It’s that time of year when you’re thinking about how you’re gonna do everything differently.  Let’s take it a few steps at a time and look at the first two to three months in front of you.

Realistically, frame your goals around your lifestyle and lessons learned from years past. What changes can you make today that will ring in the New Year with a more confident, smiling, stress free YOU? Now, is your time!

1. What’s is my physical fitness goal for the next eight weeks?

2. What is my main challenge to achieving this goal?

3. What steps will help me overcome these challenges?

4. How many workout sessions can I fit in my current schedule?

5. No time to workout, what can I do with my body for 10 minute, today?

6. Daily stretching will help relieve tension and slow me down to reflect on events and thoughts.

7. What workout equipment do I have readily available? Pull it out now and keep it in a visual spot. Every time you walk by it, think to yourself, “Do I have a few minutes to workout?” Go ahead and complete an impromptu workout. A little here and a little there will do wonders for your morale and body.

8. My motivational mantras:

I can do it!

I am healthy and strong!

I love moving!

I feel great!

WHAT IS YOUR MAIN GOAL FOR the first part of 2010???

If you have gym equipment at home, how do you manage your workout time with the children?Don’t have gym equipment? What’s your favorite home exercise or DVD?

The responses are in and what great motivation to see how exercise can be squeezed into the day of a hectic lifestyle!

MizFit Says: I have a stationary bike at home and just make sure my arse is ON IT before my Tornado wakes up. She’s up at 5:30am so I know I need to be up at 4am.

It makes me a better mother/far less stressed out by the inconsequential. and, if mommy aint happy, aint NO BODY happy

workout mommy Says: I have a treadmill and spin bike that I use during naptime.

Cindi Says: WE have a take-off of the “Bowflex” and I love it! WE are making room in our basement for it. I have used it before and the inches really melt off!

I play my favorite CDs while working out. The only thing I have to watch are my arthritic knees.

AmyP Says: When I get home at 5pm, I have my son watch TV or finish homework. I jump on my treadmill for 45 minutes. I watch the news to get caught up on current events during this time. Then I prepare a quick dinner, and do one “cleaning” task, then get ready for bed.

Carrie Says: I have a treadmill at home – I exercise earlier in the day when my daughter is happier. The great thing about the treadmill is that I can stop at anytime and take care of immediate needs. If it’s a rough day, then I just exercise during nap time!

Karen Says: Right now the only in-house exercise equipment that gets used on a regular basis is my 23-month old son, John! He likes to “help” when I’m doing exercise dvds — started with Tae Bo and now we’re both becoming quite fond of the Sweatin’ To The Oldies box set (he likes dancing along with #2 the best). I used to do the vhs with my now-departed mom “back in the day” so it’s like we’re carrying on a family tradition.

Lynn Says: I don’t own any Gym equipment. Heck, my apartment is so small that I don’t have a DINING ROOM TABLE! I know everyone gets sick of hearing this, but I get up early. My husband is one of those infernal alarm slappers; he sets the alarm for 6:30 and doesn’t get out of bed until 7:45. Plenty of time for me to get up and get a run in. My favorite workout video is currently Prevention’s Get Moving. It’s got 8 minute segments for upper body, lower body and core body work, a 15 minute “walking” cardio routine, a 10 minute yoga segment. It comes with pre-programmed “weekly” workouts, so you can do warmup, 2 (or 3) toning sessions, and cool down, or warm up, cardio, yoga, and cool down, so that you can get your 20 or 30 minutes in each day. For those workouts, I usually have a Very Bossy four-year-old personal trainer. Either that, or I set up some webby application on my computer and let her play there. The only problem with THAT is getting my computer BACK afterwards!

Kari Says: Every day for 5 years now my SIL & me meet right after school with all of our 4 children and workout. They think they’re having a play-date before homework and we know we’re guaranteed 60-90 mins of workout time! We do Cathe DVDs, runs -our first 10K of the season is tonight! & we train & have a ball! Many times in the summer we do random fitness all over the yard while the kids play around us! It’s alllll good! The kids witness our desire to workout and this example will benefit everyone.

Carol Van Rooy Says: Does chasing after the kids help??? Seriously I try to get out and walk a couple of times a week.

Fitness Mom T-Shirt Winner is AmyP!

Way to Go Workout Moms!

As a full-time working mom, it’s very hard for me to keep up with the household duties. I’ve posted before about the expectations – false no doubt – that I’ve set for myself.

