Monica says "I can't just do it, but I gotta do something!"
I am hoping that once the weather is warmer I will be so excited to get outside running again, that once the evenings are longer it won't feel like bedtime by the time I get home at 6:30pm at night! Basically, I'm just hoping something happens to get me back on the motivated train because lately, working out has just been a chore by the time I can squeeze in the chance to actually do it.
I have given myself "goals" of working out every day - but let's face it, that is just too hard for me and my lifestyle. Some extra-motivated folks may say "well, then you're just not motivated enough!" or "that's just an excuse, you can workout everyday if you try harder!" But yea, not so much. I did it in the few months before my wedding, but even that was difficult and I didn't even have a kid AND belonged to a gym that was a 10-minute walk away that I would go to WITH my husband!
I was uber motivated again to shed the last of my baby weight last summer and got into running and even signed up for a "Boot Camp" class at the park district. I did lose the weight and it was fun and felt great, but I did have to sacrifice precious evenings with my daughter in order to do it. Even just going out for a 30min run can make me feel guilty sometimes that I'm basically taking that Mommy time away. It is a means to an end at times, though, as working around my schedule leaves little time for exercise. Even now I sometimes will workout before Addison's bedtime just to get it done because I know laziness and tiredness takes over too easily.
Ok, so long story long - now that you know my back story and woes, you understand my motivation to "Just Do Something!"
I am taking a leadership class through work, and one of the segments focused on time management. The part that spoke loudest to me was taking time from the "waste zone" and putting it into the "proactive zone", since that can be in our control.
I have adapted to this thinking, by instead of sticking myself with the daunting goal of working out 30min+ every day - giving myself an ongoing way of thinking to just work out when I can. Because let's face it, what happens when I'm a little tired and just not in the mood to work out - or get caught up in housework and have a busy weekend? I think of working out and just roll my eyes and say to hell with that. So to supplement, I've started doing little exercises intermittently as I carry on with the usual tasks of my day. Here's some examples:
- Calf raises or side bends/twists while brushing my teeth
- Sit ups/push ups/leg raises while watching TV
- Pausing to do a few squats while cleaning
- Running up the stairs instead of just walking
- Walking briskly and taking the long route to get water at work
- We have a chin-up bar attached to our spare bedroom doorway outside the bathroom so while Addison takes a bath, Tim does a few chin-ups!
- My boss and coworker recently purchased exercise balls to sit on at at their desks for chunks of time throughout the day
- Addison likes to play "Unning Too" which is basically her just running circles around the house and making us run with her. Well, instead of just fake running slowly at her pace, I've started to exaggerate my steps (like running in place). Well after 10min or so of this with her, my heart rate is definitely up and I'm out of breath!
So I'm not saying this in any way replaces the benefits of a solid workout, but we're all busy and we're all unmotivated at times. But if I can at least "Do Something" - it feels way better than not doing anything!
With that - I'm going to go speed walk to refill my water!
WOW! I never really thought of doing something like this, but I love it!! Back when I was single, I'd do leg raises while watching tv...I should do that again and tell Chris to shovel it if he makes fun!!!
ReplyDeleteI heart blogs!!!!
I hope you don't mind me finding your blog! I love it! (And mellophones rule.. I don't get to say that enough!)
ReplyDeleteI decided, as my motivation to go to the gym dwindled, to start doing 10 sit ups or push ups after every customer call. I am doing well over 100 / day! (Mind you, I am lucky enough to work from home, so I don't get heckled!) Not only does it relieve my guilt, but helps me to clear my head. Every little thing helps! I also do 10 squats with every laundry basket I pick up.
I will say it again! I love this blog!!!
Sarah - that is awesome!!! That's a great idea too. I do have my own office with a door, so I'm thinking of getting the exercise ball like my coworker and do sit-ups here and there throughout the day too.
ReplyDeleteYes! I hope you do continue to read the blog - I'll probably post something every few weeks? It'll be interesting to hear others advice/experiences...cuz of course I'm no expert :)
Katie - yea!! And didn't you used to have impromptu dance parties while watching TV too? It's totally that. I do that a lot where I watch a show and just do random workouts the whole time. Cuz that's a solid 22min or 44min of working out (b/c of boop-booping commercials, of course). And yea, I'm not as "focused" on working out while the show is on and just do whatever exercise pops into my head (very random!)-but yea, I love it because it doesn't FEEL as much like working out as going to the gym or into the basement for a workout video. It's perfect when I'm just sorta "meh" but know I should probably do something :)
ReplyDeleteMonica, I know that feeling all too well! It is all about time management. And I very easily get side-tracked by my kids or housework. I watch this show on A&E called Heavy, now mind you, these people are morbidly obese and will die if they don't lose the weight. But the part that really struck me, and especially being a mom, is you have to love yourself enough to give you and your family the gift of being healthy. It is so easy for us moms to put our families and home before ourselves, but if we can love ourselves first, I think we will be better role models to our kids, etc... in the future. Of course that is so much easier said than done. I literally have not worked out in almost 2 weeks! So far off from where I wanted to be at this point, but things get hectic at home and everything else goes to the wayside. I am trying so hard to really give myself the time I need too, but it is so hard. It is a great idea to do little workouts throughout the day. Josh does that, but i just have not found my motivation again :( Luckliy, I have been staying on track with healthy eating so i haven't gained anything back, but i know i need to kick myself in the ass and get to work again.
ReplyDeleteOh, and sidenote, I LOVE that Addie works out with you! We noticed that with our kids too. Ethan does push-ups and sit-ups with Josh and even has tried walking on the treadmill! Just that in itself is rewarding, especially with childhood obesity being out of control.
Tina, yea! It's all about perspective. You can find motivation a lot of places, depending on what hits home with you. I don't watch Biggest Loser or any of those, but I think they are probably good for getting advice and perspective on diet and weight loss?
ReplyDeleteAnd your "dry spell" is understandable. You were pretty hard core there for like a month!! My problem whenever I "fall off the wagon" is then I REALLY fall...that's what happened in the fall with moving then the holidays. I didn't have time to work out for weeks, then I was just over it and figured I'd just wait til after the holidays. That was a bad idea - I should have at least done a few little workouts or SOMETHING! I'm back on track now, but I did gain 8lbs in just those couple months....I've lost a few since then, but still - it sucks!!!!