I remember once giving a presentation on "Fitting in Fitness" several years ago. I don't think I really knew the true challenges of fitting in physical activity until now. If I were to give that presentation today, I think I could do a much better job and probably relate to a larger audience. So, speaking from experience as a single mom (temporary single mom)of baby Ellie and doggy Otis, here are a few ways that I'm trying to fit in fitness. No....these methods are not going to bring me across any epic finish lines but they are going to keep me, Ellie and Otis happy until it's perhaps more realistic to think about say, the next marathon.
1. Walk with the Stroller. Ellie is too young to run so we do lots of walking throughout the day. The walks are primarily for Otis so he can get out and play but at the same time, Ellie gets a much needed nap and I get some fresh air and a bit of exercise.
2. Say yes, when you really want to say..."No, it's okay...I can manage". I am not good at asking for help. I never have been. But, these days...I'm getting better at it. On occasion, I have been fortunate to have friends watch Ellie, while Otis and I head to the beach for a run. Sure, I could go do groceries or clean the house, or a million other things but I choose to run. Even though I'm slow and out of running condition, it feels great. Running reminds me of all the great fortunes in my life. I return feeling grateful for my health, my body (post partum flab and all) my life and everyone in it. Running also keeps me striving to become someone that I am still yet to be.
3. Try out a Yoga DVD. I've tried to resume my own yoga practise but as I've mentioned before, Ellie gets pretty bored watching me do sun salutations. However, she appears to be entertained and somewhat soothed by hearing someone else talk through a series of yoga postures on the beach or in the rain forest. In fact, she has already started doing her own version of happy baby pose.
4. Try the Smart Gym. I recently purchased a Smart Gym from Twist Conditioning. It's really just a couple of tubes with a bar attachment but I like it because you don't need a lot of space and the bar attachment increases the variety of exercises you can do. Purchase of this product gives you a free Smart Gym membership which entitles you to a new workout routine every month. The workout is not super challenging but I can mix it up by using my BOSU or by adding cardio intervals (if I'm feeling so inclined)! With Ellie's sleeping and eating schedule, I may only get to do a few exercises at a time but that leads to my next bullet...
5. Know that some is better than none. Some days 6am turns into 10pm and I realize that I've been going all day and haven't even had a shower (yeah..gross...I know!) and there's no way I'm going to fit in a workout. I do a few push ups, planks and bird dogs just so that all the baby carrying doesn't reek havoc on my posture and voila, at least I've done something!
6. Go to Mom and Me fitness classes. I never saw myself fitting into these mom groupy things but now I find myself doing just that. I found a great class where we do decent exercises with other like moms and where the coach loves babes. She'll pick up Ellie if she's fussing so in effect, I get child care as part of the workout. Not having anyone to trade off with right now, this is a big plus! Another bonus of going to these classes is meeting other new moms (yes, the ones you never thought you'd have anything in common with) and actually having some regular adult interaction!
7. Attach your bike to a trainer. My bike has not seen the pavement for some time but it has had the pleasure of seeing my backside lately. Yesterday, Ellie and I watched our video of Ironman Lake Placid while I got a little sweat going. She was completely fascinated by the swim. I can't believe that I was actually there. Seems like another life ago but it gave me some motivation to keep pedalling my stationary Devinci.
While these methods are not really going to put me in peak physical condition, they are helping me build back my fitness foundation so that when Dad comes home, we can start thinking about that marathon!
If you've got another idea, please feel free to post!
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