I am currently on a working mom’s quest, a search.
Yes, I am hot on the trail, well luke warmish on the trail, searching for something with more gusto than Indiana Jones searched for that silly Lost Temple.
Ever since I re-entered the report-to-a-boss-other-than-yourself workforce three years ago, I have searched for a good working mom’s exercise routine.
Finding an exercise routine for working moms that involves more than Wii Fit (yes, I have it, I’ve used it, it will do, but really?) and can be maintained, meaning I don’t get up at 5 am for a week to workout, realize it’s so not going to work, and end the exercise plan until the following New Year’s.
I know all the benefits of exercise, believe me. I subscribe to half a dozen healthy e-mail newsletters (although I am still waiting on one of them to advocate my beloved Cheez Its), I’ve read studies, I know what I need to know about WHY to exercise.
What I don’t know is HOW you are supposed to find time to exercise when you get up at 6 or 6:30 am, come home after work, attend football twice a week, throw together dinner, work on 7th grade Spanish, 8th grade Algebra, 11th grader who knows what, and oh by the way, throw in some job-related work.
I read the other day where Kelly Ripa said her secret to staying in shape as a mom is ‘doing butt squeezes while she drives her car.’
PUHLEASSSEE. No offense Kelly.
First of all, I think Kelly Ripa has a rear as big as my computer mouse.
And her husband, as cute as he is, doesn’t look like he has a rear end much bigger.
I don’t think I’m following the Kelly and family exercise plan anytime soon?
Second, I’m fairly sure the AMA doesn’t count butt tucks at stop lights as daily exercise. Not that my husband wouldn’t be pleased, but that’s a whole other post.
I am not Madonna with a ‘trainer and a butler and a bodyguard of five.’
And if could afford any of those, I would skip them all and hire a personal chef.
I cannot do the Oprah and get up at 5 am to workout.
I mean I could do that.
But trust me, you wouldn’t want me to. Not even coffee would help me if I tried that. My co-workers would disown me.
And raise your hand if you walk in the door after work, drop your things, and start doing jumping jacks.
I didn’t think so.
I’m more likely to head towards the Merlot than the treadmill after work, traffic, and nightly chaos.
After a few rounds of Pre-AP Algebra, the treadmill doesn’t stand a chance.
And therein lies the problem. It seems as if all the workouts we hear about are the ‘celebrity’ genre. Celebrities who don’t quite live in the same reality as the rest of us.
I am not sure what the answer is.
I would love to see a workout routine put out by an actual working mom, not a celebrity mom.
I would much rather learn how a local Accounting Manager with a family manages to work out regularly, than read about Madonna or Gweneth’s workout routines in People Magazine.
Unless Madonna’s gonna let me borrow her bodyguard, butler and chef, her workout routine is just as useless.
Maybe I’ll just listen to Kelly Ripa and start doing butt tucks in the car.
Until I find the solution for a decent aerobic plan that a full-time-and-then-some working mom (sans nanny, butler and chef) can maintain, if you pull up behind me at a stop light, give me a second if the light changes and my car doesn’t move.
I might be mid butt-tuck.
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You've got to check out SqueezeItIn.com! Our entire site is filled with exercises that fit into your daily routine – including a whole suite of office exercises we started rolling out this month. You can make fitness fit! Three 10-minute bursts of moderate intesity activity equal one 30 minute workout. Let life be your workout!
http://www.SqueezeItIn.com – Life's a gym. Work it out!
Hi, thank you for the reply! I actually have your Facebook page saved from several months ago. The problem I have is that I spent most of my work week in my car traveling around. I rarely, rarely, at a desk or in the office. I have to find a way to make it work, I just don’t know what it is. One thing I am curious about if you come back to this. I read a lot on health. I’ve read the studies and articles on the three 10 minute workouts. Is that a good plan for health/weight maintenance? I am not, at this point thank goodness, needing to lose more weight. I need to maintain and avoid diabetes. Which brings me to my last point. I am finally, for the first time ever, to a health weight. But my moms doctor has said that to avoid diabetes, which is highly genetic in our family, you need 30 minutes of exercise a day to keep insulin and blood sugar in check. Do the three 10 minutes workouts help with that? I think if I was in an office actually (which would make me crazy all day) I could make the exercise work. But because I travel in my car all day, it’s a bigger battle.
If you are a working mom, Show me the exercise. PLEASE. | ShowMeTheMom.com http://www.showmethemom.com/2009/09/show...
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@showmethemom http://www.SqueezeItIn.com – we’ve just started releasing a whole new suite of office exercise – today’s: Work the Plank!
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Since you asked my opinion, in the beginning set your goal at ONLY three days a week. Saturday, Sunday and then you have five other days during the week. Just pick one. You can bump it up after that if you find the time. Second, sounds like the only option during the week that would work, because I am pretty sure putting merlot in a water bottle as your workout hydration is a bad idea and only crazy people get up at 5am (seriously certifiable people) is the lunch hour workout. Maybe a brisk walk or nearby gym? It is INSANELY hard to find the time to do things for ourselves isn't it! For the record lifting that merlot to your mouth counts as curls.
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Hey girl I hope you are feeling better! I LOVE your idea of weekends. I had never thought of that? One thing I don’t think I’ve really ever mentioned is that I spend about 90% of my work week in my car driving around Houston seeing clients. So it’s almost impossible to do any sort of lunch workout, etc. Actually at my old job, I went across the street to the gym at luncy towel dried, used lots of deodorant, and went back to work. But it doesn’t work in this job. I really think you are on to something with the 2 days for now on the weekend and then start with 1 day during the week. That is a great idea. The other thing I am thinking is that now that fall is approaching, if I sign up for like a 5K here and there, it will motivate me to get prepared? It’s hard though when you travel in your car all day for work, makes it really, really hard to make the exercise happen. I’ve done the 5 am thing and it never lasts more than a week.
Get better soon, I hope the soup helped!
So here's one suggestion thats worked for my mom, when she would take us to soccer or softball, she would walk around the track with one of the other moms at the field, she's stuck waiting for us for an hour or two anyway so she just walked around and around waving at us while we ran drills. Another option would be a thigh master in the car, why not? I'm in the same boat, i feel like I spend my whole day at work or doing the dinner, bathtime, bedtime routine, when exactly am I supposed to work out? If you get any other good ideas, be sure to post them!
I laughed so hard at this one, but I cried at the same time! It’s the dilemma working women face – trying to figure out and have time for all the things that are “good” for you, your kids, your husband, your body, your whatever!
We have some exciting news to share with you…this week marks the opening of our online store! In our store, you can find a great workout DVD, a fabulous tote and super cute tees to wear around town…or while you’re squeezing in your workouts!
Be sure to stop by our online store and check out the new merchandise!