Busy Moms and Exercise

I know, this is another one of those posts that seems a little odd for a children’s formalwear shop to have, right? Well, here’s the deal. While it’s the little ones that we “dress,” it’s the parents who are raising these little ones, so we like to do what we can to help mom and dad out. Our blog is one way to do this – and we don’t just have to provide great tips regarding formalwear, because that’s not the only area parents need advice in.

Today’s blog post is coming from personal experience. For the past seven months, I have been working out on a regular basis. (This was right after my second son was born.) Well, recently I’ve found it pretty hard to keep the routine. I have a five year old and it is spring now. What does this mean? It means that my schedule is getting busier. I’ve got soccer practice, t-ball practice, soccer games, t-ball games, swimming lessons, and several other things going on now. And that is with just one school age child. I can only imagine what parents with two or more school age children go through (my time is coming, though)!

So, something has to give and unfortunately, it’s the working out. I understand why I’m not making my daily gym workouts like I used to, but that doesn’t mean I like it. So, I’ve found a few things that I can do with my busy schedule that will keep me fit this spring/summer until I can get back up to the gym on a steady basis.

• Squats – I HATE squats, but they definitely help keep my legs and rear looking good…so I do them. If you have a pinterest account, you can look up “April Squat Challenge/Workout” or something similar and find some great squat workouts to do at home. The great thing is that squats don’t take long to do – and you don’t have to do them all at once, you can do 20 here and 20 there. As long as you are consistent and do them daily, you are going to get results!
• Zumba – When I feel like I need to get in a little cardio, I just pop in my Zumba DVD and do a 30-45 minute workout. Obviously, I don’t have much time during the day, so I usually do this after the kids are in bed. It’s a great way to finish out the day and a great sleep aid. Plus, doing cardio at least 3 times a week, helps keep your body in shape and your heart in good health.
• Practice – Oneof the things I try to make a priority is spending quality time with my kids. Since my oldest is in soccer and t-ball, I can get the quality time in while I burn calories by practicing with him. Whether I’m fielding balls he hits off the tee or working on soccer moves with him, I’m burning calories. Plus, I’m having fun with my son. It’s a win-win. If your kiddos are in spring/summer sports, get out and practice with them!
• Ab Workouts – Another type of workout that anyone can easily do from home is an ab workout. Ab workouts are great for keeping your core looking good. And, when done on a regular basis, they definitely keep the inches off your waistline. There are several workout routines I do – all of them can be done in 15 minutes. Since they don’t take long to do, they are easy to fit in at the end of the day before I shower. The place I go to get good ab workout routines is Pinterest. However, if you Google “Ab Workouts” you’ll find them that way too.