The focus of today’s Fitness Friday is finding more time in your schedule to exercise. In my case I have been forced into that scenario because the kids are not napping anymore. In the end I have gained more than I have lost from the new no-nap schedule.

I have an extra two hours in a day to get up and move now. We have spent nap time doing various things in order to keep the kids from falling asleep, especially after 3:00. On Monday we had “quiet time” and then went to Open Swim. We cleaned the entire house on Tuesday. On Wednesday we went shopping for a few gifts and spent over an hour walking around the store. Yesterday we moved furniture around, and today we cleaned up so I could vacuum up all of the mystery stuff we found from moving the furniture.

I’ve also had to incorporate more “Mommy directed” activity in the afternoon to help the kids stay awake until bedtime. We have gone for strolls around the neighborhood, and I even ventured out on a walk to the playground with them in the wagon (which is horrible to pull for a mile, but worth it for all of us). Another favorite activity is going to our neighbor’s house late in the day.

My next goal is to start doing yoga with the kids at least once a week. I know that we all will benefit from the stretching and muscle strengthening that comes with the practice of yoga. Maybe I will even improve my focus a bit!

Photo courtesy of Vimages

Today’s Fitness Friday is all about taking care of yourself  when you are sick. I have been pretty sick lately, but this week I somehow managed to get in some exercise. Maybe you’ll feel inspired, too.

~The kids and I have been taking neighborhood strolls. These excursions are nothing like the power walks I used to take when the kids were little and buckled into the stroller, but my energy level is pretty low with this awful cold. At least we are getting out and about.

~We had a spur of the moment soccer game in the backyard. The kids had a ball watching mommy run around trying to keep up with them! I think they had the advantage since they aren’t sick anymore.

~Of course, A2 and I had a swim lesson together. This week A2 swam to the deep end of the pool with out the barbell that we usually depend on to keep us afloat. That meant that Mommy had to work harder to keep up! We ended up swimming the length of the pool twice.

~This week we also were able to go on a hike at a local wildlife area. It was a lot of fun to explore nature and to get some exercise together as a family. It certainly wore the kids out!

I am hoping that I will be well enough to get back to the gym this week.

Photo courtesy of broma

Welcome to Fitness Friday! I’ve set goals for making healthy choices for myself, and I am committed to sharing my efforts with you every week. Hopefully you can keep me accountable, and I can encourage you along the way!

This week my kiddos were so sick, so getting to the gym was not a priority. What does a mom do when the gym is out of the question? Clean!

Regular housework can help you stay healthy since it reduces germs, burns calories, and relieves stress. Disinfecting the house will keep you healthy when the kids are sick. Go green and use vinegar to clean the house. You can can learn about the effectiveness of vinegar was a disinfectant at Care2. While cleaning the house isn’t going to replace a real workout at the gym, doing something physically active is definitely better than doing nothing at all. Just remember that you need to get your heart rate elevated while you are cleaning, so make sure you are working hard. You can find out more about burning calories while cleaning your home at Medicine.net and Everyday Health. Being organized also keeps you from being frenzied looking for things. You can read more about relieving stress by organizing your home at Ezine Articles.

Do you have any ideas for keeping yourself on track with your wellness when the kids get sick?

Welcome to Fitness Friday! I’m starting this new series in order to keep myself on track with my fitness goals and hopefully encourage you along the way.

This week I went swimming with the kids twice this week. I definitely feel the results of the swimming! My shoulders and back are pretty sore right now, which means I am gaining new muscle. I am hopeful to get to the pool three times next week! It is a great way to exercise.

We also went for two short walks around our neighborhood. I miss the days when the kids would ride in the carriage because I could walk at a fast pace and I didn’t have to keep everyone on course. However, it has been great to stroll around with a couple of our friends. The kids keep each other company and the moms get a chance to chat. So far our walks have been spontaneous. Perhaps we will schedule them some time in the future.

I have been unsuccessful with getting to bed earlier most nights. I don’t understand why I’m not getting to bed since I am so tired at the end of the day. I suppose the I want to feel like I am a grown up. I have to get to bed earlier this coming week!

My new goal is to stop snacking at night. If anyone has a good suggestion for how to avoid late night munching, I would love to hear it. I need all the help I can get!

Photo courtesy of Tom@HK

Photo by Mrs. Flinger

While I was surfing the blogosphere today, I happened upon a great blog post on Deconstructing Jen that inspired me to write about my fitness goals. Yes, I have been thinking about getting fit again. You see, when I was pregnant with C4, I gained 75 pounds. I got fit, though, and lost 100 pounds with diet and exercise. I looked fantastic and was the smallest size I have been as an adult! Then I got pregnant with A2 and gained 50 pounds even though I was walking 45-60 minutes twice a day 3-4 times a week. At the end I was even walking 3 times a day trying to get that overdue baby to come out! I lost some of the weight while I was nursing, but my antidepressant medication slows my metabolism and makes me incredibly hungry. Basically, I have to lose a lot of weight again. I also want enough energy to keep up with my demanding schedule. E and I went on a diet based on the glycemic index over the summer, and I lost some weight, but I didn’t feel good on that diet. I was also going to the gym 3 times a week, but found that I couldn’t keep up with that schedule and keep up with the other things I have to do around here. I’m telling you that I need a self-cleaning house!

So my new, official goal is to go to the gym twice a week. That seems reasonable, doesn’t it? I also know that setting small, attainable goals makes me more successful, and weight loss goals are more easily reached when you have support. Who is interested in joining me in this venture? We can do this thing together!

Set a small wellness goal for yourself, and post it as a comment. I’ll post about my wellness goal again in a week, and you can comment on how you are doing with your wellness goals. In January I will have a drawing for a prize for the reader who posts the most inspirational comments about her wellness goal.

UPDATE:

This wellness goal didn’t work that great for me. See my new goal. Will you join me in my new endeavor? Please post a comment there and tell me what you are doing to stay healthy! Plus I have started Fitness Friday where I will blog about my wellness efforts each week. Accountability works, you know.