DITCH THE CAR

Hi! Everyone and welcome to the first FITNESS FRIDAY!

so i know this isn't the most flattering picture i could have of myself, but there aren't many pictures i have of myself  mid ride, so it will have to do.

(i know you are all wondering and the answer is NO! i don't wear spandex to the grocery store.)

One huge dilemma that i have with exercising is finding the right time to do it. Do i wake up extra early to go before [the little one] wakes up? do i go to the gym? do i do something at home? do i eat less, so i don't have to exercise as much? (that one doesn't work for me...i love food way too much!) do i take [the little one] with me? what time is best? do i go before i eat or after i eat? how long do i have to wait before i go after i am done eating? will i get sick if i go too soon?  you know the drill and your own list and i don't know about you, but i am already exhausted just thinking about this and i haven't even done anything!

It takes time to figure out what works best for you, for your life, for your schedule, your kids. it seems to me that once i find something that works, something else changes and i have to reconfigure the whole thing. 

Needless to say, i don't have a set exercise schedule. [the man] leaves too early in the morning and if i exercise anytime after i have eaten i can't control my bladder (thank heaven for childbirth!)...sorry TMI, but it's true. I have tried exercising at home and it turns into me laying on the floor in front of the TV either laughing or sleeping. I have pushed a jogging stroller and that works some days, but my jogging stroller doubles as my bike trailer and so i generally just like to leave it all assembled. (i know, i know, i have a TON of excuses!)

but that is precisely why i have resorted to DITCHING THE CAR! i bike or walk pretty much every where i go. i bike to the grocery store, every morning we bike about a mile and a half to a swimming pool and back, so [the little one] can learn to swim. we walk to the park and walk the dog. I try to move as much as i can during the day and i typically run all of my errands on a bike. The trailer is a double trailer and so it has plenty of room for anything i need to haul around. (it also helps me keep an eye on my grocery list and not buy things i don't need because then i have to haul them back home!) It is an investment to get a bike and a trailer, but to me that investment has been worth every single penny! DITCHING THE CAR and moving as much during the day as i can, has allowed me to maintain my weight and feel good about getting out and doing some sort of exercise without having to "schedule" it in.

While we are swimming i do a little workout in the pool which i will share next week and because i don't do a ton of exercise right now, i do tend to keep a closer eye on my diet, but it helps me to feel great during the day and not feel bad if i do want another piece of Peanut Butter Baklava.

This week if you find yourself with a lot of excuses, just do something simple. 

WALK MORE
BIKE SOMEWHERE
TAKE THE STAIRS
IF YOU DO HAVE TO DRIVE, PARK FURTHER AWAY
DO RANDOM EXERCISES IN YOUR DOWNTIME OR AT YOUR DESK
GO ON A FAMILY WALK
WALK OR BIKE YOUR KIDS TO SCHOOL
 PLAY TAG
CLIMB ON THE JUNGLE GYM

REMEMBER EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS!

what do you during the day to be more active?