Good information about
exercising at home for mom’s trying to balance work, family and everything else
in life. Actually, these are good tips for anyone. With a little planning, home
fitness is convenient and can be very effective!
7
Tips for Busy Moms: How to Exercise at Home
By Contributor on
May 2, 2015
When it comes to stay-at-home or work-at-home moms, knowing how to exercise
at home is often not just a matter of timing, but setting
your environment, arranging something for your children while you are
exercising, and planning out both warm-up and recovery routines. With so much
thought required for home exercise, many moms do not take the time to
exercise, even though they know the health benefits: physical, emotional and
mental.
With the issues faced by moms in mind, these 7 tips will help you
take the time to exercise without undue stress:
1. Schedule –
There is a reason the best classrooms have regular periods every day,
predictable activities and more. There is also a reason kids complain any time
a new teacher or substitute messes with the plan. Schedules are comforting and
predictable, and ensure that life will have some structure to work around. When
you are beginning a home exercise routine, it is important that it becomes a
part of your regular schedule. If you have school age children, fit it in in
the morning after they have gotten out to school. With younger children, exercise
during nap times or quiet time.
2. Set the Environment – In the busy living spaces we call home, there is rarely
space to set up a complete exercise room. But, moms can set the
environment by putting exercise materials out by some open floor space. Pick
space which will not interfere with other family activities when you do your
regular exercising.
3. Set Your Goals – Exercise is an important part of healthy living, but the
vague goal of “being healthy” is rarely enough to overcome the challenges to a
regular home exercise routine. What motivates you to workout needs to be
measurable (lose 30 pounds, run a marathon) and have a time frame. Without the
motivation from a great goal, you will not overcome your natural inertia.
4. Involve Others – As a parent, there are two groups of people who can help you
exercise, free of charge. Friends and your family. Some moms don’t have
enough time with their children, some don’t have enough time with their
friends. Let that desire for fellowship push your daily activity. Whether it is
planning that parent/child run your teenager has been begging you for, or
taking a morning jog with a friend, the companion will inspire you to continue
exercising, and vice-versa. With modern technology, you can not only connect
with friends and family through home-based exercise routines, but also connect
with nutrition and fitness coach on mobile computing devices.
5. Regular Warm-Up and Cool-Down Routines – Often a big obstacle to in home
workouts is the mental energy it takes to decide what to do. With regular stretching and warm-up
routines at the beginning of your exercise, you will have time to calm down and
focus on what your exercise goals are. With a regular cool-down routine, you
will be able to take time to plan how to do the rest of your day, without
stressing about how to cool down. Don’t forget that your cool-down and recovery
program needs to include quick nutrition like a quality shake.
6. Plan Nutrition – From the cool-down recovery program to your regular meals
and snacks, nutrition is a key part of any exercise planning system. Get rid of
the sugary and fatty snacks: yogurt, nuts and fruit, and cheese are all
healthy, easy alternatives to the candy and bagged goods (chips, pretzels, etc)
which moms so often use. Our “101 Healthy Shake Recipes” is a great free resource for
building your nutrition.
7. Plan on Failing – Whether you are just starting home based exercise or are a pro,
the secret to a great program is it makes you stretch. The important thing
about stretch goals is you often don’t hit them. This is a positive thing: you
can learn how to better plan, set more appropriate goals and gain better
health. Do not beat yourself up when you do not hit your goals, when your
exercise takes too much out of you or when family gets in the way. Rest,
recuperate, learn, and get back in the saddle.
An exercise at home routine is
only one decision away, so why not start your work outs today?
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