photo by lalaland

I often here the complaint from other women that they do not have time to workout or they feel guilty working out.  As mothers, we feel pulled in so many different directions and fitting a workout into our day is a struggle.  I have talked in the past about workout guilt and trying to spend as much quality time as possible with your child.  I have committed to early morning workouts prior to my son getting up during the work week.  But weekends always pose a challenge because of activities and family time.  This weekend, I found an easy solution for the weekend workout, take advantage of the nap!  Now on the weekends, my husband looks forward to nap time for his own nap or a little down time with the computer, I on the other hand took that time to get in a workout.  Saturday, I got a good 40 minute run in and made it home just before my son woke up from his afternoon nap.  Today, I actually got to be “mommy” to the dog and took her on a short hike up the mountain trail behind our house.  It is a steep quick trail, but it got my heart rate up and I got both the up and down benefits of hiking.   The cross-training benefit of switching up my workout is important.  I have talked about getting stuck in a rut and hiking in the mountains gives me the occasional opportunity to enjoy nature while exercising.

Finding time for yourself in our busy lives is always a challenge.  It is so important to take “mommy time” when you get a chance.  I was actually suppossed to make a mom’s day out today at the movies, unfortunately I ended up at the railroad park for a picnic and didn’t make the movie.  So schedule in some “me” time this week and refresh yourself, get a good workout in, or make that movie you have been waiting to see.  We are better moms and wives when we take care of ourselves in addition to our families.

photo by SuperMommies

A good majority of my runs are done with my two year old in the stroller.  These runs are quite fun, he entertains me most of the way and talks about each thing he sees.  The problem is: he gets bored in the stroller and sometimes is asking to get out, play, or starts to whine.   If you are a mom of a young baby, you probably haven’t experienced this yet.  If you have older children you understand that eventually the time comes when you can’t keep your child in the stroller for a long period of time. 

So there a lot of solutions for getting your workout in and entertaining your child at the same time.  Here are some of my favorite exercises to do with my son in the stroller and out of the stroller.  Typically I will start this workout after doing a fifteen minute run to the park, you could also substitute a good paced walk to a grassy area, a track, open field or another area you can workout in.

1. Hill Running – if you have a hill or incline near your workout area.  Leave your child in the stroller facing you, at the top of the hill.  Walk backwards squating down the hill, then run a sprint up the hill making funny faces and noises.  My son loves this and always gets a kick out of his “crazy mommy.”

2. Shuttle Runs/Suicides – Remember the Presidential Fitness test from your elementary days?   Find a basketball court or open field.  Skip with your child to the first line, sprint there and back.  Skip to next line, another sprint there and back.  Repeat until you finish with two full court sprints, make sure you turn your child around so they can see you sprinting.   Add more to this exercise… each time you are at the end add 5 push-ups before you continue the shuttle run.

photo by Axel Buhrmann

3. Footwork drills – If your child will stay in the stroller, do 10 jumping jacks in front of you child, side shuffle to half court, run in place footwork for 10 seconds, and then shuffle back. Repeat 5-6 times.  If your child won’t stay in the stroller you can do the same thing while your child is in a swing.

4.  Lunges, Squats, Sprints – Let you child out of the stroller and let him play with you.  You can do lunges and squats standing still or moving depending on how much your child is moving.  If your child wants you to hold them, it is just extra weight/resistance for you!  My son loves me to lift him over my head while I do squats!  Then, find an area to do some sprints with your child, my son loves to play chase.

5. Ab Work – Take a towel with you in your stroller.  You can let your older child play in the park while you do your favorite ab exercises.  Or you can take  your baby/toddler out of the stroller and have them on your towel with you.  If your baby is wanting mommy time you can do ab work with your child laying on your belly.

Mix it up and have some fun.  Working out is possible with your baby/toddler/young child.  Plus, they will get the advantage of seeing you workout and learn a life lesson about keeping fit.  If your kids are older you can have them ride a bike or scooter with you in the park and enjoy the workout as a family together!

photo by Richard Durnan

I went for my first long run today in about 8 months.  It had been awhile since I have felt that alive and free.  Yes, I am a little sore and tired, but the run itself was therapeutic.  I think people who aren’t runners do not understand the joy of running for long periods of time.  I was running at a moderate pace so I wasn’t overly exerting myself or feeling out of breath, I also had the ability to look around and take in the beautiful scenery and gorgeous day.   I actually found a new trail to run on and it was exhilarating exploring a new location and path.

For me, running really allows me the time to think and relax.  While I am getting in a good workout, I am able to organize my thoughts and plans for the upcoming day or week.  Many of my best ideas for coaching and writing come when I am on my run.  Maybe I should run with a tape recorder because sometimes I forget them when I am finished.  But speaking of forgetting, running also helps me to let go of the daily stress, the argument with my husband, or other things that are bothering me.  

photo by Thomas Hawk

There is a scene in the movie, What Women Want , where Helen Hunt describes the feeling of being one with the road that totally characterizes my feeling of being on a long run.  If you are a runner, next time you watch that movie think about her description of a female runner, “…She’s running. It’s early, it’s quiet. Just the sound of her feet on the asphalt. She likes to run alone. No pressure, no stress. This is the one place she can be herself. Look any way she wants, dress, think any way she wants. No game playing, no rules.”  (Darcy McGuire in What Women Want)  What a wonderful description of the power of the run.

Typically most of my short runs are done with my son in the running stroller, with my neighbor, or my sister.  Those are great runs too, but I am still partial to the long, quiet run alone in those early morning hours.  I don’t run with an IPod because I like the sounds of nature and the thud of my feet on the road.  If you can find some time to go on a long run or walk to clear your mind and get in a good workout, I highly suggest it!