Yesterday I was sharing with a friend who is back in town for a few weeks that last week I had some back pain which I put down to the fact that I wasn’t drinking enough water. Her comment was “haven’t we been here before!” We all need friends to help us with different areas of our life – I need help to remember to drink water!
This morning I was reading Crystal’s blog, Biblical Womanhood and was encouraged to stay on track with my efforts to try and get healthier. Similar to Crystal my goals in this area are:
- Eat healthily
- Take vitamins (though I like the idea of getting all my goodness from real food reality is it doesn’t happen these days and if a vitamin helps me stay on top of my game that is what has to happen.)
- Exercise
- Drink water (see, it should be on the top of my list and yet I don’t automatically remember!)
- Get to bed at a decent hour (and take power naps regularly, especially if I have an evening commitment)
Finding time to exercise has been one of my challenges of being a stay at home mum. The best time for me to exercise (due to heat) is first thing in the morning and yet I’d like to be around when my children wake up. As my children have got older this conflict isn’t so much of a big deal. My challenge these days is to get out the door – just to put down the to-do list and go and do it!
I have recently bought a mini-trampoline as a cheap and yet good exercise tool. The benefits of a mini-tramp is that it hurts! I can feel my muscles working after a 10min session (yes, I am not very fit!) so I guess it is working, whereas walking takes longer. I prefer to walk as I think the 30-45min of walking is good overall and I enjoy the mental thinking space walking gives me too. The mini-tramp is a quick alternative for those days that I am just not going to take 30minutes. 10min on the min-tramp is also a quick pick-me-up during the day. The other benefit is that I can bring the mini-tramp inside to the airconditioner if I miss the cool of the day.
Today we have one of Nomi’s friends staying the night and she needs to catch the school bus. She needs to be at the end of our road at 7.20am!! So it will be the mini-tramp for me today!
I have also just bought a mini trampoline .I have been reading about the benefits of "lymphatic exercise" for which a trampoline is beneficial!~ the trouble is that after five minutes my calves were killing me and my heart was pumping so I would say I am less fit than you if you managed 15 minutes! I do love walking and must admit that the winter weather is much more pleasant for this activity. I am always making excuses to my husband as to "why" I can't go on the treadmill/exercise bike today…….the baby needs a feed at that time, I am teaching at that time, I need to prepare dinner, I am tired………etc etc etc. Obviously I don't have the natural exercise gene that is needed!
Jacqui http://www.kitchencomfortlearning.blogspot.com