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Heather's Dish

Heather's Dish

How This Busy Mom Fits in Fitness

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Polar Loop 2 #ad #fitfluential

Can I be honest with you guys? I read a lot of articles that are written for and shared by moms who work from home, all of which claim to explain how they do it all. Some have childcare, others don’t. Some have older kids, some have infants. I read a lot of perspectives, many of which differ from the others and most of which differ from mine. But here’s the bottom line: being a work-at-home mom is HARD and we’re all looking for ways to get it all done!

One of the hardest parts about it for me, especially in our current stage of 3-1/2 years and 6 months, is fitting in time for fitness. Much of my “day job” if you will takes place in the kitchen, and then the rest is on the computer, so getting my actual job done usually requires that I do so when the boys are asleep. That, incidentally, is also the best time for me to fit in a consecutive workout as well. There’s a constant push and pull between whether I should work so that I can keep staying at home with my boys, or work out so that I can be strong enough to play with them.

See? Hard.

Polar Loop 2 #ad #fitfluential

Strength training is certainly my workout of choice, but because that is usually only 30 minutes a day I kept wondering how I could track the rest of my activity in the off times. Let’s be real moms: carrying a 20-pound baby around all day (and all the jiggling, bouncing, rocking that goes with that) while chasing a preschooler counts as exercise too! I would joke that during the summer I would sweat from the moment the boys woke up to the moment they went to bed at night. Only it wasn’t a joke because it was REAL LIFE.

Because mom life is hard work it’s certainly valid to track movement over the course of the day, and thanks to Polar you can! When I got my Polar Loop 2 in the mail a few weeks ago I couldn’t wait to try it on. Surely, I thought, I will break the all-time record of movement in a single day with these boys! It was so easy to set up and took about 30 minutes to do that, enter in all of my information, charge it up and then get started with the day.

Well, friends, I’m here to tell you: I didn’t break the record. I think on the first day I only fit in about 63% of the recommended activity. But I learned a valuable lesson, which is that I do move a lot but I can be a lot more intentional about it – even with kids.

Polar Loop 2 #ad #fitfluential

Here are some great ways to fit in extra activity during the day if you’re a busy mom, like me, who wants to maximize her efforts for the sake of fitness:

  1. Park far away. On grocery store runs, church activities, play dates, shopping excursions, what have you – park far away. This idea has been around for a long time, but I’m here to tell you it can – and should – be done even with kids in tow. Use the stroller if you need to, but parking far away gives everyone more activity as you make the trek to and from the car.
  2. Use the stairs. Oh how I despise the stairs in our home, specifically on laundry days. Truth though? They’re great for increasing movement in our home, not to mention a good way to tone the booty too. A little more incentive to take the stairs wherever you are whenever you can!
  3. I hope you dance. The witching hour is a very very real thing in our house, which means that from the hours of 4pm to 6:30pm you can find me in our kitchen with the music on and having a dance party with my boys. W is usually running around the house anyway, a last-ditch effort to wear off the day’s energy, and I’m two-stepping with A to keep him from losing his junk over being still for a split second. It’s also the point in the day when you can see a huge movement spike on my Polar Loop 2 tracker on my phone. Coincidence? I think not!
  4. Go on a walk. And the whole world answers with a resounding “DUH!” In all seriousness though, activity doesn’t have to mean marathon training. It doesn’t have to include hours of weight lifting. Going on a simple 10-minute walk down our street and back is great for all of us. The change of scenery keeps the crankiness at bay, the fresh air and sunshine boosts our moods, the walking wears the boys out and I get a little more exercise in the process. I usually don’t even take a stroller for this one!
  5. Get the kids involved. It’s a little harder with my baby, but lately W has been interested in watching Mommy exercise and even likes to join in! Besides being the cutest thing ever it helps him to build interest in fitness, he sees a strong woman working to get better, and helps him to get stronger too. If they’re old enough, let them work out with you!
  6. Clean. So it’s after bedtime and the kids are sound asleep. Your work is done. You may just want to lounge on the couch and soak in that well-deserved mommy time. I say do it – but during commercial breaks, just get up and clean the house a bit. Straighten toys, unload the dishes, fold clothes, whatever. That extra movement counts and you get stuff done in the process!
  7. Track it all. Tracking my activity throughout the day has been so beneficial. I love how the Polar Loop 2 reminds me to move if I’ve been sedentary for an hour, gives me suggestions on how to reach my goals, and records it all on my computer and iPhone. It makes it easy to know if I need to get moving or if/when I can slow down.

