Happy September and back to school month to all of you!
Like me, perhaps many of you are breathing a sigh of relief that your children are back in school. Despite this relief, you still may feel overwhelmed with getting back on track with homework, sports, making meals, packing lunches, keeping up with the carpool and the laundry. Yes, I can relate. I feel like I’ve been thrown into a dryer and am spinning at full speed ahead all with in ? a week of school starting!
However, now that school has started, your exercise plan can easily take a backseat to all that there is to do being a mom and maybe even a mom who works. These conditions make it a little bit more challenging to get a workout in.? I know, I am one of those moms I have ?three boys and two businesses, I feel your pain.
Here are some suggestions I have to jumpstart your BACK TO SCHOOL WORKOUT!
1.??????STAY ORGANIZED. Assign a COLOR for each family member. Using color pens, write down everyone?s schedule on the calendar for September and for the rest of the school year in their assigned color. You may want to get a big calendar or whatever calendar size works for your family.???Now for the fitness mama of the household write down your appointments including your workouts in your pen color (do use a pen you will be less likely to cancel your workout). Make it a pretty bright color and have it be just for you.
Choose days that you know you can commit to (days when you know you have the help you need with your children.) Let your husband know what your plan is ahead of time and ask for his support with the appointments you have made for yourself. This is about YOU staying healthy so YOU can take care of everyone else. If mama?s happy, then everyone else will be too!? If you are a single mom or don?t have a significant other to help you, maybe you could swap exercise days with a friend or family member to make it happen. Maybe you are one of those lucky fitness mamas that have a high school child that has a later class and can help if there are younger children in the house. Get creative, ask neighbors that you trust, women from church and make it happen. Even if it?s twice a week there are ways to fit in your workouts. If you have children you need to get to school then take them and if you have a younger child, put them in the stroller and go walking or running with them. If there is a will there will be a way!! Bottom line: JUST DO IT!
2.??????WORKOUT ANYWHERE.? Using ?a resistance band or xer-tube ?is a great way to do a strength training workout at home or anywhere, anyplace and at anytime. I take mine to the soccer field and workout while my boys practice soccer. You may check out my website to get my book on exercising for your body-type @ www.ocfitnessmama.com it comes with a resistance band too. If you do and have any questions feel free to call me and I will help you out.
3.?????? MAKE A LIST. Make a shopping list before you go out to do the grocery shopping. Don?t go when you?re hungry and if you can leave the children at home it will spare you fighting with your kids and also save you money.? If you have to take little ones with you, be prepared?for them to ask for everything in the store and be prepared to say, ?NO.?
I know what it is like to take three little boys grocery shopping and it can get difficult. However, my boys know that I am not going to be buying junk food and toys, because I have said, ?NO? from a very early age and they get it. Maybe you can ask a friend or family member to watch your kids while you go shopping and then watch their kids for them when they need to go to the store. If you?re comfortable maybe you could make a list and let your friend pick up items for you and then you could do it for them when you go. You see, there are several ways to do things, create a circle of friends and relationships so you can reach out to them and them to you. This can really be a cool idea for the moms in your neighborhood.
4.?????GET YOUR KIDS INVOLVED.? When it comes to cooking and creating meals, let your little ones help. There is nothing more important than teaching your children about creating healthy meals and snacks. You are teaching skills for a lifetime here. Currently my husband and I are mentoring a young man who has been staying us and working out with my husband at the gym.? He also joins us for family meals and mealtime conversations. Growing up, he was not taught to cook or to grocery shop, now fast forward to a nineteen year old young man who doesn?t know any life skills in this area. Not only is this sad, but unhealthy. Children were not born with directions on how to raise themselves nor were they born with knowledge of how to cook and create meals for themselves.? This is our responsibility as parents to teach them how to cook, and prepare food. Buy your children some little aprons and tools to get started in the kitchen as young ages and continue to teach them as they get older. They will be a big help in the kitchen in years to come and you will have done your job as a parent to help them develop healthy cooking and eating habits.
5.??TRAIN ACCORDING TO YOUR TYPE. Remember to work out with your body type in mind.? I have addressed this topic in many times in my blog and newsletter. Visit my gym website and visit the take 5 videos to help you jumpstart your BACK TO SCHOOL WORKOUT with the three exercises I suggest for all four body types. Working with your body type will get you to your ideal body weight sooner than exercising incorrectly with it. I am also available for on-line training, webcam workouts and I also have skpe. I would love to have you email me a picture or yourself if you are not sure about your body type and we can get you on a program not matter where you live.
6.?????? STAY POSITIVE AND STAY FOCUSED! As a parent and as a business owner I have found there are some things we can control and some things we CAN NOT CONTROL. However, it?s not what happens when things happen, but how we respond to them. Choose to respond to your life and your children in a positive and focused way, remain calm and take a fitness mama time out if you need too. I do this all the time, I will tell my boys that mommy needs a time out and I will be back to talk with them when I?m done. I take time to breathe and focus, and when I come out I am calmer and I have a positive attitude. You choose your attitude, make it a POSITIVE ONE!
7.????DRINK LOTS OF WATER. I drink a huge glass of water every day with 1 tsp. of apple cider in it. I don?t know if it really helps me stay lean, but I think there is something to it. Try it and let me know your feedback on this healthy tip!
8.?????EAT FOODS RICH IN FIBER. Eat high fiber high volume food. When you plan your own fitness mama meals, keep this in mind. It will help you lose body fat, and help your immune system remain strong throughout the school year.
9.?????TRY SOMETHING NEW. Keep trying to get your children to eat new fruits and veggies. Remember when your child was a toddler and the doctor would say, keep trying to introduce fruits and veggies. Well it takes about 10 tries before them like it. So keep trying to open their taste buds, as well as yours. You too can try this if you struggle with trying new fruits and veggies. We as moms get in food ruts too and remember we are role models for our children. So be a healthy one and let your children see you trying new foods. Set the example!
10. ? Choose My Plate?. Check out the new website at www.choosemyplate.gov. This website has been designed with a colorful ?plate ?that has four sections for a great visual. The four sections include: vegetables ( which is a green), Fruits (which is red), Grains ( which is brown), Protein, ( which is purple), and lastly Dairy ( which in not on the plate, but is a side-dish and is blue). This would be a great website to look at and talk to ?all your family members with. The information is great to teach and show your family all the different food groups and why it is important to choose foods from all the different groups. Every group has a purpose and certain nutrients that are full or antioxidants, minerals, and nutrients. ?The information is free and very helpful. The website has great recipes, food ideas and hand-0uts that can be printed out to encourage your family to get on the right path of eating healthy and also exercising too.