We're wrapping up simplify your life month here at To Love, Honor and Vacuum. We've talked about finding your purpose, and organizing, and paring down, and all kinds of things that will help your life become more peaceful.
Today I want to talk about another fundamental one, and it's this: give yourself a break.
Many years ago, when I was in my early twenties, I made some career goals for myself. One in particular I was supposed to have attained when I hit 40.
Guess what? It's not going to happen. For years I was trying to twist myself into a pretzel to try to shortcut my way to that goal, so that when my 41st birthday hit I would have done it. But no matter what I do at this point I won't have time to meet that goal. It's fallen by the wayside.
I've realized that the issue isn't whether or not I meet the goal; the issue is whether or not I am at peace about not meeting that goal.
We women just don't tend to like ourselves. We can see all our shortcomings, and we feel as if we should be pushing ourselves, beating ourselves, forcing ourselves to change and be different. We shouldn't be this heavy; we should exercise more, lose weight, eat less. We shouldn't be this lazy; we should be able to earn some money at home, create a small business, generate some income. We shouldn't be this shy; we should have more friends, more social engagements, more people over to dinner.
Do all those "shoulds" help you actually accomplish anything? Or do they just paralyze you?
I find so often that when we set up goals for ourselves, we just end up paralyzed, unable to move forward, because we feel overwhelmed and guilty. I know goal setting can be important, and some goals are worthy. But not all goals are.
Let's go back to my professional goal that I had for myself at 40. Do you know why I won't meet it? It's because since I made that goal, my life has changed. I decided to homeschool my children. I decided to work with the youth of our church. I decided to do more at home to support my husband's career, because our life was becoming too busy. I made decisions that were smart for my family, but those decisions made that goal pretty much impossible to attain. Usually the reason that we haven't met a goal in our lives is not because we're lazy and undisciplined; often it's because we have used our time to do something else. We have decided that something else is momentarily more important than that goal.
For instance, I've gained fifteen pounds over the last ten years. For a while I felt really badly about this, and desperately wanted to lose the weight. But over the last year or two I've come to the conclusion that as long as I maintain what I am now, that's okay. I don't need to have the body of a mid-twentysomething woman when I'm forty. It's okay to learn to be comfortable in your skin.
And it's much more emotionally healthy to accept yourself for what you are than to hate yourself because you haven't beaten your body into submission.
In order to have that body again I would have to radically change how I eat (because I already eat quite well), and I would have to add a lot more exercise to my schedule. My girls and I already start the day with a jog, at least four times a week. It's not overly long; we're usually only gone for twenty minutes, but it's something. But I've realized I don't really have time to do much more than that if I want to attain the other goals I've made for myself. It's not that I'm lazy; it's just that everything has an opportunity cost. In order to have that body of the twenty-something, I would have to work out for an hour a day. I would rather spend that hour going over Katie's math with her, or writing, or organizing something with our youth group, or making dinner. I am consciously choosing that there are other things in my life that are more important right now.
Here's the truth: we cannot do everything. We cannot maintain the perfect body, and maintain a perfect home, and spend tons of time with the kids, and have romantic getaways with our husbands, and create small businesses to make income for our families. We just can't. Why not instead talk to God about what is good enough in each of those areas of your life? And then accept the good enough; don't keep feeling badly that you're not doing more.
Of course, many of us aren't getting important things done because we waste time. We spend too much time in front of the TV, or the computer, or on the phone. If that's the case, then maybe you need to re-evaluate. You certainly don't want television to keep you from attaining an important goal in your family. But many of us don't have that many hours, even if we wanted to find them. They're already being used. And we still, after all, do need downtime.
I think we are completely unrealistic about what is possible for us to accomplish in this life. Everything comes with a price, and if you're not willing to pay the price, then that's okay. But don't just say, "I don't have time to do this," and then continue to feel guilty. Say, "I don't have time to reach this goal," and then accept it. Accept who you are right now, even with your limitations, because you are doing the best you can. And your best is always good enough.
Isn't that what we tell our children? We don't care what they get on the test, as long as they tried their best. If they get a 95% but they didn't try, we'd be unhappy. But if they got a 65% and that genuinely was their best, then that's okay. We'd get them some more help, but we wouldn't be angry.