Alright moms – I’d love to hear from you too! How do you get your days DONE? How do you fit in fitness along with all of your other daily activities?

And you know what? If you’re interested in getting your own Polar Loop 2 (or any of their heart rate monitors/activity trackers) you can get it for 20% off using the code POLARFITBLOG.

This post is sponsored by FitFluential on behalf of Polar.

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  1. Urban Wife says

    October 15, 2015 at 10:58 pm

    If it wasn’t for our double jogging stroller and my sheer determination to go running almost every day, I would never get any exercise done. Well, except those rarer-than-a-unicorn-sighting days when the stars align and both kids nap at the same time. Making exercise, no matter what form it takes, a priority is definitely a million times harder as a parent to little kids and it’s also a million times easier to make excuses to not do it, too. There’s always a lot of self pep talk happening each morning when I wake up and think about the day ahead, knowing that I will choose to exercise no matter how fatigued and sleep deprived I am. It’s so worth it in the long run!!

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For my @fasterwaytofatloss friends, here’s an AM For my @fasterwaytofatloss friends, here’s an AMAZING low-carb day dish: roasted cauliflower with smoked paprika and almonds! It’s so simple to make, incredibly flavorful, and pairs really well with truly any protein. Enjoy!

ROASTED CAULIFLOWER WITH SMOKED PAPRIKA AND ALMONDS
* 1 head cauliflower, cut into small florets
* 2 Tbsp olive oil
* 1 tsp salt
* 1 tsp smoked paprika
* 1/2 tsp garlic powder
* 1/2 tsp pepper
* 1/3 cup slivered raw almonds
1. Preheat oven to 375.
2. Spread the cauliflower florets onto a large baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil.
3. Sprinkle evenly with salt, pepper, paprika and garlic powder, then toss to evenly coat it all.
4. Roast at 375 for 25 minutes, tossing halfway through.
5. When there are 3 minutes left, open the oven and sprinkle the almonds on top.
6. Roast for another 3-4 minutes until the almonds are just lightly toasted, then remove and serve immediately.
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Here’s my fail-proof brine recipe for perfectly flavorful chicken breasts. Cook ‘em however you want - just make sure you brine them first! The difference is enormously worth it!

Recipe is for about 4-6 chicken breasts:
•3 tablespoons kosher salt
•3 tablespoons honey
•2 cups lukewarm water
•2 cups cold water

In a large saucepan bring the first 3 ingredients to a simmer. Remove and stir until the salt is dissolved, then pour in the cold water. IT MUST BE COLD - otherwise the brine will start to cook the chicken breasts! When the mixture is lukewarm, add the chicken breasts, making sure they’re covered in the brine. Cover and refrigerate for 1-6 hours (I recommend 6 if you can). When they’re finished, remove from the brine, rinse, pat dry and cook as desired!
🏃🏼‍♀️Who else is struggling with findi 🏃🏼‍♀️Who else is struggling with finding cardio equipment for their home gym on a budget?

I love running, walking and hiking, but weather, childcare, and a certain global pandemic make consistently getting out to do those kinda difficult. I’ve always enjoyed my #homegym, but quality cardio equipment is expensive! 

So what’s a girl to do?

This past fall I randomly decided to look at steppers, and found this @sunnyhealthfitness one on @walmart for $50! I just wanted something that I could use for 20-30 minutes 4-ish days a week, and it’s been an amazing fit. Would I like a Peloton? Duh, of course. But this has worked so well with the budget and space we have!

What’s your biggest struggle in curating a home gym?
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This past weekend I had a moment of complete clarity and joy and the knowledge that I will be OK. And for that only-God moment I’m so thankful. For all of you who have been praying for our family, who have offered the sweetest words and condolences, who have truly been there, waiting and wading with me through the hard - thank you. God is still good. He is still on his throne. And I am so unwaveringly thankful for that!❤️
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⭐️ healthy doesn’t have to be hard
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I have so many thoughts swirling around in my head these days, and half the time I don’t know which way is up. But I do know this: focusing on simplicity is the name of the game this year for me. It starts with the things I can control: my food intake, moving my body, my thoughts, my actions. The rest will stem from there!

Does anyone even do a word of the year anymore after 2020? If you do I’d love to see you share it below!
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