Let me preface this post by saying that I am not even close to the most fit mom or blogger. There are so many other bloggers that I love to follow who are truly inspirational when it comes to fitness. However, I do get asked how I stay active, what workouts I do, etc. and wanted to write a post on it so that you guys can hopefully look back on it as a resource or encouragement. Most of you know that I have three beautiful babies. If you are new here, I had three babies in three years and ten days. A little crazy and unexpected, but the biggest blessings of my life. Things have been hard at times, but I can’t even imagine our lives any other way. With that being said, because I have three young kids and am trying to run a business on my own, it does not leave a lot of time for exercising.
Tank // Leggings // Sneakers // Stroller (c/o – see below for coupon code)
After I had Hampton, I began running. I gained nearly 50 pounds with him. Yes, you read that right. I was basically so happy to finally be pregnant that I ate all the things and was big and happy. After I had him and realized what I had done to my body (ie. not taking the best care of it and overeating), I was totally disgusted. One thing to note about me: I am very stubborn and extremely determined. If I want something, I rarely take no for an answer. I just find a way to do it. This was no different. Until that six week check-up, I had never run in my life. I started running and used the couch to 5k program to get me started. Once I finished that, I ran 3 to 5 miles a day and lost the weight in about 5 months. It was a lot of hard work and determination, but I did it all while pushing Hamp in the stroller.
Fast forward to after I had Sophie and then Weston. I did not gain as much weight with them. I gained around 35 pounds with both of those pregnancies. After having Weston, my body quit losing weight once I had lost the first 25 pounds. Here we are nearly 2 years later and I still have 10 pounds to lose. Here is the thing though – I am turning 30 in two weeks. I’ve had 3 kids without giving my body much of a grace period in between. As much as I would love to lose more weight, I actually feel healthy. I feel better, even.
So, here is what I am doing to stay active as a SAHM:
I try to exercise every day, but let’s be honest, it normally only happens about 4 days a week. I do a variety of things because I get bored doing the same workout all the time. If they offered an adult jazz class in town, I’d be doing that too. But until a studio starts doing that, I’ll be doing these…
Brisk walk – I like to do this often. I crank up my music, put a baby in the stroller and go. It’s relaxing, de-stresses me and I can run a little bit, too. I don’t run as much anymore, but have thought about starting it up again once it cools down a bit. It is easier to go for long walks when the older two are in school and I can take Weston. I can go for longer walks this way.
Tone It Up – I am and will always be a Tone It Up girl at heart! I have blogged about Tone It Up for years and still attribute my baby weight loss all three times to these amazing trainers. I love their workouts and how encouraging they are, but I also love the community of women who are so uplifting. They offer a few free videos on their YouTube channel as well as daily workouts that I follow, but I also love Studio Tone It Up. If you aren’t familiar with it, it is an app that offers all kinds of classes and a variety of workouts that you can do whenever you want to. These workouts are all designed to do at home…or on a beach somewhere. 😉 Tone It Up is really great for SAHM’s.
Dance Party – When my kids are acting hyper or they just need a change of pace, I turn on some music and we dance until we are all sweating. It is really fun and the kids love our dance parties, plus dancing is such a great cardio workout and helps the kids stay active, too!
Elliptical – I realize this may not be an option for some, but Ryan bought us an elliptical a year ago (via online yard sale) and it has been the best thing! I love doing it when it is too hot outside or raining. It is a great workout and I like to do it during nap time or at night after the kids go to bed so that there are no accidents. They’ve been known to get a little close to me while I’m on it before. Safety first.
Pinterest and Youtube – I love doing random workouts on YouTube or Pinterest! These are great resources if you are looking for a booty workout or a HIIT workout. I also love doing barre, yoga and zumba workouts from YouTube. Plus, it’s free!
I think the most important part of being active is having encouragement. I don’t have many SAHM friends here, but boy do I in the blogging and TIU worlds! And that is the motivation that drives me most days when I’m not feeling it. Accountability is everything. Encouragement and willpower are extremely important, too! You have to want it more than you want that cookie and more than you want to watch that movie…or you could do it WHILE you watch that movie! I do that all the time! Listen to music, a podcast or an audiobook! Find what works for you and make it fun and enjoyable! That will look different for everyone. My favorite saying lately is “You do you!” My pal Erin from Cotton Stem says it all the time and it has stuck in my brain. Ha! And by “pal” I mean I watch her insta-stories daily and feel like I know her but don’t actually. It’s all the same. Bottom line: stay active by doing it in a way that is enjoyable to you.
Another thing that helps me get excited to workout is our new Jeep® by Delta Children Sport Utility All-Terrain Jogger! It is so easy to push on multiple surfaces and it folds really easy, so it’s great for transporting to the park, zoo, etc.! I also love it’s chic design. It’s so nice and Weston seems to enjoy it, too! Use coupon code “LOGAN15” to save 15% on this stroller!
As far as my overall health, I eat healthier foods and I have been working at eating less processed foods and more veggies and fruits. For me, this has made me feel a million times better. If I lose more weight in the process, great! But life is too short to obsess over every little thing that goes in your mouth. I also have never had or heard of anyone else having any success when they deprive themselves of things. You can cut it out for a while, but if you ever plan on eating that cookie again, you will gain the weight right back. Life is all about balance. It’s really true in every aspect of life.
I definitely recommend starting with small changes to give yourself time and grace. You will see a difference in the way you feel and then the way you look later on. Look at it like a marathon rather than a quick run around the block. It takes time, hard work and patience.
A few other things I do to stay active throughout the day are playing outside with the kids, using the elliptical in our house after the kids go to bed, and cranking up some music and get my kids to “workout” with me. I also like to get up every 10 minutes when I am working to walk around or do some squats or whatever. It keeps me moving throughout the day which is also really helpful.
As far as a routine goes? I do great when my kids are in school, but during the summer it is really tough. I have no problem working out in the mornings after I drop them off at school because it is easy to take Weston to the park to run, but the summer months are tough because of lack of time and the heat. I normally just do easy workouts at home during these months so that I stay active. As a SAHM, it can be so tempting to sit around some days, but it is so important to plan ahead, know you are going to do it every day and make it happen.
What tips do you have for staying active?
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