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The first thing you should do, if you haven’t already, is find a multi-vitamin that will provide you with supplemental calcium, magnesium, iron, folic acid, zinc, copper and selenium as well as vitamin C, E and a variety of B vitamins. Your body needs certain nutrients to thrive. If you aren’t ingesting the perfect balance of food to give you enough of the vitamins and minerals that you need for basic body functions, it will take a huge toll on your energy levels. On the other hand, if you’re drinking plenty of water and you take a daily multi-vitamin, you’ll notice a significant improvement in your energy.
The next thing you should do is make sure that you always have healthy, yet tasty food available no matter where you go or what you do. Visit a local health food store and talk to the employees about healthy snacks that will boost your energy without increasing your weight. Weight loss supplements are a multi-billion dollar industry. I’m confident, if you do a little research, you’ll find a dietary supplement that tastes good and satisfies your hunger on the go. My personal meal replacement favorites are Zone Bars or Luna Bars.
You should plan to eat about 5 small meals a day in order to keep your metabolism running efficiently. I know, this sounds like a lot and you’re probably wondering how you’ll squeeze in 5 meals when you’re currently falling short of the standard three. The key here is small meals. It’s actually pretty easy to eat small, simple meals 5 times a day. For example, you may start out at breakfast with some oatmeal mixed with protein powder. Next, have a yogurt and a piece of fruit. For lunch try a salad with shredded chicken some low-fat cheese and a light dressing. Have a meal replacement bar or shake for meal number four. Finally, for dinner have some fish or chicken, some vegetables and a small serving of brown rice. If you find that you’re still hungry later add in a sixth meal consisting of another protein bar or shake. You see, healthy eating can be very simple. You just need to make sure you have healthy foods available at all times.
Okay, now that you can see that eating a healthy, balanced diet doesn’t have to be time consuming or stressful it’s time to look at an easily achievable workout plan that will fit nicely into your schedule. Whether you’re a stay-at-home mom or a working mom, there are always days, if not weeks, that you’d rather swim with sharks than pack up the kids and go to the gym. Trust me, I’m right there with you – and on those days or weeks, I follow my heart and I skip the gym altogether. No, I didn’t say that I skip the workout altogether, I simply don’t do it at the gym. Particularly since I began working full time again I have a hard time leaving my kids at day care for an additional hour so I can workout, yet I know how important my workout time is for my physical and mental health. As a result, I’ve begun trying to make my workouts a family affair. When I get home with the kids after work each day I load them into the stroller and go for a walk or a jog depending on how I’m feeling. When we get home from our walk I let them play outside for 15 minutes or so while I do some push-ups, sit-ups and squats or lunges. Every now and then we even go to the park. While the kids do their thing, I can use the playground as a makeshift gym. I can do dips and push-ups on the end of the slide; I can do step-ups on the park bench and assisted pull-ups on the monkey bars. There are endless opportunities for fitness at the park and the family approach to fitness is a wonderful way to demonstrate to your children, the important role that fitness should play in their lives.
Now, that all sounds great right? But I realize that not everyone lives in an area that supports this type of outdoor activity, and not everyone has an extra hour to spend working out with their kids…so, what now? Another great approach to a flexible exercise plan is to incorporate small spurts of exercise into your daily schedule. When you get up in the morning take 2 minutes and do as many crunches as you can. While you’re waiting for your coffee to brew or fixing the kids lunches, do some calf raises at the counter. Of course, always park in the far parking spots and always use the stairs. Look for ways during the day to fit in 25 squats here or 10 push-ups there. Always keep in mind that every little bit helps. If every time you use the restroom at work you do ten standing push-ups against the stall door you may have done 50 push-ups by the end of the day. Right before you go to bed at night, take a couple of minutes and do as many squats as you can. You get the point – fit it in anywhere you can.
The trick to staying fit without throwing one is balance. You have to be flexible and make health and fitness improvements wherever possible, but don’t beat yourself up. Wellness should be a positive force in your life, not another obstacle to struggle over. You’re a strong individual whose actions will resonate for years to come with your children and their children and down the line. You have the power to set a great example of wellness for your kids to follow. You don’t need fancy equipment or hours of free time to be fit, you just need to love yourself as much as you love everyone else and seize opportunities as they come to you. You’ll find, no matter what your approach to exercise, if you have a plan and you follow a healthy eating program you’ll feel good, you’ll look good and you’ll have more to offer to those you love. |
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