A mother’s time is precious and limited. And self-care is usually one of the first things that gets dropped from your never-ending to-do list. That includes getting regular exercise. We all know the benefits of working out, but we don’t always make it a priority. One of the most common excuses: there’s not enough time. I beg to differ. 10 minutes of regular exercise a day is better than no minutes.
Health Canada recommends that adults get at least two-and-a-half hours of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week. That’s just over 20 minutes a day. But most busy moms would be hard-pressed to have 20 minutes a week to exercise. But here’s the thing: the benefits of exercise are unmatched. It helps to reduce stress, boost your energy and build confidence, just to name a few. You need it and you know it. But let’s take baby steps here.
The key to living a healthy lifestyle is being consistent. And if that means 10 minutes a day, then just keep it consistent. 10 minutes of exercise really isn’t that much and whatever results you’re looking for (weight loss, energy boost, muscle toning) may take a little longer than if you were exercising for, let’s say, 30 minutes a day. However, what’s important is getting into the habit of exercising regularly. Let’s be real here. If you don’t currently exercise, then jumping into a six-days-a-week program may be just too overwhelming. But carving out 10 minutes of your day to do a few simple exercises in your living room is totally doable.
Here are some ideas on how to squeeze those 10 minutes in during your day:
1. Be prepared. Lay out your workout clothes before bed if you want to do a quick workout before everyone wakes up. Exercising in the morning is said to be most effective. It jump-starts your metabolism and keeps it up even after you’re done exercising. Also, have an idea of what you’re going to do in those 10 minutes. Write it down and keep that list in the space where you plan to exercise.
2. Keep it simple. You don’t need any fancy weights, machines or complex exercises. All you need are some basic body-weight exercises like push-ups, squats, lunges, sit-ups, crunches or burpees. Looking for more? Google ‘body weight exercises’ and you’ll find tons of examples and even videos showing you how they’re done.
3. Get the kids involved. Little ones are great ‘weights’ to help pump up your mini-workout. I’m sure they’d even love to try out some of the exercises. It would be a great time to teach them the importance of regular workouts.
4. Spread it out. Don’t have a solid 10 minutes to yourself? Health Canada suggests that you don’t have to do your daily exercises all at once. Maybe do some in the morning and the rest in the afternoon. Throw it in during regular chores. Push-ups against the kitchen counter while cooking dinner. Squats or lunges while walking the dog or taking babes for a walk in the stroller. Or how about crunches or sit-ups while watching a movie with the kids?
5. Find a workout partner. Got a playdate for little Junior or Jane? While the kids play in the park, the moms can do chin-ups on the monkey bars. Challenge each other and cheer each other on. Make it fun!
I bet what you’ll start to see is that 10 minutes goes by fast. And once you start to see results, you’ll feel like doing even more.
Cara is a Healthy Lifestyle Coach. She helps women build body-confidence from the inside out. Check out her website, www.carafullerton.com, and sign up for her free gift!
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