So why be angry at ourselves? If we're doing our best, and we're talking to God about how to prioritize our lives, and we're talking to our husbands about our lives, then let's give ourselves a break. We're doing what we can do, and in this season of our life, this is the best we can offer. Don't compare yourself to someone with more time, more money, or more energy, because that is not how God made you. Just be the best of who you were made to be, and whatever that is, that is okay.
Wouldn't that feel so much better?
What do you struggle with accepting about yourself? Do you often feel negatively towards yourself because you aren't meeting some goal? Let's talk!
It's Wednesday, the day when we talk marriage! I introduce a topic, and then you follow up either by commenting or by writing your own post and then linking up!
Oh, no. It's another fitness post. She's turned a marriage post into a fitness post!
You're probably sick of fitness posts. Every blog you read, someone else is trying to lose weight. And you don't want to hear about it because you don't want to feel guilty.
Well, tough. I want to write about it because it will help me stay accountable, so even if you're feeling guilty, this is about ME because I'm writing this blog! :). So listen up, and I'll tell you my plans, and how it's going to impact my marriage.
Here's my problem. For the last 8 years I've gone up about 2 pounds a year. That doesn't sound too bad, except add that up and it's 20 pounds every decade. I'd like to put an end to that.
So my husband and I have decided that by the end of the summer we will both lose 10 pounds. That sounds reasonable and doable, doesn't it?
I was doing really well until the massive heat wave hit central Ontario last week, causing the temperature, with humidity factored in, to go above 40 degrees. It's really hard to exercise when it's over 40 degrees, and it gave me a great excuse not to.
Then I had a horrible computer day (I've had plenty of those lately), and I just had to buy myself a box of chocolate truffles. I'm sure you understand. Then we headed out to Calgary for 10 days and I did no exercise whatsoever.
But I'm home, the weather is normal again, and I'm going to start jogging in the morning and using my Wii Fit. And in the evenings we're going to play tennis. And I'm going to start eating normal meals. Often I skip breakfast, eat huge amounts of leftovers for lunch, and then eat a big dinner. If I just ate smaller meals, I'd be a lot better off. But I seem unable to not take that second helping. I love eating until I'm stuffed, rather than just eating until I'm satisfied.
Nevertheless, this time I think I'm going to succeed at my fitness quest, because here's the difference: my husband and I are doing it together, and we're going to hold each other accountable. It's kind of like a contest we've got going between ourselves about who is going to lose the weight first. And somehow the thought that I'm not doing it alone helps so much.
Fitness really shouldn't be something that we do alone. I think that's why most diets don't work. It has to be something that the whole family does together. I often try to pull my daughters into jogging with me, or the whole family will play tennis together. We should all be eating better. But when everybody does it together, it becomes a way of life. When it's just you, it's as if you're the one being put upon while everyone else lives high on the hog. And that's no fun.
It's also not healthy. Children need to be incorporating fitness into their everyday lives by doing sports that they can continue into adulthood--things like skiing, or tennis, or swimming, or jogging. Soccer and hockey don't help much, because how can you do that when you're 30?
But the neat thing when it comes to marriage is that if you can get active together, you find something you can do together. You're not just sitting on the couch watching a movie; you're actually experiencing something! And I've found over the last month playing tennis with Keith that we laugh a lot more when we're doing something active. Something always happens that's kind of funny.
This contest thing is really helping him, too, although it's not helping me quite as much. He lost 8 pounds while I was in Calgary (he has 7 more to go to make the 15 that he's aiming for), and I stayed exactly the same. So he's winning. And I'm not happy about that. That's going to encourage me to be smarter for the next few weeks!
I know some men just don't care, and they don't want to go along with you, but here are my suggestions in a nutshell:
1. Make it into a contest. And figure out something really good for the winner! I get back rubs every night for two weeks if I win. Think of something really great to give your husband if he wins (I'm sure you can think of something ;) ). Get the kids in on it, too, so they can root for a particular parent. Or they can even coach a particular parent! My youngest daughter is trying to help keep me on track!
