When making a renewed vow to start getting regular exercise, it may be tempting to procrastinate:
"When I join a gym I'll get serious about it."
"I don't know how to get started."
Yet it is easy to start a home exercise program that does not require a significant investment of time or money. Instead, all it takes is a commitment to a thirty-minute routine several days a week in the privacy of your home. You don't need a partner or fancy equipment. Just put on some music and get started! The main idea is to keep active during the day and move around as much as possible. Scheduling a 30-minute session helps to ensure that you get the basic minimum amount of exercise; anything beyond that is icing on the cake.
1. Aim for the same time each day. For you, this might be at 6:30 a.m. before the kids get up. Or 7 p.m. when everyone is doing homework or watching television might work better. Plan to set time aside around the same time on most days to get some much-needed exercise that will clear your mind as it tones your body.
2. Start slowly. Ask your doctor about the best kind of exercise for your weight and build. Maybe all you need to start with is walking in place. Or you can jog around the neighborhood. A stationery bike parked in front of the television keeps your mind occupied while your body labors toward fitness. Go at a medium, steady pace to become used to physical activity. Later, as your body gets conditioned to exertion, you can step up the pace and increase your heart rate to higher but safe limits.
3. Do something you enjoy. Combine chores with choreography. While washing dishes, put on some jazzy music and be-bop around the kitchen putting things away or gathering dirty forks and plates; just be careful not to break anything! Or toss a workout mat on the living room floor and pop in an exercise video with a favorite actor that lets you work out while the baby sleeps or the kids are in school. Jog around the house wearing your step-counter as you pick up toys, jackets, or newspapers. Before you know it, you'll have burned off hundreds of calories and feel great!
4. Keep at it. When your schedule changes, rearrange your exercise time or activity but don't give it up completely. As your infant becomes a toddler, let her do parts of your workout with you rather than surrendering that time to another activity. Together you can bond and tone at the same time! In bad weather, exercise indoors. In good weather, head for the yard. Make daily exercise a key part of your life.
5. Share it with others. Get the kids involved with shooting hoops in the driveway, flailing arms in a workout session, or playing follow the leader as you trot around the house to put things away. Invite a friend over for coffee and exercise, or offer to clean someone's house and wear earphones with upbeat music to keep you hopping.
Exercise can be fun and spontaneous if you adjust your expectations and work within the boundaries that define your present lifestyle. Keep moving and watch your torso shape up.
