How Can Moms Squeeze in More Exercise?

In the glory days of my youth, I was an athlete. Then, came real life -it sneaks up on you when you least expect it – and before I knew it, I became a Mom. This glorious job position is certainly the one I covet more than anything else in my life. Yet, being a Mom 24/7 is a tiring task and I’ve found Motherhood equally exhilarating and exhausting. (Emphasis on the word exhausting, please. )

I’ve made compromises to my exercise routine, while being determined to do whatever it takes to maintain some level of fitness during my children’s wild and crazy toddler years.

And when I say whatever it takes, I don’t mean vacuuming all day to burn XYZ calories or eating celery really quick so I burn even more calories than I consume. (I’m not much of a housekeeper anyhow and really how much celery could I eat to make any difference in my total daily caloric burn??)

I squeeze in walks and short runs whenever I can a few times a week. Even if I don’t have much time, I’ve found it’s important to at least go on that 15 minute run or walk around the block. This keeps me from getting even more out of shape. I’ve also found a few sneaky ways to stay toned that don’t impact my daily routine at all. Exercise while watching TV at night. I know it can be hard to get off the couch or out of bed as the exhaustion and laziness factor often win at my house.

I know there must be a long list of quick and easy fitness drills I could do at home, but so far this is where I’m at. I’d love to add more sneaky exercise & toning tricks into my arsenal. How have you found time to sprinkle in mini sessions of exercise or toning into your hectic life as a Mom? Or how have your carved out a routine that works for you to regularly workout (go to the gym, running, biking, walking, aerobics class, Wii fit at home, etc) amidst the chaos of motherhood?