2. Don't just diet; get outside and DO something. Go for walks every night. Take a jog. Take up a sport. Bike places. Diets are boring. Being active can be fun! And you create memories.
3. Remember to laugh. Don't get super serious about it. Just have fun as a family changing the way you operate. It has to be something that's sustainable, or you'll gain the weight right back, so don't make it so tough that you'll never keep it up. Just make little changes that you can all do together that are fun, and you'll find it has much more long-term impact.
What about you? Have you ever tried to work out with your husband? Ever tried to get your whole family active? Write your own Wifey Wednesday post that links back to here, and then leave the link of THAT POST in the Mcklinky below. Thanks!
I have a daughter who is crazy about figure skating. She actually has memorized the standings for every figure skater in the top 20 in the world for the last 10 years. She knows who won the Olympics in each figure skating category for at least the last 20. She skates herself, and she loves watching it.
So we've let her stay up late and watch the men's figure skating so far, and the ice dancing. She found the men's mildly disturbing, since I think she misses dear Canadian Elvis Stojko, who definitely was a "man's" figure skater.
But as excited as she is about the Olympics, I always have mixed feelings. I absolutely HATE watching skating because I'm so afraid they might fall. Imagine, you've worked your entire life for this one three minute program, and then you fall. I feel so badly for them! Perhaps they're mature about it and they're just happy to be there, but I find it absolutely nerve-wracking!
Olympics bother me in other ways, too. In the 100 m dash, for instance, it seems as if Canada's Jamaican is going up against America's Jamaican and Britain's Jamaican and maybe, at times, Jamaica's Jamaican. They're all of Jamaican origin, and it seems like Jamaica should just win. But it's always Canada or the States because they've trained here and grew up here. I'm not saying they're not Canadian--of course they are, since we are all a nation of immigrants. But somehow I always feel badly for Jamaica, because they just don't have as much money to pour into training and infrastructure and tracks, etc. It's obviously genetics that makes people fast, or it wouldn't always be the same genetic make-up that wins the 100 m dash or all the relays. So why should we win just because he moved to Canada?
It's amazing to see what the human body can do, and that's what the Olympics are marvelous for. I just find it difficult to get behind the whole thing because to make it to that level of competition, you've had to devote your whole life to it. It's so intense. And then what if you don't win?
I suppose I'm just a sourpuss. I really do believe that all the athletes are impressive. It's just that you can't really win anymore without major training, and that costs money. It's not just pure athletic skill anymore; it's what infrastructure is behind you.
At least in winter sports, though, most competitors are adults. In summer sports, the gymnasts always bother me. They're just so young, and it seems almost exploitative. Where is their childhood? At least the female skaters seem slightly older this year. I was always somewhat put off by Tara Lipinsky's win years ago. She was what--14? How can a girl win a woman's event? I think you should at least have to look like a woman to win.
And gymnasts never look like women. They look like little girls. If it's a sport you can no longer do once you're mature and past puberty, then there's something wrong with that sport.
Okay, so maybe I am a fuddy-duddy. But I do let my daughter watch the Olympics! I just can't bear to watch it with her!
It is 9:00 a.m. and I just woke up. I guess I'm more jetlagged than I thought from being in Saskatchewan since Thursday.
And so I'm not going to do my typical morning routine. I let myself sleep in, and we're going to get started late, and I'm not going to apologize at all. Honestly. I don't feel one bit guilty. Really. Believe me yet?
It's a law of thermodynamics or something that "an object in motion tends to stay in motion". I remember learning that in school. But I don't think they're right when it comes to human beings. The pull is not to keep us in motion; the pull is to get us to sit on our butts. Let me explain.
It seems to me that the biggest challenge I have had of my entire life is trying to choose what I know is good for me. I'm not talking in the moral area, although that certainly is an issue. I mean in the general lifestyle area. We all know we should eat a healthy breakfast, but do I do it? We all know life works better with schedules, but do I stick to mine? We all know we should exercise regularly, but do we?
But it's not just that we know these things. It's also that they objectively make us feel better. After I exercise, for instance, I feel so alive for the rest of the day. I'm happier. I'm more confident. When I eat properly, I feel better. I'm less lethargic. I have more energy. When I do my devotions early in the day I have a spring in my step. I feel more peaceful.
