Fitness At Home

                Long ago are my days of having a membership at a wonderful and large gym. I would go at least 4 days a week and have the boys in the nursery.  I loved the solo time to take a class or watch a show on the stair stepper. I’d even take the time to shower and get dressed so I didn’t have to when I got home. I met wonderful friends and the boys did too.  Since we have moved to Maine we don’t have the same facility to be members at .  With homeschooling and activities, we also don’t have the time to commit to it either.  I’m not sad, it’s just not the season for me to be at a gym regularly right now.  It took me some time to get my workouts in after we moved away from the gym but I’m in a solid groove now. Here is how I have made the workouts happen right at home. 

Teach the kids-

the first thing to do is to include the kids as much as possible as well as train them to be independent while Mommy exercises. This may not happen over night so be patient. Offer incentives  like a show while you stretch and shower if they help mommy. 

Use a Fitness Tracker-

I am not one to use or promote gadgets unless they are truly something I find useful. I had a FitBit that stopped working in July. It’s not a coincidence that my pants started to get tighter until I got a new one at Christmas. This is a tool that helps me even when I’m not able to actually get a workout in. It helps me be active overall. A free option would be a pedometer app on your phone. I dont personally care for this because I’m trying to avoid having my phone in my pocket through the day but it is a good budget friendly option .

Walk-

I love walking for many reasons. I love that it takes no extra equipment other than sneakers. Lazy as it may seem I enjoy that I dont need to change my clothes! Walking to be outside and walking for a workout are two different things though. There can be some factors that make it not easy depending on how old your kids are and where you live. It can be hard to actually get a workout with kids in tow so I recommend a good stroller if you are outside.  Weather can also be a major factor. I get outside whenever I can but often the snow covered roads don’t make a great place to get a fitness walk.  Many years ago I purchased a second hand treadmill for $100 and I use it many days a week. This time of year is a great time to get fitness equipment second hand.  My boys use the treadmill often for a quick walk before they start school work. I see a big difference in how they feel and do their school work when they have this bit of fitness at the start of their day.  I love varying the speed with intervals and incline to get my heart pumping. I use this as some time to zone out and listen to a pod cast or watch a show.

Use the TV-

I have enjoyed several different types of workouts on DVD or on YouTube. Here are a some of my favorite home workouts I do right in my living room.  

Jessica Smith TV- 

I really love how this Youtube channel Is set up. Videos ranging in time and muscle group, cardio and strength, full body workouts, stretching. ‘Walk and talks’ where Jessica leads you through low impact cardio and discusses her take on different topics like eating habits and staying on track towards fitness goals. She often works out with her little dog and my little guys love seeing Peanut on the screen while I workout. I have had this set of adjustable weights for a long time and use them multiple times a week.

Mad Fit-

No equipment and very challenging I really like these workouts especially her stretching videos.

PiYO-

This is a Beachbody program and I enjoy how they give you 4 different levels of the same workout.

Turbofire-

Another Beachbody program I enjoy these aerobic cardio workouts. Interval workouts work well for me because of the shorter length of the workouts.

Run the stairs or driveway-

Grab the kids and have them cheer you on. I used to plop a little boy in the high chair near the top of the stairs (far enough away to be safe) and he’d giggle as Mama huffed and puffed up and down the stairs making faces at him. I also get the boys outside and run sprints up and down the driveway with pushups or squats in between hills. These are both great ways to get the kids moving with you. 

My best tips for success are:

Have a plan and a goals

Have a support system

Drink extra water

Track your progress

Prep the night/day ahead so you dont lose time getting set up for a workout. I often sleep in my workout clothes so I can literally wake up and get started.

If you are starting a workout routine, great job! Be patient with yourself and remember there are more reasons than just to lose weight. Its important for our children to see Mom taking care of herself through exercise.  She feels better and can be a better mom.  Be sure to share your favorite way to workout at home in the comments, I’d love to hear how you are staying fit!.

Read more about how my fitness goals have changed over the years in this post Fitness Goals- Now and Then.