Elizabeth over at Career & Kids touched on the subject recently, when a friend of hers realized there’s not enough time in the week. As she mentions, when you’re working all week, you want to use the weekend to spend time with the family. That is when I’d like to take a trip to the zoo, the park, or sometimes it’s just a matter of the “must” trips – like grocery shopping that needs to be done.

What can working moms do to manage the housework?

I’m not sure I have the answer just yet, but I AM trying something new.

I’ve set up a weekly chore schedule and broken down the housework to a little each day – there’s even a day off!

Here’s my schedule:

• Sunday: clean bathrooms
• Monday: wash laundry
• Tuesday: fold laundry
• Wednesday: sweep & mop
• Thursday: vacuum
• Friday: OFF day
• Saturday: change bed sheets

Plus, every day is de-clutter day, since this can be done simultaneously with the other chores. That means, putting away toys, clearing the day’s mail, and other small tasks. The chores scheduled on the weekend can be done quickly in the morning before heading out for the day.

To keep track of my schedule, I’ve printed out Hannah Keeley’s Total Mom Chore Chart, but any calendar will do.

I’m hoping this will help keep me on track and make things a bit more manageable. I’ve just made my list this week, so I’m only starting to put it into practice.

How do you manage your housework?

Developed around the 10 Babysteps for Mom’s Fitness Journey, I incorporated objectives, checklists, and questions for self-reflection.

The first section is devoted to the educational aspect of your journey.

Tools are provided to simplify and track your progress.

The last section is devoted to significant accomplishments and results of your Journey in memory book format.

The Book is FREE when you sign up to receive my newly created Motivator Newsletter. The important part of your journey is to never feel alone. I am dedicated to motivate and support you in achieving your goals. The newsletter format allows you to focus on the tips of the week through your email as you work and get through the days. I want to help you stay focused on why you decided to live a healthier lifestyle.

Your name and email address will not be sold or made public in anyway. You will be free to unsubscribe at any time if you feel that I am not living up to my promise to provide you support and encouragement in your journey. I hope that will not be the case.

Sign Up Now to get your copy of Mom’s First Year Journal and start receiving your Motivator Newsletters!

1. Keep a notepad and pen handy. When you’re moving around, your mind is planning, organizing, and dealing with all types of ideas. When something comes to mind, write it down so that you don’t forget.
2. Exercise and play with your children. They love to follow you or let you chase them.
3. Teach home skills while doing housework. Keep your children involved with the house. You’re providing them attention and getting work done. Cooking is a great opportunity to let the children play with pots and pans, measuring cups or helping mix batter, pour vegetables into a pan, etc.
4. Exercise with the iPod. The iPod makes listening to music (personal time) and/or listening to audios for classes or self-improvement simple. With the variety of Podcasts available, you can focus on a variety of topics.
5. Be Involved. Clubs, church and community service provide friendships, networking, and experiences for you and the children.
6. Mix and match your hands-on activities with mental exercises. For example, when on the phone, pick up strewn items or load the dishwasher.

Word of Caution: There are certain jobs, activities, and times when your full concentration is required. Make sure you’re balancing your tasks with the right amount of common sense. For everyone’s safety, make sure you don’t multi-task and give your undivided attention to such activities!

How do you multi-task your time?

1. Write a Must-Do List: I try to limit this list to 3 or 4 manageable items a day. Either the night before or in the morning, write down or mentally define what you can accomplish in the day.
2. Keep the Big Picture Focused: I have a large calendar on the side of the refrigerator that holds all my mandatory commitments. By having a visual picture of the month, I am able to incorporate the “Must-Do” List into the larger picture.
3. Use a Timer: The timer keeps me focused. I get sidetracked easily. If I don’t have a ticking timer in the background, I tend to begin and leave open 5 to 6 different tasks at once. When I commit to a task with a designated time limit, I maximize my time and accomplish my goals in a shorter time frame! I maximize time by focusing on one task at a time.
4. Breakdown Priorities: Do you assign a priority level to individual tasks? Mentally, what is most important to you. When thinking about all the things that you are trying to stuff into your waking hours, look at what “needs” to be done verses what you “want” to get done.
5. Exercise: The act of exercising maximizes our time by uplifting spirits, building confidence and energizing our body. Exercising also reduces stress so that we’re more productive throughout the day even when things go unexpectedly.

Increased accomplishments, free time, and focus on our well-being positively impact the whole family. Our family sees the results in our extra smiles. They notice the lightened load on our shoulders. By implementing these five actions, we develop a system to organize our day with less stress and more results.

