The last thing busy moms need to hear is that we need to work out daily to remain healthy and better our chances for a longer life. Right, work out every day... Who has an extra hour to devote to revving up your heart rate when you're barely able to comb the kids’ hair before school? Besides, exercise is grueling, and if you could find the extra time you might do something a lot more pleasant. Right?
The good news is studies show that even short daily workouts reap real benefits for physical and mental health, and they can be fun. Harvard Medical School recently studied the health habits of more than 650,000 people over 40, and they found that even a modest amount of exercise provided great health benefits. People who walked briskly for 75 minutes a week (11 minutes a day) lived 1.8 years longer than those who didn’t exercise. Those who worked out the recommended 150 minutes a week (22 minutes a day) added 3.4 years to their life. If you make that workout a vigorous one, say jogging, you would double the benefit in the same period of time.
Once I got in the habit, I couldn’t stop. I’d get home from my jog with the dogs, wake the kids and make breakfast.
So, can you find 11 minutes a day? Busy moms must get creative and incorporate their revving up into everyday activities.
Walking or jogging with your dog first thing in the morning can be motivating and a real pleasure for your pet. Years ago my daily regime started just that way; two chocolate Labs on a leash, 6am every morning for a 15-minute walk (which they forced into a jog) that made me feel better than I ever had. Not at first, of course, but over time that little bit of exercise gave me so much energy and helped me shed a few pounds. In 15 minutes I could burn 100 calories, 3000 a month, or nearly 12 pounds a year.
Once I got in the habit, I couldn’t stop. I’d get home from my jog with the dogs, wake the kids and make breakfast. Before I poured the first glass of orange juice I would get down on the floor and do 10 push-ups; from my knees at first, but ten seconds later I was ready to start breakfast. In between each stage of preparing breakfast I would do ten more push-ups or twenty crunches. By 6:30am I had breakfast made and 30 push-ups and 50 crunches under my belt, not to mention a 15-minute jog and two happy dogs. Heading in to take a shower I would stop and do a couple of stretches and two yoga poses. By 7:30am I had the kids up, dressed, fed and ready to roll out the door. My workout for the day was finished.
If that specific scenario doesn’t work for you because maybe your kids are too young to leave alone while you jog, get creative with your 15 minutes of aerobics a day. Try running in place while watching the news, dance to your heart's content to your favorite tunes, jump rope, anything to get your heart rate up and your endorphins making you feel great and ready to start the day. Those crazy Labrador Retrievers got me started on a lifelong journey of daily exercise. What is your inspiration?