Exercising & Eating Right for Busy Moms
Ways to Stay Healthy While Balancing a Hectic Schedule
Feb 15, 2009
Eating right and working out is challenging for anybody. Throw in the responsibilities of parenting and you have the perfect excuse not to exercise or eat right. Every day there are numerous ways to squeeze in better eating and a few minutes of physical activity.
The Park is Your Gym
With children in the house, it can be difficult to escape to sweat it out at the gym, but why not consider the kids as a workout themselves? Chase them at the park for the equivalent time you’d have spent at the gym. Going up and down slides and pumping those legs on the swings is harder when you’ve been out of the habit for years. The kids provide the reason for your fun childlike behavior, you spend time with them and, if you remember to tighten your abs on the swings, you accomplish a quality workout.
No time? No excuses!
Even on super-busy days, make it a priority to get in at least 10 minutes of exercise. If the gym is not for you, reconsider the workout video. A lot has changed from the pink-leggings and leotard aerobic days. There are numerous DVD’s that provide anywhere from an overall body workout, dance-inspired workouts, to parent-child workouts, and even family workouts. Most only require a towel or mat on the floor.
Home workouts conveniently let you go at your own pace and you can stop them if the baby wakes up from his nap or you get a call from the school nurse to pick up your child. Rent some from the library. The privacy of your own home can motivate you to push yourself since you are the only one to focus on. Committing to one video until you have mastered it is a great way to measure your progress.
Eat Your Veggies
Nothing thwarts well-meaning intentions to eat nutritiously than having picky eaters at home. Remember how long it took you to eat broccoli by choice and not by force? Certain cook books address this dilemma by slyly substituting vegetables and fruits into favorite recipes, like brownies and pancakes. Many require the veggies or fruits to be pureed beforehand which takes time but would be worth trying out once a week.
Plan Meals
Another way to stay disciplined is to make a weekly menu and post it on the fridge, allowing one free day to choose a more convenient meal, like a frozen pizza, or family style frozen dinner. Companies such as Kashi , Amy’s, Morningstar Farms and Wild Harvest Organic are putting out healthier versions of chicken nuggets, pizzas and hamburgers. Go to the grocery store without the kids if possible, and stick to your list. Kids can easily distract you to the doughnut aisle if you’re not careful. Choose the lower calorie, fat and sodium versions of regular staples. And yes, be a food-label reader. Learn what you are putting in your—and your kid’s—body.
Be the example of health. Choose to be more active and eat healthier foods. It’s just as easy to buy a bag of apples as it is to buy a bag of chips. Knowing what you’re cooking ahead of time and that all the necessary ingredients have already been bought can help eliminate a mad dash to the nearest fast-food joint. Good habits will eventually take over the bad ones, just focus on one small change at a time. Remember—she who controls the cooking, controls the future health of her family.
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