Being a mom is a full-time job in itself, and an extremely challenging one at that. To add to that, if you are a career woman too, it’s double the trouble. You are left with no time for yourself and it is usually your health that takes the worst blow.
We are so accustomed to being busy all the time that we always have an excuse for not working out. Fitness always takes a back seat. But not anymore.
Valentino Ojeda Avila, a letterpress setter working for Silo in San Antonio, USA, and a fitness enthusiast himself, has some amazing fitness tips for working moms or anyone with a busy lifestyle for that matter.
Changing the way you eat
Understandably, many working moms may not always find the time to work out. But what you eat is at least in your control. It is agreed by most fitness experts that weight loss and fitness is 80% diet and 20% exercise. So your daily diet is the first thing you need to assess and change if needed.
For working moms, the biggest problem is not having any fixed time for meals. Mornings are busy as hell, so you tend to skip breakfast often. You have no time to prepare a wholesome meal for lunch, so you just grab a sandwich at work. Evening snacks are also unhealthy, packaged stuff because you’re too tired and too hungry to be cooking anything.
All of this needs to be addressed immediately. Fix your meal timings and make sure whatever you eat is wholesome and not factory-made or packaged. You don’t always have to cook, there are easy to prepare meals as well. Prep your meals the night before, so you can save some time in the morning.
Moving as much as you can
Valentino stresses the fact that, similar to his job as a typesetter, most of us have sedentary jobs and an inactive lifestyle these days. Raising a child may be hectic but household work, sadly, does not count as physical activity. So you need to make sure that you move around as much as possible. Joining a gym may not be practical, but any home workout to stay fit should suffice. Home workouts can be as effective as working out at a gym if done right.
Also, be active at other times too. Avoid the elevator and take the stairs. Walk to the grocery store instead of driving if it’s nearby. Take your kid out for a walk or engage in sports with them whenever you have the time. These will all add up to keep you healthy and toned.
Involving a workout buddy
The reason why home workouts often fail is that they start to get monotonous. Your home workout for fitness will be all the more effective if you have a partner. Valentino Ojeda Avila often urges his wife to join in or goes out for a jog with a friend and says that it makes a whole lot of difference.
You could even motivate another “working mom” friend of yours to join you in your home workouts.
Having company will keep the spirits high and you will not want to quit easily.
Knowing your limits
You are not expected to have the same kind of energy every day. Don’t be too hard on yourself if you feel too exhausted to work out one day, or just had to cheat on your diet because you were craving a dessert. Allow yourself some days off. Valentino and most other fitness enthusiasts say that they would take time off now and then, but they make sure they got back on track the next day no matter what happens.
Allowing yourself a cheat day or a rest day is good for your overall well-being and prevents burnout.
Summing up
There’s only one thing that should be more important to you than your family and your career, and that is YOU. Prioritize your health above everything else and you will see how things fall into place as you feel fitter and more energized to take on new challenges. A little attention to your diet and a simple home workout every day is all it takes.
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