If your logged in exercise time in the recent past has been to walk around your house picking up toys, or going outside to get the mail, then welcome! This post is for you. It’s also for me . . . and for anyone else who wants to be healthy!
Exercise and diet are key to feeling well and being able to do what you want to do. There is no way around it, they are like Wallace and Gromit, Peanut Butter and Jelly, or Yin and Yang. So how much exercise do you need to get? Well according to the American Heart Association this is the recommendation:
You are shooting to be a part of the “150 Club.” That is, exercising for at least 150 minutes per week. If you are already doing that, then be proud of yourself . . . and then maybe add some intensity. I like the “Can I still Carry on a Conversation?” gauge. If you are able to easily talk while exercising, then it is low to moderate in intensity. To increase that, get your heart and breaths going until you are not easily able to talk. This is where your heart and lung muscles will grow the most. If that isn’t a possibility for you right now, then stick to a lower intensity and be proud of yourself for doing what you can!
One thing that I’m a big proponent of is stretching.
If there is any advice I’d give as a “must-do as you age” exercise, it would be to make sure you stretch. Many injuries as we grow older happen because of muscle, tendon, joint, or ligament rigidity. Warm your muscles up with a quick walk or jog (never stretch cold muscles) and then stretch them! Do this 2-3 times a week to keep your body flexible and to avoid many common injuries!
If you are not sure what kind of stretches to do, here are a couple of links that can get you started.
https://www.healthline.com/health/fitness-exercise-stretching
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/152278031130992218/?nic_v2=1a3VzmNjI
One of the important parts of stretching and exercising is taking deep breaths!
This is important at any age. Oxygen is needed in every part of your body to keep things running the way they should.
(As a side note, if exercising is something that you simply cannot do right now, there are a number of other things you can do that increase breathing and therefore your oxygen levels. Music is wonderful for breathing including singing and/or playing an instrument. Other wonderful breath promoting activities are meditation and mindfulness exercises, or simply finding or making something with an amazing aroma (fresh bread!) to breathe in.)
One last thing to keep in mind, we moms don’t always have a lot of time to spend just exercising, so combining it with other tasks or health behaviors is a good idea. Taking the little ones out in a jogger stroller is a great way to get them and you some fresh air! Going for walks and purposefully thinking positive, empowering, self-affirming thoughts can help both you physically as well as mentally and emotionally. This is also a great time to make phone calls to your family members or friends. They will appreciate the call, and you get the benefit of a great walk.
Thank goodness moms are great at multi-tasking!
Overall, the hardest part of exercising is getting started. So pick something and just do it. You may do it terribly at first, but if it’s worth doing at all, then it’s worth doing badly and practicing until you can do it like a pro. As Mary Poppins says it:
Good luck on your journey to a balanced and healthy life!!!!