There really isn't a downside to these things.
So why are they so hard to do?
So many mornings I sit here, at the computer, telling myself to get off and go exercise. I know I'll feel better when I'm done. I know it will put my day on a better footing. But do I? (Well, lately I do, because I'm getting better, but what amazes me is that even though I'm getting better, it's still a big struggle.)
While I was hanging out in the hotel room this weekend between speaking engagements I watched a lot of television (and knit a lot!). I tried to watch CSI, but that's just too gross for me. So I stuck to the Home and Garden channel and the Food Channel. I felt very ripped off because What Not to Wear was not on at all during my entire hotel stay, but there's little I can do about it now. But some of the British shows were interesting.
Two in particular followed two women with horrible lifestyle habits. They were tremendously obese, and to call what they ate "food" would be an insult to actual food. They smoked and didn't exercise. And over the course of a few months they were to radically change.
It is hard to break habits, even habits you know are bad for you. I have never smoked, but I imagine that quitting is agonizing. And here's the truth about all of these things: no matter how good it feels to do it, our bodies naturally want to take the easy way out. We tend to rebel against what we "should" do, even if what we "should" do makes us feel tremendous.
Isn't that silly? I guess it's one of the consequences of sin in this world. After all, it does make sense from a spiritual point of view. Our bodies are in rebellion against the perfect state in which we were created. And I don't think this only affects our moral decisions. I think it affects everything. It's why it's so hard to do the right thing even in our daily routines.
But I want to put a stop to that. I have realized this year that I need to do what gives me energy, and sitting in front of a computer screen, or eating ice cream for breakfast, doesn't cut it. I wish I could bottle up the feeling I get after I exercise, or after I cook a healthy meal, so that I could remind myself how good it would feel to "just do it", but I can't. I'm going to have to develop mental discipline instead, with God's help.
I do believe it helps, though, to remember that our bodies are always in rebellion. So we shouldn't really use them as a good guide. Of course they're tired and don't want to go for a jog; that doesn't mean you shouldn't. Of course you crave a Diet Pepsi; that doesn't mean you should give in to that aspartame. We don't have to listen to our bodies. We can rise above them.
Welcome to Wifey Wednesday, where we talk marriage here, and then you go and write on your own blog your marriage thoughts and link back here.
I had an interesting weekend last weekend speaking. I did four plenary sessions, but then a breakout workshop on "Honey, I Don't Have a Headache Tonight"--or how to increase your libido. Before I could do the workshop, though, a number of women came up to me saying they have the opposite problem--he's the one with the headache. What should they do?
So I tossed my notes and did a workshop that was half and half, and I think it went quite well. I recorded it, and I'll put the recording up at my store soon.
But in that workshop, one woman asked a question which I think, if we're honest, has occurred to many of us women. What do you do when your husband fails to keep his body attractive? What do you do when he's gained 75 pounds? 100 pounds? When he won't take care of himself? How do you stay attracted when he's just not that nice to look at?
It's a tough question, and I think a lot of women are dealing with it. After all, not to get too graphic, but there's the simple issue of how heavy he is. You want to be able to breathe, after all! You can be more creative in terms of HOW you may make love, but it still can be worrying. So here are some broad thoughts, and I'd love for you to add your own!
1. Let's remember that sex is more than just the physical. It's the union between the spiritual, emotional, and physical aspects of our lives. Our society tends to glorify the physical over everything else, and so the intimacy that we can feel just from being close to someone we love is underrated. If the physical isn't 100%, maybe the companionship really is. So focus on being intimate. Take walks together. Do things together. Laugh together. Play together. The more you spend time in each other's company, cherishing each other, the more you will want to express that physically.
And then just stress the companionship during making love. Look into his eyes. Tell him you love him. Let's stop the idea that everybody needs to have killer abs in order to be sexy. Most people, after all, don't! So see if you can make him feel good, and then take the initiative to show him what you like. Even if he isn't a perfect 10, he can be a good lover with your guidance!
