Two Fit Moms

Tag: time management

  • #1 Tip for Finding Time to Exercise

    #1 Tip for Finding Time to Exercise

    I know it’s a struggle to find time to exercise. It doesn’t seem to matter if you are a new mom or a college student—the day feels like a never-ending cycle of tasks that must get done, and working out doesn’t always cycle to the top of the task list.

    I have a tip for you that will change the way that you approach exercise. You WILL find time to workout. You might even laugh at the simplicity of this piece of advice, but hear me out. FindingTimeI’ve managed to exercise during periods of my life when I was working 90-hour weeks in an office, and I’ve also managed to exercise when I was a sleep-deprived new mom.

    Here’s my tip for you:

    Find time to exercise by prioritizing your workout above all of your non-negotiable, must-do tasks.

    What do I mean by this?

    Well, we all have a list of items on our to-do lists that MUST get done. Paying bills is a good example. It doesn’t seem to matter how short on time you think you are, you somehow find time to pay the electric bill and the mortgage every month. You also find time to bathe. You find time to buy food and toilet paper. These are examples of non-negotiable tasks.

    If you are a new mom at home and use your baby’s precious naptime to pay bills, your workout will never happen. Before you know it, the baby will be awake. BUT, if you exercise during naptime, not only will you somehow manage to exercise, but you’ll also find that your bills manage to get paid before their due dates, too. It’s a mini miracle. You will find new time that you never realized that you had by squeezing in your workout before doing the must-do tasks.

    This phenomenon reminds me of the tedious process that I used to experience when writing a paper for school.  If I allowed myself a month to work on it, I would use the whole month.  If I only allowed myself a week to work on it, I would get it done in a week.  There was no option to not get it done, and I seemed to work with whatever amount of time I had, even if it was a minimal block of time.  Fitting exercise into my life along with other obligations works the same way.  Even if I think I’m too busy to exercise, if I just go ahead and do it, all of the other necessary tasks in my life still manage to get done.

    Besides the obvious human needs that we all have, non-negotiable tasks will vary from person to person. You need to determine what your must-do list is, and whatever it is, place exercise ahead of the items on that list.

    The reason why you are not squeezing in a workout as it stands right now is because you do not consider exercise to be a non-negotiable activity. Make it one. In the beginning, your workout may only be 15 minutes long because your life is so busy. Who cares? Build the habit today. If you build the habit now, you will automatically increase the length of your workout when your schedule allows for it. Right now, 15 minutes may be as good as it gets, and that’s just fine. Commit to a program, even if it’s brief, and fit it into your life like a non-negotiable meeting.

     

     

     

  • Making Time for Yoga

    Making Time for Yoga

    Starting and committing to any exercise routine is tough.woman in a traditional yoga pose vector illustration  The same goes for your yoga practice.  Whether you are just starting your journey or you have been practicing for years, we all struggle with maintaining the momentum of the routine.  And, when you are a busy mother, finding time for yourself seems to be the biggest hurdle. We understand.

    Don’t despair.  It is possible to practice yoga, despite a hectic schedule.  It just takes some flexibility (not just physical – mental too!), and some ingenuity.

    So, here are a few things to consider as you assess how you will make time for yoga — how you will start your practice and how you will make it a daily habit.

    It’s literally a matter of determining when, where and how you can make your yoga practice work for you.

    1. When do you have time to practice? Can you practice before the kids wake up in the morning?  How about during your lunch break?  Or, maybe you are a night owl? Finding the right time of day is key. And, if there seems to be no right time — make one! I’m not a morning person.  In fact, I really despise getting up early, but I have no time otherwise, so an early morning routine, while painful at first, is ideal for my lifestyle. What works for yours?

    2. How long do you have?  Perhaps you only have 30 minutes to spare.  Or, maybe you have two hours?  The amount of time you can make for yoga will dictate how you practice.  And, how you practice is totally up to you! You may only have time or the inclination to do 10-15 minutes of sun salutations.  This still counts as practicing.  There are no rules about how long you need to be on the mat.

    3. How often? Can you commit to practicing once a week? Once a month? Do you have the luxury of practicing every day?

    4. Where will you practice? Thankfully, going to a yoga class at a gym or studio is not the only way to practice yoga.  You can download a practice online or design your own flow and playlist.  I bet you have DVDs collecting dust on a shelf somewhere.  Once you figure out when and how long you can practice, the actual practice will fall right into place!

    5. How will you stay motivated? Perhaps it’s a yoga companion? Or a yoga community? Whether you have a friend to practice with or a community to share your experience with (e.g., Instagram), both will make the journey so much more fun! Even if you are not in the same room, sharing your experience and progress photos will inspire.

    You may realize, after walking through this exercise, that finding time really has more to do with finding someone to watch your kids.  Even if you plan to practice from home, exercising in the presence of small children is nearly impossible.  (Believe me, I’ve tried.  I vividly remember trying to follow a fitness DVD as my two toddlers joined me on my mat, mimicking my every move and talking to me throughout the routine as I was sweating profusely unable to catch my breath. In hindsight, it was funny, but at the time, I was annoyed that I couldn’t find a way to make it work!)

    If this is the case, you must enlist support. Ask a parent or spouse to watch the kids so that you can take a class.  If you have the means, hire a babysitter — a student even, to keep costs low.  Swap babysitting time with a friend.  You practice yoga one day, while she watches your kids.  You reciprocate.  It’s not impossible.  It just takes some creativity!

    Aside from getting into shape, feeling healthy and strong —  finding time for yoga — finding time for you — is so important for your mental well-being.  So, don’t be discouraged.  You can make it work.  And, if you are feeling stressed, just ask us.  We struggle to fit yoga into our lives, just like you!