Welcome back to Women’s Wellness, a series all about wellness issues that particularly concern women (if you couldn’t figure that out by the title!). Today we’re talking about exercise.
Yes, the dreaded E-word. It’s not a 4-letter word, but it might as well be for some of us! If you are a busy mom (can I get a witness?) who isn’t real keen on exercise to begin with (another witness?) it can be a seemingly insurmountable task to carve out time in your day to get the job done.
But it is possible! I have 5 easy ways for you to squeeze moments of exercise into your day, without costing you an arm and a leg. Because if you can barely afford the time to exercise, you certainly aren’t going to dump your hard-earned money into a gym membership.
Do a 10 or 15 minute routine.
If you’re serious about it, you can squeeze 15 minutes into your day, at least a few times a week. Here are a few suggestions for fitting it into your schedule (I’ve done all of these at one time or another):
- Get up early before the kids wake up.
- Exercise during naptime.
- Exercise before you go to bed (after the kids are already in bed).
Did you notice all those options involved sleeping children? Hmmm. Well, even if your children never sleep, surely you can squeeze in a few moments while they play quietly (or loudly) with one another, or perhaps while they are watching TV (Of course, my children never watch TV. Never! Ahem.).
Now, the question is, what kind of exercise can you do in 10 or 15 minutes? Well, I’ve got you covered! All kinds of quick routine DVDs are available and typically come with 3-5 different routines so you don’t get bored. Some of my favorites are:
- 10 Minute Solution: Pilates
- 15 Minute Total Body Workout
- 10 Minute Solution: Fat Blasting Dance Mix
- Crunch: Pick Your Spot Pilates
- Crunch: Burn and Firm Pilates
Search your local library’s catalog to see if they carry these or similar titles. My library allows me to borrow non-fiction DVDs for 3 weeks at a time, and they have enough DVDs to keep me in a supply of routines without getting bored.
Here are some other ways to get access to these DVDs without paying $15-20 a pop:
- I found most of those on Netflix (the availability fluctuates; they may or may not be available all the time). If you already have Netflix, then these resources are already available to you. If not, you can get unlimited streaming from Netflix for $7.99 a month.
- Amazon.com has a similar program; if you’re already a Prime member, you can upgrade your membership to unlimited streaming for only $39, which is a little over $3 a month and gives you access to all kinds of streaming exercise DVDs. Or you can pay for each individual title you purchase (same with iTunes) and download (still cheaper than buying the actual DVD).
- If you already have cable or satellite TV, chances are, they have an on-demand channel full of exercise routines, including mini-routines like these.
If all else fails, check out Workoutz.com, a website that’s chock full of all kinds of exercises, as well as an exercise routine generator. Be warned that it’s kind of the YouTube of the exercise world, so the videos there are not necessarily offered by professionals. Just so you know.
Take a Walk with Your Kids
Walking has often been touted as the perfect exercise, and happily, it’s also the easiest. Take your kids for a walk outside; they will run in circles around you, and you will all get plenty of exercise! And if baby’s in a stroller, so much the better. Push that baby up the hill, girlfriend!
Use a Pedometer
This Multi-Function Pedometer by Heart Rate Monitors will count all your steps as you take them through the day, as well as calculate the distance you’ve walked, and the calories you’ve burned. And it’s only $6.75! Make it your goal to take 10,000 steps in a day, and this (or any) pedometer will keep track and let you know when you’ve reached that goal. And you don’t have to be going anywhere in particular for the steps to count: figure out ways to add extra steps into your daily routine.
- Walk in place as you load the dishwasher or the washing machine.
- Take the scenic route wherever you go, even if it’s just to the bedroom in the back of the house.
- Stand up, stretch, and walk around during TV commercials.
Play with Your Kids
Kids love a good workout, only they call it “playtime”. Play with your kids - they’ll have a blast, you’ll have a blast, and once again - every one will get exercise! Here are some ideas for kids of all age ranges:
- Piggy-back rides
- Horsey rides
- Catch
- Jumping Jacks
- Leap frog
- Kickball
- Soccer/Football/Basketball
- Jump Rope
- Hopscotch
- Races/Relay Races
- “Wrestling” or Rough-Housing
- Ring Around the Rosie
- Duck Duck Goose
Turn Chores into Exercise Opportunities
Most of our “chores” these days have the benefit of a machine to help us, so we don’t get as much exercise in accomplishing household tasks as previous generations did. Build some beneficial movement back into your chores:
- Stretch or do basic Pilates/Yoga moves while the mixer is mixing or the blender is blending.
- Squat with each handful when loading clothes from the washer into the dryer.