Remember, too, what you love about him. What is sweet about him? What makes him a great husband? Repeat these things over and over to yourself, so that you're concentrating on his assets, rather than his paunch. After all, wouldn't you rather have him, even with the extra weight, than not have him at all?
2. Now let's get back to the issue of what he looks like. You're the woman. Chances are you control what food comes into the house. So start cooking well. Get rid of all high fat foods. Invest in more vegggies. Make salads for every meal. He may not like it, but if you're going to cook, cook what is healthy. Don't buy cookies and white bread. Steer clear of too much high fat cheese. Keep good stuff in the house, and he may start to lose weight.
3. Exercise together. Suggest that you go for a walk every evening after dinner. Get rid of the television, or move it to a place where it's not central in the house. Take up cross country skiing, or bowling, or ballroom dancing. Do something where you can have fun together where you're not just sitting around on a couch. It's hard to stay active today. It means that we have to get committed to stepping outside our comfort zones. Of course it's easier to sit on our butts, especially in the winter. But you've got to do it for everyone's health. And as the woman, chances are you control the focus of the household more than he does, so use that influence to your advantage!
Men who are married live, on average, about eight years longer than men who are not because their wives take care of them. So start taking care of your husband! He may still be overweight, but you can help. And the more active he is, the better shape he will eventually be in.
Do you have any great tips for the woman who asked this question? I think she's probably reading this blog today, since I directed her here. So what would you say? Have you had a similar problem? Or do you want to talk about something else in marriage? Feel free! Just leave your link in the box below. And don't forget to comment!
I've been talking a bit lately about my workout plan on the Wii Fit, and people have been emailing asking me to post it. So this post is going to be a little long, and a little bit of a detour for those of you who don't have a Wii Fit. If you don't, please forgive me. But let me tell you why I use it.
I used to have gym memberships. I had quite a few, in fact. And every now and then I would actually use them. I would go to the gym, and jog, or use the elliptical machine. I would lift weights. I would get sweaty. It was a good workout.
But because it took a while to get to the gym, and I had to get my clothes together, and then it took a while to workout, I couldn't go very often. And that seemed to defeat the purpose.
Last year we bought a Wii Fit, and I love it. I use it half an hour a day, at least five days a week. The workout is probably not as vigorous as the one I do at the gym, but at least I DO IT! And that has to count for something.
I have three different workout plans, focusing on different areas of the body. Each of them takes me about 30 minutes. I start out with about 10-15 minutes of cardio, and then 15 minutes of strength training, with some stretching and yoga mixed in. Is it really enough exercise? I'm not sure, but I do know that it's more than I was regularly doing before, and I can feel myself toning up. I also find it fun because you keep switching what you're doing. So without further ado, here are my workout plans, with more commentary at the end:
After each exercise, I've written the initials of where you can find them: A - Aerobics S - Strength Training Y - Yoga
I don't use the Balance Games for my 30-minute workout. They're not strenuous enough. But you can use them to cool down!
Workout A--Arms and Core (cardio) Basic Run - Long (A) Super Hula Hoop - 3 minutes (A) Single Arm Stand (S)
(strength) Push Up and Side Plank (S) Torso Twist (S) Rowing Squat (hold handweights; I use 5 lbs.) (S) Plank, or Plank Challenge (S) Downward Facing Dog (Y) Half-Moon (Y) Advanced Step (hold handweights; I use 5 lbs.) (A) Tricep Extension (S) (hold handweights; I use 7 lbs.) Sun Salutation (Y)
Note: Try to increase the handweights for the Rowing Squat, Step, and Tricep Extension as you go along. I'm trying to build up to 10 lbs. For the advanced step, I do bicep curls as I'm stepping. Once you get good at the Plank, try to use the Plank challenge instead. And once you get good at Push-ups, push yourself to choose the 10 repetition version or above, rather than just the 6.
Workout B: Legs Cardio: Basic Run - Island Lap (A) (Note: if Island Lap isn't available to you yet, do Long Run 3 times)
Strength: Standing Knee (Y) Lunge (S) Single Leg Extension (S) Sideways Leg Lift (S) Dance (Y) Chair (Y) Triangle (Y) Sideways Leg Lift (again) (S) Sun Salutation (Y)
Note: as you get better, increase the sideways leg lift and single leg extension to the 20 reps. option. Also consider using leg weights with these two exercises.
