Today I’m handing over the reins of my blog to Sophia from Tales of an Ambitious Slacker. I promise I didn’t bribe her to be nice to me. ;o)
Thanks to P at Adventures of a Average Athlete for putting on the GBBPX and MCM Mama for graciously posting this. I am super excited about posting for MCM Mama as she is one of my favorites on the blog roll (shh, don’t tell the others). I mean, a woman who prepares beer inspired menus with perfect pairings and runs with the best of them while also coaching, PHEW! I am tired just thinking about her schedule. How she finds time to read a book a day?? Beyond me. Ok, here goes….
Thanks to P at Adventures of a Average Athlete for putting on the GBBPX and MCM Mama for graciously posting this. I am super excited about posting for MCM Mama as she is one of my favorites on the blog roll (shh, don’t tell the others). I mean, a woman who prepares beer inspired menus with perfect pairings and runs with the best of them while also coaching, PHEW! I am tired just thinking about her schedule. How she finds time to read a book a day?? Beyond me. Ok, here goes….
Stay at home moms are lucky and yet, face very difficult challenges. How do you get “me time” to exercise when you are trying to entertain little ones all day? I have a full time job which some weeks can be more than the standard 40 hours. My kids go to a very distinguished academic daycare, lots of structure, lots of activity and lots of learning. I am happy that I can afford to send them there, but sad we as a family can’t afford to keep one of us home.
I can focus on lots of things here: Struggles of a single parent to entertain kids all day, getting “me time,” the challenges of a single parent trying to supplement income vs. a working parent trying to supplement family time. There is such a variety. So I am going to talk about how I do squeeze in exercise as a working mom and learning experiences from my week of stay-at-home momness. Caveat: I have two kids under 3 and this totally changes how I deal with things vs. a mom of older or younger children. Everything can be adapted.
When I am feeling most like a rock star, I am waking up at 5 am and running or swimming from 5:30 am-6:30 am before work. I am not a morning person so EVERY.SINGLE.DAY. I struggle to wake up. I am ALWAYS happy I did. It’s easier when I have company, but running is sometimes solo and swim is always a group workout. When I work out in the morning, I have so much more to give to others at work and my family when I get home from work. The energy is amazing…until about 8:30-9:00 when I become a zombie. The downside is once kids go to bed, around 8:15 pm, is when I have time for my husband and I to talk, watch TV, just plan ol’ hanging out time. I hate that I am running on empty once the kids go to bed and hubby gets short changed. I hit the wall. What do you do in these situations?
My Tri Club has regular workouts 2 nights a week and long rides every weekend. I feel totally guilty when I go to these. I used to workout 2 evenings a week for a few months. When I quit and went back to more family time every night of the week and more AM workouts, I could not bring myself to leave the kids at night anymore for a workout. I already miss 8+ hours of their day when I am at work, it makes me feel selfish to leave at night, and especially when I know I have AM workout options. Not everyone has this option, in which case, a few nights a week should not shroud a mother in guilt. If working out makes you happy, your family will appreciate your investment in your own happiness. Happy mom=Happy family.
This week I got to be a stay-at-home mom. I took a week off from work and my family and I have spent an amazing time here in Mammoth Lakes, Ca. So that you fit moms get some ideas, let’s talk Playground. There is a delightful playground on Old Mammoth Rd. One day I ran from our condo and met my husband and kids at the park. Not everyone has an available second person to meet them at the park with kids, so the adaptation could be running with a jogging stroller from home to park. If a good park is too far to run there and back, try driving to a suitable point closer. My kids are hit and miss with tolerating the stroller so I can usually only get 4 miles or less with them before I start getting whines about wanting to get out.
Once at the park, embrace the park. Close your eyes a moment. Think about what life was like at about age 10. I loved going to the park with my friends. At this park in Mammoth Lakes a.k.a. California Running Mecca, we saw countless cross country teams meeting at the park for a stretch session or core routine before heading out for a group run. Summer time is prime cross country camp time here in Mammoth and it reminded me how great it was to meet my friends at the park and all the things we would accomplish. Lesson this week, make friends. Find someone, meet them somewhere and accomplish something.
I would walk there or ride my bike. Once there we’d chase each other and play tag (read speed work: playing tag=sprints). Riding bike to park, playing tag=Brick workout. All this you can do with your kids and call it a workout on days you can’t get out for a true training session. The older the child, the harder the workout. My 3 year old is fast, I am really going to be in for it when they get older! I know I am not a genius, many of you moms have this routine in the bag, but for those of us who don’t get to do this as often as we’d like, stating the obvious is helpful.
Be one with the playground. At this park I observed more than one runner mosey on over to a laddered play area and step up to stretch their calves. Do you just stand in the sand and watch your kids play? I can do a few workout type things with my 3 year old, but my 1+ year old I have to watch like a hawk and sprint to catch her from almost falling off of EVERYTHING! If you have kids that can play pretty independently, then the park is yours for the taking. Things you can do:
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Stairs
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Step Ups-Strengthen hips and glutes
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Lunges/Dips with one foot on a step, one foot on the ground, then dip knee down
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Stretch legs-lunge format for quads and hammies
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Plyometric foot work by alternating quick toe touches to a low step
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Calf dips
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Calf stretches
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Ladder
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Do you suffer from plantar fasciitis? Step up on a rounded ladder step and roll it out. Hurts so good.
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Since it is a kids park, the ladder steps are probably pretty close together. Practice stepping up the ladder skipping a step or two and really work those hip flexors and you raise your legs to climb. If you have ever done “climbers” on the ground, this is a great alternative. Bonus: Holding the railings is engaging your arms in a different way than having them planted on the ground for regular climbers.
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Monkey Bars (or variations of)
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I don’t know when it happened, but at some point over the last 10 years I have lost the ability to travel the length of the monkey bars. In fact, I cannot go from one bar to the next even one time. Can you do this? If not, work up to it. Start by simply hanging with two hands and working up to hanging with one hand and then trying to travel. Like how I slipped the word “simply” in there? For some, even hanging may pose a problem.
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If traveling monkey bars is easy, try hanging and doing leg lifts for some core work.
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Next, try pull ups
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Finally, there is always just running
- Yup, pretty simple, run around the play ground while your kiddos play, small track, but laps are laps and better than nothing
- Chase them or play tag
- If you have help, leave from the park on a 20-30 minute run and let your special helper handle the kids.
Ok the list could go on, and I bet MCM Mama’s readership has a ton to add on how to work in a workout when you have limited time or are always attached to small people. I personally am all-ears when it comes to figuring out this balancing act called life, so fire away.
Now go hit the playground and play!
Thanks, Sophia! If you’re looking for me, you can find me driving over to Michigan. ;o) You can also find me sometime later today or on Saturday over at Running on Words.
SO many good ideas here!! I can't wait to go to the park and see if I can still do monkey bars. :)Thanks for playing along with the GBBPX!!
You post should be live around 5PM! Sorry I move so effing slow!
What a fun read and I learned at lot,, thanks!
Love it! Great guest post. And what great ideas. I never thought to play with them like that. I always just stand there or follow them around making sure they don't injure themselves. Next time I'll remember this post.
Love the idea of GBBPX! Great idea for a new take on going to the park. My husband (and kids) have a saying "happy wife happy life". So true :)Thanks for linking up with FF!
Great advice here!! I struggle with evenings too. I want to stay up to spend time with my family, but I'm exhausted from working out and working all day…and my alarm is the first to go off in the morning!
great guest post and advice. i'm going to have to remember those ideas next time i'm at the park 🙂