Be More. Do More. Give More.

Tips for Fitting in Fitness

I get a lot of emails from my friends, moms I know, moms I meet on Twitter and Facebook and even strangers I meet at the supermarket about how I manage to fit fitness into my busy life.  The short answer is that I put the time in my schedule and I make it non-negotiable for myself and for others.  I know that is easier said than done but it is crucial for my physical and emotional well-being and it helps me be a better wife, mom, friend and colleague. 

Personally, I have made the decision to workout at home with various DVDs— mostly because it’s convenient, takes less time (no car ride to the gym), requires slightly less willpower and helps me be consistent.  But even if you are a die hard gym rat, fitting in fitness is less about time and more about giving yourself permission to make YOU a priority. 

What works best for me and my schedule is to work out at 5:30 or 6 in the morning before the rest of the house is awake.  I believe that there is really no best time of day to workout except the time that you will be able to consistently stick to and that works best for your life. 

Let me be clear that I am not, by nature, a morning person but there are some little things that I do that help temporarily fool my mind and body into thinking that I am.

1. Put the alarm clock/phone on the other side of the room.

2. Put my workout clothes right next to the alarm clock so that I can put them on right after I turn the alarm off BEFORE the temptation to get back into bed kicks in

3. Buy workout clothes (no need to spend a lot of money) that I like and feel good in

4. Keep my sneakers and socks next to the TV so that I can put the DVD in while I am putting them on

5. Now this one definately gets a high rating on the corny meter— but I swear it works— I put a picture that I took of myself, smiling, post-workout near my workout DVDs.  It helps remind me of how great I feel after the workout is over and helps give me the motivation to press play and just start

6. I keep a workout calendar on my fridge and cross of each day.. this helps me be accountable since my kids have gotten in the habit of checking every morning and they love to give me a hard time when I miss a day!

7. REWARD YOURSELF!  I make deals with myself that if I do all my workouts for the week/month, whatever, I will treat myself to one thing I want.  For me, it usually involves shoes or a new cooking gadget ;)

I hope this helps all the busy women/moms out there who are struggling to find the time.  Ultimately, we all have the same 24 hours… it’s just a matter of how we chose to use it.  Don’t be ashamed or afraid to make yourself a priority! 

17 August 2010 ·

Anyone have some good advice/tips about how to deal with a whiny four year old?

7 June 2010 ·

Think of making breakfast in bed for mom on mother’s day? .. here are some good healthy recipes I found. http://ping.fm/9EDNz

7 May 2010 ·

the best cookie ever. Eat Pastry oatmeal raisen choc chip-only 110 cals for 2 .. And it’s even better right out of the jar! TRY IT!

5 May 2010 ·

Thanks to my cousin Stacey I found a great tool to help my kids learn to spend, share and save their money.. http://www.moonjar.com/

3 May 2010 ·

I’m thinking of starting the Shakeology 3 day cleanse on Monday.. Anyone want to join me?

23 April 2010 ·

What is your dream? Are you living it? If not, you can and should be. Check this out… http://ping.fm/7FstS

22 April 2010 ·

any good movie recommendations for my flight to LA next week? thanks!

22 April 2010 ·

My coach Andrea Diaz (@GetHealthynFab) is officially Emerald today! She tells me she’s gonna be Diamond in 60 days and I believe her!!

22 April 2010 ·

making real progress often requires shaking up your life.. why not start with a Summer Shakeology “Shake” Down? Details soon..

17 April 2010 ·