Workout C: Core Body Cardio: Basic Run - Long (A) Super Hula Hoop - 6 minutes (if it's available; if not, do 3 minutes twice) (A)
Strength: Sun Salutation (Y) Plank Challenge (S) Torso Twists (S) Jackknife (S) Arm and Leg Lift (S) Bridge (Y) Spinal Twist (Y) Shoulder Stand (Y) Half Moon (Y) End with abdominal crunches (not really available in the Wii; do them on your own).
That's it! The key is to keep your heartrate up through the entire 30 minutes by pushing yourself in all the exercises and clicking the A button as fast as possible to get you switching quickly between activities. You'll develop a pattern and soon it will help.
I tend to do Workouts A and B twice a week, and workout C once. Never do the same workout twice in a row.
Is this really enough cardio? Probably not. It's good to take a walk after dinner, too. But the point is, if you're not doing any other exercise, doing 30 minutes on the Wii is better than nothing. Sure you can beat yourself up that you should be going to the gym, or running 5 miles, but if you're not going to do it, then you're not going to do it. May as well do the Wii instead.
I've found that adding weights really adds some challenge to the exercises. Start out at the minimum repetitions they allow, and then as you get to three and four stars, go up a level to more repetitions. Once you're good there, add weight. Start with only 2-3 pounds, then go to 5 pounds, then 8, then 10. If you do the exercises well, and leave a minimum of time between each activity, you'll find that you really do sweat!
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Whether you work outside the home or you're busy inside the home, the question always is: what can I squeeze into the morning? What should I squeeze into the morning? How can I start my day off right?
I often get up around 7, but I'm tired. So I tended to gravitate to the computer and check emails and post something on this blog and check Twitter and surf, and soon an hour would be gone. Then I'd scramble to shower, get dressed, get some breakfast, do my devotions and start homeschooling. And chances were I didn't get going for the day until 10, and I just didn't feel that that was acceptable.
Of course, when the children were younger it was even harder. I remember when they were really little I'd get up with them, put a video on, and go back to sleep on the couch, sitting with them, so I was right there if anything bad happened. And then I'd stick them in a playpen and go have my shower. It wasn't easy.
But now that my children are older, I should theoretically be able to get a good start to my day. The problem is that I want to start my day with too many things. Exercise, devotions, shower, breakfast, time on the web. And recently I've just decided that exercise needs to come first, because it helps me wake up anyway.
I'm one of those people who has always been relatively slim. I've never been skinny, but I've never been big, either. But the last few years I've gained about 3 pounds each year, so that I'm 12-15 pounds up where I was a little while ago. And while I still look fine, and I'm not upset about it, I'm worried about the trajectory. I don't want to get heavily overweight. My metabolism is simply slowing. That's life. But it means I do have to exercise to stay healthy and stay in shape.
So I've decided to exercise first, check email and post on this blog for 15 minutes, have my shower, and then sit down with my Bible and hot chocolate (it's heavy on the cocoa and low on the sugar). I know some people think you should do the Bible first, but if I do that I'm not really awake.
The problem is, now that I add exercise my day really doesn't start until 9:45 or 10. And that bugs me. But it's not realistic to get up at 6, not for me. I know some of you can do it, but I can't. So I feel a little bit badly about that, but I don't see how to change it. At least I know at 10 that I've done the important things for the day.
What do the rest of you do? I'd really like to know. Sometimes I just feel like it's so hard to fit in everything we're supposed to do. I don't know how people find the time.
By the way, I'm working out the Wii fit and getting a really good workout! I figured out how to use it so it does some real good. Anybody want to know the routines? I'll post them if you'd like.
It says here , in a post on "How Not to Be a Lazy Housewife", that the beginning of the day is the most important. She writes:
Rise and shine: Seriously, when you first rise be sure to find a way to shine. Instead of getting on the computer in your bathrobe or sitting in front of the TV - take a shower and dress as though you are expecting guests. You don't need to dress to the nines, but at least be clean and presentable. This is vitally important, because doing this will keep you in a great mood all day.
