I know for myself the E word comes up in conversation almost daily. It’s something new moms are pretty much always talking about: “I really need to exercise to get the rest of this baby weight off.” But new moms aren’t the only ones doing it. It’s everywhere. Men are going to the gyms, husbands are attempting a P90-x workout regimen, and around my town there are constantly runners on the sidewalks. And every time I see one, I feel a pang of guilt. I should be doing that.
My biggest problem is my all-or-nothing attitude, and maybe this is something other moms struggle with as well. I have a stack of great DVD exercise programs, pages printed off the internet of exercises, and a ton of old fitness magazines I saved “for reference.” Yet, other than about a 2 week period, they have all remained untouched. Any time I get started, something knocks me off my game. Usually it’s the old time factor. I recognize that exercise is important, but how many of us can really get those happy feelings out of exercising in a messy house? I know it’s hard for me. I would put the baby down for a nap, shove a pile of toys out of my way, and put in a video of hot people looking all happy about their exercise program. Nevermind the fact that they’re already in shape, and don’t even break a sweat. But they’re also in a nice big room, clear of toys and smelly dishes—oh, and 3-year-olds coming in every 2 minutes needing a drink, or an unreachable toy, or something.
For a few days I tried handing the kids off to the husband when he came home, but then everyone was typically cranky since he doesn’t come home until after 6 and they all had to wait on me to exercise and then make dinner, which ended up being around 8. And that plan went out the window. So I just stopped. And went back to just talking about it. I need to exercise more. I should really do something active. I’m sure you know exactly what I’m talking about.
The last option, which I haven’t tried, is joining a gym. This choice is disturbing to me on a few counts. First, the money. Remember, I’m cheap. And to make the money spent on a gym worth it, I would have to be absolutely sure I would commit to going there every day. I know myself, and I’m not sure I would keep it up. Then there’s the fact that I would have to shave daily, as other people would actually be seeing me exercise. Sure, that’s more of a vanity thing, but I know I’m already going to feel terribly embarrassed about how out of shape I am; I don’t need to feel like everyone’s staring at my leg hair, wondering if it’s long enough to braid yet (ah, middle school all over again). Some days I barely find time to shower, so shaving is also a major commitment. Then there’s also the fact that gyms overwhelm me—I never know where to begin, and I feel like a dork just wandering around. This one’s a little easier to get over.
The last problem is at the same time a solution. What to do with the kids? Fortunately, the gyms here all seem to have little daycare centers, so essentially I’d be getting a really good deal on babysitting (I thought about getting the membership just to take uninterrupted showers, but then there’s that whole public bathroom thing . . . ). So that was a major plus for the gym option. But, they close between like 1 and 4, which would probably be about the time I got my stuff together to go; still, I could probably overcome that, too. And then I thought about the reason I don’t like the idea of daycares in the first place—germs. Yes, I am a germaphobe. And lately, Emma’s been getting sick after every little thing we go to. They can’t have super-high standards in a public gym’s daycare. H1N1, here we come!!
No, I cannot do it.
So I’m back to nothing. Might as well just sit around eating chocolate bemoaning my inability to make sacrifices for the sake of my own healthy well-being. Then I thought, Why does it have to be all or nothing? Why not be a little mediocre? So, I’m making a pact, a promise, a dedication—whatever you want to call it—to a little bit of exercise. If I were tech-savvy enough (and had more time!), I would make a little exercise tracker to put on the side of my blog, but instead I may just make one for my wall at home (eventually). Here’s the deal: 10 minutes of exercise, 4 days a week. That’s pretty mediocre, right? But it’s 40 minutes more than I’m doing now. Exercise is supposed to be good for you in all sorts of ways, including helping to tone down your stress levels, but if the idea of exercising stresses you out more than the payoff, then it’s just not worth it. Ten minutes four days a week does not stress me out. It’s not even a whole video. It’s a walk around the neighborhood. It’s a workout short enough that I wouldn’t feel guilty just leaving my kid in his crib and turning the music up really loudly. It’s not long enough to make me feel super guilty about not using the time for cleaning. It’s something to get me started.
And it’s free. 
Tags: exercise
The Daring Kitchen
Hey, good for you! I just joined the wellness center, and have been going in the wee morning hours before anyone is up. I had the same philosophy as you…if I just do one day a week, that is one day more than what I had been doing!
I hear that they have several “Ten-Minute” exercise videos, too. Maybe other people have the same problem.