"About
2,030,000 results." So either I have become a popular cool kid or I am
a boring sheep bleating as I go over the cliff with all the other
sheep. (Feel free to comment on my sheep status in the comments)
Busy, chaotic, interesting, ever changing...just a few words to describe my lifestyle that
includes toggling between a few part-time jobs and spending as much time as possible with
Mr. B. So, exercising at times gets the short end of the stick. This means a compromise right?
Jogging when the weather is nice works great for me as it means exercise and outdoor
time for myself, Mr. B, and T, the wonder dog. I did invest in a nice multi-purpose stroller
right after Mr. B was born, waiting with great anticipation until my new Phil and Teds arrived
in the mail. It is everything for us. We take it everywhere and it is a great jogging stroller.
I honestly only own a cheapie umbrella stroller in addition, which is just a back up or for
camping. Yes, they are expensive, yes they are mutli-purpose, yes they turn on a dime,
yes the tires are inflatable and thus difficult to break, yes you can add a seat for the second
kiddo, yes it comes in dark colored canvas models if your toddler like mine knows how to
dirty anything. Mr. B and I have a deal. I start at a point in the park where he can't see the
playground and go all the way around...he thinks it is a long trip to get to favored destination
and I get a run in before he finds the promised land. :) Throw an extra diaper, a snack, and
water for everyone in the basket and we are all happy. Mr. B and I started this when he
was a mere 3 weeks old, so the stroller is second nature to him and he still loves to find the
birds, ducks, trees, dogs, etc. It is also a great chance to practice our sign language.
I also like to do ballet type plea A's (that's how fancy and cultured I am) and lunges when
I am getting him to sleep. I get exercise and he gets mama's help to fall asleep (I do not
believe in CIO, but more on that later). I like to do floor exercises on his playmat in the
evenings. When he was really little, he would sit on my belly while I did crunches. Now,
he just runs around me laughing or being my personal trainer by guiding me through leg lifts
(very cute and fun). Sometimes we have family wrestling time after dinner too.
Finally, I think that bending over to clean or pick up toys counts for something. Green living
requires a little more physical work, such as scrubbing surfaces rather than allowing chemicals
to do the work or walking to the store, or hanging diapers to dry.
I fit exercise in little bits of time whenever I can and never complain when I can't park close
or have to carry Mr. B because he needs mama time.
The Compromise: disjointed workouts and maybe not enough exercise for my body at times
especially when colder than I like outside.
The Sweet Reward: Incorporating my kiddo into exercise starts great lifetime habits for
him and me and sometimes it makes us giggle.
I definitely need to work on incorporating more exercise into my routine. I canceled my YMCA membership a few months after G was born, because I just wasn't getting there enough to justify it. So far I've really only walked with our jogging stroller, so that's one option I can explore more, as well as some of the exercises I can do at home w/o any equipment. Maybe your post will inspire me to actually try some of the things I've been considering :)
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