How to get fit even when you have the housework, kids and work

Q. How do I get fit when I have the housework, kids and work to do?

Doing the housework, taking care of the kids and fitting in a job, take up many hours of most women’s daily lives. Hitting the gym or taking a class is not a long-term viable option most of the time. So what is the answer?

A. How to get fit (even when you have the housework, kids and work to do?)

Here’s the simple answer to the question.

Mindful movement – turn everyday life into a gym workout! Let me explain…

It’s about moving with purpose whenever and where ever you get the chance. Just move with purpose. Put your mind to the task for just five minutes, focus on the activity or situation you find yourself in and, while you are being mindful of your body, move with purpose!

Mindful movement can be broken into 2 sections – one where you just do it, whatever ‘it’ is, and the other is planned, making the time. A workout like you probably understand the word to mean.

Exercise is just moving, plain and simple. What do you do when you go to the gym or a fitness class? You move. What do you do when you walk the dog or vacuum the carpet? You move. So let’s move with purpose all day.

5-minute fitness

The best part of looking at exercise a little differently is, YOU ONLY NEED 5 MINUTES! 5-minute workouts designed to fit into your day. You can easily get a total of 30 minutes of exercise into your day (every day) if you focus your mind for 5 minutes at a time, BUT do that 6 times a day. Remember, that’s 5 minutes of Mindful Movement or a planned, 5-minute structured workout.

Mindful movement examples

Let’s take 2 things you are doing every day, walking and sitting. Get this statement into your mind;

Sit up straight and walk like you’re late!

Following the 5 minute rule, focus on the activity you are doing and do it mindfully and with purpose. For 5 minute burst of focus, sit up straight, in the car, on a bus, at work, watching TV, where ever you are, sit up straight. Head inline, shoulders above hips, tummy muscles gently tightened, back muscle working. After a while, you will notice your posture begin to improve. When posture improves, mood improves.

Walking to the shops, walking the dog, whenever you are walking, simply focus on the activity and walk like you are late! 5 minutes of focus, walking with purpose. Getting a little out of breath, heart rate up, maybe a bit of a sweat on. What is fitness anyway?

This is just a simple example of 2 small things everyone does on a day-to-day basis but, thought of as exercise, soon makes a difference when done mindfully. Imagine if you turned most of your daily activities into a workout!

The planned 5-minute workout

So you are moving mindfully and getting the job done already, what about fitting in 5 minutes of fitness you have planned and set aside some time for?

Here is a quick 5-minute workout on the lounge carpet, a simple 5 minutes to tone abs, chest, arms, and back. Imagine if you had 6 of these little workouts to hand and you planned to do them all by the end of the day, every day for a week. Each workout worked a different element of fitness so, by the end of the day, you have had a 30-minute full-body workout.

It adds up to 3 hours a week in the gym without having to go! Would you take that?

Planning is subjective but basically means identifying a time in the day where you can spend 5, 10, 15 minutes with yourself to work on your fitness. Put a reminder in your phone, stick it notes on the kitchen cupboards or bedroom wall. A visual prompt to do the activity.

If you find you have 5 minutes spare, whip one out and have a workout!

Being busy is not an excuse for being unfit

Getting the results you desire without having to dramatically change your lifestyle is a 5-minute job!

Before you know it, you will be doing far better than the women who belong to a gym or the countless women who start and stop a weight loss program! Why? Because it is sustainable and will fit into your day without having to drastically change your life in order to do it.

Give it a try for a few weeks and let me know your opinions.