take care of anyone else? For us to give the best to others we have to take care of ourselves.

For me the answer has always been to being my son along. Losing time with him or asking my tribe for one more minute of babysitting had always been hard to ask for when it was for self care. But why? We should be confident enough to ask for support to care for ourselves.

What if just once this month you schedule a time take care of yourself? Let’s start small and all grab our calendars and schedule time for ourselves and make sure that we show up for ourselves!

Ways to work out with your kids/when you have kids

• Bring the kids along
  • Use the gym daycare
  • Use a running stroller
• Get the kids busy too!
  • YMCA
  • Workout during your kids activities. Heck sign them up for an activity just so you can workout
  • Include the kids.... Kids yoga cosmic kids
  • Join activities together (karate)
  • Now we Bargain - if we go to the park he has to walk/run one lap with me and then he can go to the playground

** always be careful and monitor your child!

• Workout at home
  • Homeowner workouts
  • Barre 3 classes or other workouts online
  • Treadmill at home