Move: before you shower, do something ritual such as a five minute stretch routine. Light a candle or do it with a cup of coffee. It's a simple thing that will make you feel like a million bucks all day.
I have to admit that I sit around in my bathrobe quite a bit and don't get the things done that I need to. I think if I started my day more energetically, doing some exercises and stretching, and then showering, rather than checking Twitter or my blog, that I'd feel better.
When did we let computers take a hold of our lives?
Besides, I'm getting to the age where my bad posture really matters! I'm always getting backaches because I slouch. And my knees are horrible. And I need to stretch! So I think, from now on, I'm going to try to start the day right, and get dressed and shower first, then read my Bible, and then check my computer.
That's a hard sell, but I think I can do it. What about you?
I really don't have anything profound to say today. I've said lots of profound things in the past week, but today I am just excited because I have almost conquered the Bubble Balance Exercise on my new Wii Fit!
We've been wanting to get a Wii Fit for ages, but our town has been sold out for months. But a few days ago my husband found one by chance, and boy is it fun! The kids love it!
I'm still not sure if it actually will get me in shape. I'm not doing that badly; what I need is more aerobic exercise, but I get that from jogging while listening to podcasts! I find the step exercises on the Wii Fit kind of boring, and I've already unlocked the advanced step program. But the balance and the strength training seem really good. I'm already an expert at the Yoga.
The neat thing is that my kids are doing it like crazy. Our biggest problem is getting them off of the Wii, not getting them to do it. I'm not sure how long that will last, but at least they're getting some exercise now.
Of course, spring time is a stupid time to start this, since we'll all be outside soon anyway, but it's fun for now.
So for all of you who are Wii Fit Moms, tell me how you like it. What are your favourite activities? What's really good that I have yet to unlock? Have you found it actually helps you get in shape, or is it not strenuous enough?
Love your comments!
P.S. I'm getting my podcast ready! I'll publish it later today.
Here, at To Love, Honor and Vacuum, we're celebrating Complaint Free Week! For one week we're trying not to complain, but to react to things with gratitude, instead. It's been a challenge, because I'm naturally a complainer.
And one thing I've always complained about is exercise. I just don't like doing it, but I feel great after I have. So what can you do to make exercise more fun?
First, let me tell you my jogging saga. I started jogging about two years ago, and then I could barely do two minutes straight without getting out of breath. So I would run for 2 minutes, and walk for 2 minutes. Gradually it became run for 5 minutes, walk for 2 minutes. And then I got to the point where I could run for 20 minutes straight.
But I hit a brick wall. And it's because I have no attention span. After running for 20 minutes, I get REALLY REALLY bored.
I had the same problem on the treadmill that I used to have. We got rid of it because it just wasn't fun. How was I supposed to keep going when I was bored out of my skull?
I have now found the solution. I bought a Zune, which is like an iPod, it's just made by Microsoft. My daughter had one, and I thought I'd try it, too. I have some music on it, but not a lot. My big thing is podcasts.
I love podcasts. They're audio files that you can listen to. I myself produce a podcast every week (it's right here, and this week's is about How to Stop Complaining!). They're not long, but they're fun. Here's a comment from this week's that a listener left:
I LOVE your podcasts! I subscribed through iTunes and I listen to them while my oldest is in his Taekwondo class. Thanks for doing those. :)
But that's just me! There are so many other ones out there. And when I'm listening to something, I can keep going. It's just like when you're in the car, and you're listening to a fun radio program, and then you reach your house. Do you stop listening? Many times I've sat in the driveway listening for the end--because it's engaging! So if we're listening to podcasts, we may just be able to keep running.
How do you find them? Ask around on Twitter or blogs what podcasts other people listen to. I love Ravi Zacharias, and I listen to some Focus on the Family. I also search for audio sermons that are free online by some of my favourite speakers. You can just download them, and then sync them with your iPod or Zune.
I don't actually subscribe with iTunes to podcasts, because when you do they download every single episode, and if I haven't synced my Zune and iTunes in a while, you get way too much material. Instead, I subscribe with the RSS feed, that funny orange square icon. Then you can read the descriptions of all the episodes in your feed reader (located at the top left hand side of Internet Explorer. Just click the yellow star), and save the .mp3 files that you want onto your hard drive. You can then transfer them easily to your Zune.
