Let’s be honest: being a mom is a workout in and of itself. You are often chasing kids around, cleaning up, holding crying children, and basically just exhausting yourself by doing the motherly things you are supposed to do.
However, even with all of the exhaustion and hard work that comes with being a mom, you may find that you aren’t as fit as you want to be, but you also don’t have the time to hit the gym for an hour every day.
Well, we have some solutions to keep the calories down and get a good workout in here and there, all while being at home with your kids.
Sugary Drinks are Not Your Friends
First off, let’s start with those sugary drinks. They taste good and they get your energy up, but they aren’t helping you get fit. Sugary drinks simply equate with wasted calories. Don’t waste your calories! Save your calories for wholesome and healthy foods and drinks.
If you still feel like you need that yummy drink, though, you can have it. Fruit infused water is a healthy, yummy, and aesthetic solution for those sugary cravings. In fact, fruit infused water is zero calories. Zero! Fruit infused water also has its own health benefits such as improved mood, regulated digestion, boosted immune system, etc. That’s much better than a caffeine boost.
All you need is water, at least two fruits, and maybe some herbs. That’s it. You cut up the fruits and herbs, slightly knead them, place them in water, and let it infuse. The longer the fruit soaks, the stronger the flavor will be. You’ll love it, and you can tweak it to fit your personal preferences. Add lemon for a sour twist. A good start is strawberries and blueberries. You can even get your kids involved and make it a fun game, to see who can come up with the best recipe. They’ll love the fruit infused water too.
When you’re on the go, just get a fruit infused water bottle, and take it with you. Then you can satisfy your cravings for flavor, save the calories, and stay hydrated.
You Can Work Out and Be a Mom at the Same Time
As a mom, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Your kids need help with homework, you have to pay the bills, and you still have a list of books you want to finish. All of these things have something in common, though. They require that you are sitting down: sitting down helping with homework, sitting at the computer paying bills, or sitting on the couch reading.
It’s time that you take away the chair, forget the couch, and start using an exercise ball. You can sit on it and strengthen your core, all while doing the things on your to-do list. Place the ball next to the kitchen table and sit on it as you help your kids with homework. Basically any time that you need to sit to accomplish a task, sit on your exercise ball and get the work out you weren’t getting just by sitting on the couch. A good quality exercise ball forces you to engage your core to stay in place which is where the workout comes from. This promotes better posture by eliminating your ability to slouch when sitting.
Work Out 20 Minutes a Day and You Won’t Regret It
You may not get that much time to yourself as a mom, but working out at home can allow you to relieve stress, get in shape, and still enable you to keep an eye on your children. No matter what you choose to do, working out for 20 minutes a day can help you stick to your fitness goals, all while being a busy mom. Plus, it’s just twenty minutes. It’s enough to get the job done, but not so long that you’ll push exercising to the wayside.
One of the best in-home workout routines involves using stackable resistance bands. They’re simple to use and set up, and they enable you to get the precise workout you want. You simply have to set up your resistance bands according to what part of your body you want to strengthen. For example, you can stand on the resistance band and exercise your biceps. You can also easily set up the resistance band in a door and use both arms in a row movement, getting a nice complete arm, shoulder, and back workout.
The amount of resistance can also be adjusted. This is done by using different bands, since each band has a different resistance amount. Additionally, you can stack multiple bands together and then clip them to the handle to further increase the resistance. If you want a light workout or a heavy one, you can get that precision with stackable resistance bands.
20 minutes? You can do it. And you can’t make easy excuses to get out of it. Find the time and cross exercise off of your to-do list too.
Being a Mom and Being Fit? It’s Possible.
It’s more fun when mom can join in the games and run around with the children. You can do that when you’re in good shape, eating and drinking what you’re supposed to, and finding the time to exercise.
When you squeeze workouts into your schedule and forgo your sugary delights, you’ll find that being a mom and being fit is possible. It’s the little things that add up, for the worse or for the better. Let them add up and result in a better you, and a better mom.
