Find the time to exercise

You'd think with over 8 years of group fitness teaching experience (that is a lot of classes over the years!), and countless continuing education courses and trainings, that I would write up, plan and execute all of my workouts perfectly, right?  Wrong.  I was struggling to "find the time."   

Since I was post-baby and we had just moved into a new home, I was T.I.R.E.D.  Low on energy, wanting to use any down time to sleep (or unpack), and scrambling from one thing to the next.  I often relate the life with a newborn like one really loooong day that continues for a few months.  Throw in all the other changes we had going on and I was downright exhausted.

I figured since I was so tired, the only time I could fit in a workout would be mid-morning, after I took my son to school, and before I had to take my daughter to kindergarten.  There wasn't a gym available where I could take the new baby (she had to be older), so my previous routine of "take them to the gym" wasn't an option.  That, and the window of time wasn't quite big enough to manage a gym class, lunch and any kind of kid time.  Not to mention leaving time for unpacking.  So I figured winging it solo would be the way to go.  I'd have to juggle the three girls, but since I was only looking for 20-30 minutes, it seemed totally manageable.

The first workout went like this:
Wake up.  Get dressed in workout clothes.  Wiz through morning routine and take son to school.  Zip home and feed baby.  Rock baby to sleep.  Look outside.  Weather is nice.  Girls should enjoy sunshine.  Mental decision to take workout outside.  Grab a bag of playdoh.  Get girls on bikes, baby in stroller (crossing fingers she will stay asleep).  Walk to workout location.  It's next to a picnic table, and fairly secluded (construction workers won't see me exercising, and I'm not right in front of a house).  Didn't take time to plan a workout, but pull out an old favorite.  Tabata.  Need a timer.  Dig out phone from stroller.  Pull out playdoh for girls to use at table.  Check on baby (still sleeping!).  Start first 4 minute interval (there were 4 total).  With breaks entire workout was 20 minutes.  Girls happily played.  Success!

Simple enough right?  It was so successful, two days later, I actually thought this could be my new "normal."  

Here's how the second workout went:
Wake up.  Get dressed in workout clothes.  Wrangle through morning routine.  5 year old cries because she can't decide what to wear.  Literally drag 2 year old into car so son can get to school on time.  Son is mad at mom and fears he might be late (hmmm, wonder where he gets "I need to be on time" from?).  Make mental note to teach son about "external factors" after school.  Hurry back home to feed baby.  Baby spits up all over workout clothes.  They stink.  Hurry and change workout clothes.  Baby is wide awake (what?!  she's been asleep at this time EVERY morning for the past 4 mornings - that's like an eternity in baby life!).  Still committed.  Get shoes on girls.  Two year old won't wear socks.  Or sandals.  Throw shoes in stroller and buckle 2 year old.  5 year old pinches herself getting on bike helmet.  Cries.  Again.  2 year old cries.  Again.  Baby cries (how do they pick up the sympathy cry so quickly?!).  I'm burning with frustration inside, but am committed.  Walk to same secluded spot only to find it is not secluded today.  Construction workers taking an unexpected break on the same picnic table (for the love?!  how many picnic tables are there around here, and they chose the same one?!  They must have known.).  Keep walking and find another picnic table and spot to exercise.  Baby is screaming (clearly the fresh air didn't calm her down).  Pull out playdoh for girls.  Girls are excited to use it again.  Look for phone to use timer for same workout as last time.  Only to remember it was left in garage.  While trying to calm down 5 year old (or was it the 2 year old?!).  Who needs a timer anyway.  Ready to work.  Baby has calmed down, but is wide awake.  Begin workout.  Stop workout.  5 year old is crying.  Again.  Turns out playdoh lid wasn't put on all the way on and her favorite color is now dry.  And crumbling everywhere (Good thing we are outside).  Convince her another color is just as wonderful.  Begin workout.  Again.  Stop workout.  Now 5 year old is crying.  Again.  2 year old is pulling hair of 5 year old like a handrail with one hand as she is placing playdoh on top of her head and shouting "Crown!  Queen Elsa's crown!"  Help girls redirect love for Frozen movie.  Take a breath.  Begin workout.  No more than 2 minutes in (at least I'm guessing since I forgot my phone), and baby is crying.  2 year old poking baby since she was falling asleep.  And with that, I wrapped it up.  Irritated beyond belief.  Ball of frustration in my stomach (this worked so well last time!), coupled with sweat dripping off of me (for the wrong reasons!).  

Walking home, I kept trying to put the blame on my kiddos (if she would have done this...then I could have finished what I wanted to do), or on the playdoh (why don't they have better lids) or on the movie (who needed another princess movie anyway?).  I was a grouchy mamma.  

In reality, I was trying to conduct a symphony with the wrong sheet music.  

Now, I'm NOT writing this to say "don't workout with your kids."  Because I actually believe the exact opposite.  I think they learn so much from example, and often times they will join in with me.  I have had A LOT of successful workouts at the playground while they are having a blast too (something I'll write about later).

And, I'm NOT writing this to say "don't exercise at the gym."  Because I believe the opposite.  I think it's a great place to feel part of something and get into an awesome routine.

But, I'm sharing this because sometimes we have to reevaluate.  Things come into our life that change what worked in the past, and it's our job to discover what will work in the present.  

The phrase "finding the time" is a bit ironic.  As if we are going to magically uncover more time from under a rug to make a change.  We all know that won't happen.  We will never "find the time."  Instead, something has to be eliminated from somewhere.

I knew I needed exercise.  But with all of the change surrounding me, I was having a tough time figuring out where to plug it in.  I studied my day - how it was blocked out, and where I had a natural "chunk" of time for myself.  I looked at what I could eliminate (that made sense with other goals I had in our family life).  And guess what?  The only time open was to set the alarm clock earlier.

What?!?  Lose the little sleep I was getting and trade it for exercise?!  Even with my knowledge of the benefits of fitness, I was doubtful it would actually help my fatigue.  But, I put the plan in action for a one week trial.

I set up three things to make it happen:
1.  I found an exercise program that I could do from home (in my basement).  It was done for me and I didn't have to "write my own."
2.  I only had to commit 30 minutes of my time.
3.  I held myself accountable (more on that later).

What happened?  

It has become my new normal.  Wake up time is 45 minutes earlier.  I would rate my overall energy as "significantly higher."  I have become stronger.  I have built more patience into my day because I'm eating cleaner and exercising regularly.  And, I get to play with my girls in the morning instead of bounce from one place to the next, or try to juggle too many things in a short amount of time.  Time with those munchkins that I will cherish.

There are so many options out there.  Find what works for you.  Commit yourself to a trial run.  Your body (and mind) will thank you.