Busy moms not only pack lunches, they also pack on pounds. Mothers today have more responsibility than ever and are constantly juggling family, work, and maintaining a household. When every thing is said and done there is not much time left for health and fitness.
Recently published in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved (2009; 20{1}, 122-33), Fragile Families and wellbeing study focused on connections between obesity and household instability and poverty and their kids. Researchers discovered that mothers with the highest level of instability had the highest level of obesity. Lead author Earle Chambers, PhD, believes that busy moms tend to prioritize their own needs well below everyone else’s.
Tips for making yourself priority #1
- My favorite- Get out of bed early and carve some health and fitness time out of your day before the rest of the family gets up.
- Be realistic- Know how much time you have and create a workout that is time efficient and balanced.
- Look at your schedule for the week and make an exercise appointment with yourself.
- Keep it simple- 20-30 minutes of cardiovascular work at a high enough intensity to be comfortably uncomfortable. 20- 30 minutes of weight training. Stretch and your on your way!
- Most important watch what you put in your mouth. It doesn’t take much time to create a healthy meal. Making a healthy meal can take less time than the drive in at McDonald’s.
Take home message- Giving yourself a little TLC is a smart decision, because you feel renewed you now have the energy to meet everyone else’s needs (happily). Your whole family will be thanking you even the dog!