It really does work, and it helps you exercise for longer! Plus you learn a ton! There are homeschooling podcasts, knitting podcasts, comedy podcasts, fashion podcasts, investing podcasts, even the Bible on podcast. There's everything. So have fun!
What if you want to exercise but it's hard to find that twenty minutes or half an hour because of kids? My Works for me Wednesday post a few weeks ago dealt with exactly that. Check it out!
And remember, you can subscribe to my podcast easily right here!
Spring is here, and with it comes the chance to stop this yearly hibernation and actually get some exercise and some vitamin D!
But there's a problem. How do you get exercise with toddlers in tow? I mean, they have really short legs. Really short. So jogging doesn't work. Even walking is difficult, because you walk so slowly for them to catch up. Biking may work, but they're so slow on their tricycles or with training wheels that it's not much fun for you. So what do you do?
When kids are little is a bit of a struggle. But with some creativity, you can find ways to get outside and be active!
Let's take the biking thing. I think biking is one of the best forms of exercise you can get, and you can bring kids along! When our children were young, we used a bicycle trailer that looked like this:
Now, that can get a little pricey. But you can often find them second hand. We still have ours today. I just use it for groceries in the spring! The girls and I bike to the store and we carry the groceries home in that. Now that's exercise! But when the girls were little, I would load them both up in the bike trailer and we would go places. I was in the best shape of my life in those days. Often I would bike to a park where they could then get out and play and I could rest before having to take them home again!
When they get to be about five, you can add the wheel extension onto your bike, so that they bike on your bike, but on a different wheel. They have their own handlebars and pedals, but it's a lot easier on you. It takes a while to get the balance, but it works!
And of course, there's the baby accessory that you can add. We never did this one; I was always afraid of what would happen to the baby if I fell over. But it works well for many! You can often get really good deals on any of these accessories second hand, too!
When children are still in the 3-5 range, another idea is to let them bike while you walk. To bike at the same time as them is often frustrating because you're going so slowly. But they can bike to a park, and you get some exercise walking with them!
We've always been the type that takes walks as a family, so that's been our exercise. And we've done big hikes since the time the kids were little. If you stop frequently and have snacks, they tend to go right along without getting too tired. Kids really do have abundant energy.
Soccer is another great way to start some exercise. It gets all of you running, and it's fun. To make it more interesting for the adults, try it with two balls. Kids have a harder time getting to the ball and kicking it, so you and your husband can keep one ball going between the two of you while you also try to get the ball going with the kids. That makes it more of a workout for you, while the kids still have fun!
What about you? What do you do to get exercise when you have little kids? I'd love to hear it!
Thanks for stopping by! Why not stay and look around a while? I've got great posts on marriage and parenting and fun!
Today is my birthday so I got to decide what to do. And I picked a long bike ride.
It was tremendously fun, but we learned that we are very out of shape from last year. So instead of riding for as long as we had planned, we stopped at Dairy Queen for an ice cream. This what I had as my birthday cake:
Anyway, it's not that I want to lose weight. I simply want to be in good shape. Same with the girls. And if I let us, we'd all sit inside glued to the computers in the house all day. Up here in Canada it's not like we get that much good weather, so I want to make the most of it.
Near us are a whole bunch of cycle routes, on back roads and waterfront trails, that are beautiful. They range from about 20 km to 100 km, which is about 12 miles to 60 miles or something like that.
Anyway, next week we're going to try an easy one at 21 km for the Saturday. We'll pack a picnic lunch and head out, stopping every little while to look out at the lake.
By the end of the summer I'm hoping to be able to do the 37 km trail straight through. It's in the middle of beaver country, and I saw one yesterday when I was driving through. It's really quite pretty in a rustic kind of way.
About Me: I'm a Christian author of a bunch of books, and a frequent speaker to women's groups and marriage conferences. Best of all, I love homeschooling my daughters, Rebecca and Katie. And I love to knit. Preferably simultaneously.
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