• Morning: MOMS Club Event
• Afternoon: Blog and Tidy up house
• Midday: Cook dinner and quick workout
• Evening: Run to the store, put babies to bed, computer time and watch a show

I’m not very predictable. Everyday is different. Between my children and my crazy schedules, we are out of the house most of the week. I make an effort to stay home at least one day out of the week. I do over schedule sometimes and realize, after the fact, that all of us could have used a breather.

1. My Time Commitments: MOMS Club events, tutoring sessions, Mystery Shops, and Church.
2. Increase Activity: I attempt to increase my activity by doing a couple of extra trips up and down our stairs, dancing around the house with the babies, playing hide and seek, chasing them outside, and intense spurts of housework (I am not a fan. The quicker I can get the house cleaning out of the way the better!).
3. Be Flexible: I try not to let set backs bother me. I give myself plenty of time if I expect to be somewhere. My patience wears thin when I rush the babies.
4. Be Spontaneous: I put on the music and dance with the little ones. They love it when I go chase them or tickle them. I lget down on the floor and play with them. They’re always full of energy. We definitely need to tap into their constant motion.
5. Be Realistic: I erroneously thought I would be able to pull off morning routines. It took me 2 years to realize that I am NOT a morning person. I’m not able to workout everyday. I pick up where I left off (or take a step back) and continue. By incorporating some form of exercise into the month, week or day, I’ve pushed forward and continued on the journey.

I’m the type of person that enjoys being involved in 10 different things at a time. It’s just who I am. Have you had a chance to figure out your time constraints yet? I’d love to hear how you’re working around your time constraints!

Table of contents for Babysteps

1. An Overview of 10 Babysteps for Mom’s Fitness Journey
2. Babystep #1 Explained: Mental Desire to Change
3. Babystep #2 Explained: Medical Background
4. Babystep #3 Explained: Determine Current Level of Fitness
5. Babystep #4 Explained: Identify Time Constraints
6. Babystep #5 Explained: Set Goals
7. Babystep #6 Explained: Go Workout Mom!
8. Babystep #7 Explained: Take It Slow
9. Babystep #8 Explained: Try New Activities
10. Babystep #9 Explained: Establish a Support System
11. Babystep #10 Explained: Have Fun and Reward Success!

A typical day for mom is atypical! My attempt to write a general time-line would be futile. Through a list of tips, results are produced based on a personalized lifestyle:

For all Moms:

1. Identify Commitments
   • Write down fixed commitments in which other people depend on your presence.
   • What are your child/children’s demands (feedings, nap times, night time routines, play-times,etc)
2. Increase Activity
   • 10 to 15 minutes of added activity of any type (extra trips up and down your stairs or a lap or two around the house)
   • Strive for 3 to 4 days of extra effort
3. Be Flexible
   • A typical day for Mom is Atypical! It doesn’t happen.
   • Unexpected Events are a certainty.
   • It’s okay to not be perfect (yes, I know it’s hard to admit, but we are only human! )
4. Be Spontaneous
   • 1, 5, 10, 20 minutes opened up.
   • Drop and do ab exercises or leg lifts, Walk or job in place, dance, do some wall push-ups.
   • Let your imagination lead you in a quick, picker’ up activity.
5. Be Realistic
   • Know when you’re not a morning person or late owl.
   • Don’t overextend yourself.
   • Don’t be harsh on yourself.

For the detail-oriented mom, pull out the calendar and write in dates to workout. List 2 or 3 options in a day to be prepared for the children’s surprises. Tailor the details as specific and in-depth for your tastes, but remember, the more you track, the more time (of which you probably have little) you’ll need to keep up. If tracking leads to non-commitment, get rid of the extra stats!

For the go-with-the-flow type of mom, break the day down into sections (early morning, mid-morning, afternoon or mid-day, evening and late evening). Plan to have 2 or 3 options open for little surprises. After the workout, put a check mark on the calendar or smiley face.

Now, go get some water, pen and paper. Take a deep breath and start writing. Believe me, there is time to brainstorm. Slow and steady with babysteps and you’re headed on a healthy, fun journey in fitness.

• Am I a Morning Person? If you’re not a morning person, excuses will abound for skipping the morning workout.
• Is lunch or nap time an opportunity to squeeze in a quick workout?
• How tired am I in the evenings?
• Will I make excuses if I planned evening workouts?
• Will my husband, family, friends or neighbors watch the little one while I workout?
• Is joining a gym financially feasible? Child care is a must!
• What commitments require my presence?

Discovering where workout opportunities are possible is the first step toward success. Look at the day. Make sure that getting a workout in is a priority.