- Do lunges while vacuuming.
- Do in-place step/aerobic exercises any time you’re standing in one place (at the sink, over the stove, looking in the mirror).
- Use a walking mower instead of a riding mower.
- Practice ballet positions and plies while blow drying or curling your hair.
- When doing any household chore that involves rhythmic or energetic movement already (like scrubbing, reaching up high, dusting, etc.), focus on even movements, strengthening from the core, and breathing with your movements. (It helps to have some experience with Pilates or yoga in order to be effective with this.)
Before you know it, you’ll be fit as a fiddle!
How do you sneak in exercise as a busy woman?
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#6 Breastfeed #7 Unpack your house while chasing toddlers…ha ha
Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger recently posted..Comment on The What, Why and How of Composting by Anonymous
LOL! Yes, that would certainly be effective!
Vacuum while carrying a toddler. LOL
Great post Anne! I would like to try the TTapp videos too….but I’m saving up for those after the baby.
Stacy Makes Cents recently posted..Crock Pot Cranberry Apple Stuffed Pork Loin
I have heard a lot of good things about the TTapp videos but haven’t tried them. Let me know how you like them!
Great tips! I think you are right on target to say everyone can squeeze in a little time - that 15 minutes will increase your energy level and quality of life which will give you such a bigger return!
If you have comcast cable (we used to), they have TONS of exercise videos on Exercise TV - On Demand. All part of your normal cable bill.
Another great source is ebay or a half price book store - buy a few and then trade with your friends for variety.
Good ideas! We used to have on demand with Comcast, too, and I did enjoy some of their exercise routines.
I usually do crunches while playing on the floor with the baby. He’s at the stage where he likes to play near(or ON)me rather than with me. lol.
Elise recently posted..9 Months Old
That’s a fun way to exercise!
I really needed this post… Thank you!
Jenni recently posted..Organize Your Clutter: 10 Steps To Purging The Piles
You’re welcome
What great tips! I love exercising, and your tips are totally doable on a tight budget with tight time.
Those 10-min solutions on Netflix are so fun. I like the Target Toning and yoga ones!
Steph (The Cheapskate Cook) recently posted..Honey Butter
I have to admit, I do not love exercising, lol. Fifteen minutes is about my limit, I’m ashamed to admit. And I’ve never tried yoga, but I think it’s very similar to Pilates, so I would probably like it (I do enjoy Pilates).
I started watching this little video with my kids called the “Elmo Slide.” It’s on youtube, and since the kids want Elmo over and over and over, following along with exaggerated movements can be a workout.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=07p9Yc7mZbk If you click the “Letter Y” and the “Number 20″ songs they are pretty hyper, too.
Stealthy Mom recently posted..Sauteed Red Peppers and Mushrooms on Whole Wheat and Flaxseed Biscuits
I love this idea! My son is a big Elmo fan, too, although sadly, he’s growing out of that stage
(I had to pin your 5 ideas, too…)
Thanks for the pin!
Anne, these tips rock! I am so bad about not getting exercise, but you made me think I can do it. I have Netflix, and I need to just pick one and go. I also love that you include housework and playing with you kids. I think these are often overlooked. We live in a world where exercise is just another thing to do. I’m prime example of this. But what happened to just good old fashioned hard work? Oh, right … we have replaced those things with gadgets that do it for us (washing machines, dishwashers, Kitchen Aid mixers…). Sometimes, I’ll manually knead my bread just so I can get an arm workout. haha!
Great tips!
Leigh Ann @ Intentional By Grace recently posted..Comment on Waiting for the Lord Who Seems to Be Waiting on Someone Else by Laura Nonemaker
Leigh Ann, thanks! And that’s smart to manually knead your bread - I admit i’m very lazy in my approach to bread making!
I just recently discovered one of the 10 Minute Solution DVD’s on Amazon(“Kickbox Bootcamp.”) With a 4 and a 2 yr old to contend with, its so easy to come up with an excuse not to workout. But now there is no excuse. While the 2 yr old naps, and the 4 yr old has “quiet time,” I’m able to throw in a load of laundry and then do at least one 10 min segment. If the 4 yr old is abiding by his quiet time, I’m sometimes able to do an extra 10 minute segment for a 20 minute workout. I’ve been doing it for a month now and have lost the stubborn few pounds that kept hanging on! Not to mention that kickboxing is so much fun and the instructor, Keli Roberts, is not annoying in the least. I highly recommend this DVD.
I’ve never tried kickboxing. It sounds fun, but the slow pace of Pilates is more my style, lol. I agree you can fit those 10-min routines in anywhere.