It can be hard being a mum; you become so busy making sure the kids are healthy, happy and looked after, you can forget to look after yourself. You end up putting your own health and wellbeing to the bottom of your priority list. Before you know it, suddenly you’ve aged 5 years, gained 10 pounds and noticed 20 more grey hairs.
Believe it or not, it doesn’t have to be this way. You CAN look after yourself and look after your children, you CAN be a priority, and you can sometimes put yourself first. One of the best things that I promise you will make you feel good? Exercise. Before you groan, give me a chance; what I will explain doesn’t involve hours sweating away in a gym with size 0 girls all around you sprinting their tiny little bodies on the treadmill. You don’t even need to leave the house to achieve what I am about to tell you.
Yes, as a parent, it can be difficult to find the time to go to the gym; there are 101 reasons for you not to go, leaving your little one, childcare issues, time constraints, expense, embarrassment, the list goes on. So, here are some other ways you can participate in an exercise that does not involve the gym.
Walking holidays with the family
Why not use a holiday as an excuse to get moving? Book a trip away in the countryside surrounded by plenty of walking routes, and each day, discover new sights and take the whole family out for a walk.
These are the best kind of holidays, they allow you to all experience new places, see new things, you will bond and can get in some all-important exercise AND make it fun! Walking is an extremely effective way to burn fat and has even been proven to burn a higher percentage of calories from fat sources than more intense cardio like running – win!
Caravan holidays are great as the surroundings are your oyster. Click here to find out more about caravan park locations in the beautiful UK countryside.
Turn cleaning into a workout
Put on some trainers, some upbeat music and really move when you’re cleaning the house. Once you get into the mindset that you can work out anywhere, anyplace, you will start to see new opportunities.
Think of the activities that require the most calorie burn, like scrubbing the bath or vacuuming and really emphasise your moves while performing the task. Engaging my abs in mopping the floors is one of my favourites; you really feel the burn when you pick something up; instead of bending forward, squat to pick it up and work the glutes.
Really push yourself during your next clean, and you’ll see how much it burns. And talk about killing two birds with one stone, you’ll have a nice clean house, and you’ll feel amazing.
Playing with the children
When your playing with the children, turn it into something really fun and active. If its summer, get outside and encourage them to play games like rounders, football or frisbee. It gets you all outside and breathing in some fresh air and gets you and the kids active.
If its winter and cold outside – not an issue. Pull the cushions off the sofa and create yourself your very own obstacle course in your lounge. Make it into a competition so that one of your times, how long each person completes the course, and the winner gets a night off washing dishes. It’s just about making active things fun, and not only will it set good habits and physical activity for you, but it also promotes exercise to your children.
Conclusion
Now you really do not have any excuse not to find time to exercise. Don’t wait until tomorrow; today is a good day to get started. You’ll feel the endorphins, feel a million dollars, all while having fun at the same time.
