No Time to Exercise? No More Excuses!

You are the most important person in the family, because if you fall apart, it all falls apart.  You KNOW what I'm talking about; if you have been sick for just one day, you understand!

Exercise is an important part of my life, not only because of my job, but because of what it does for me personally. Exercise helps me relieve stress, makes me feel good about myself, and since I've become a mom, it's one of the few things I do these days that’s all my own. I’ve blogged in the past about being a busy mom of three small children, and most of the time I put 110% of my effort toward my kids, leaving little for me. I know that’s not good (and something I need to work on), but one thing I do try to make time for almost daily is exercise.

Whether it means getting up early, squeezing in a few 10-minute workouts throughout the day or doing a quick video while they nap, exercise calms me and helps me get through a busy day without a (mommy) meltdown.

So if you’re a busy mom like me, how do you begin to find time for exercise? Here are a few suggestions that work for me.
1. Get others around you on board with your commitment. You can’t do everything for everyone all the time. Sometimes, you need help. My husband knows exercise is important to me, so he helps me find time for workouts whenever he can. He will watch the kids while I go for a run after he gets home from work, or sometimes he’ll even suggest I do a quick workout when he can tell it’s been a rough day. My dad (a fellow runner) also offers to watch my kids while I run. Having the support of my family makes the commitment so much easier.

2. Schedule it as part of your day just like anything else. If you’re like me, your appointment calendar is full of tasks related to work and family. Why shouldn’t you budget time for your workout too? Plan your workouts for the week ahead and write them down on your calendar. You wouldn’t skip a meeting at the office or your child’s school, so treat your exercise appointments with the same importance.

3. Accept that some days will be easier than others, but success is just hanging in there. There are days when my run is going really well and I would love to keep going, but I’ve literally run out of time. There are days when the calendar gets turned upside down and my workout doesn’t happen at all, or days when 10 minutes is all I’ve got. As long as most days, things work out as planned, that’s all you can ask for as a busy mom trying to juggle it all.

Read the rest of this important article at Spark People and get back to taking care of you!  Have a tip?  Share it with us by leaving a comment.