Wellness Wednesday Guest Blogger: The Exercise Game

Today's Wellness post is from Guest Blogger Marathon Mama. I met Marathon Mama in Ethiopia this summer.  Her dedication to herself and her family really impressed me.  She has, over the years FOUND that balance between her family and herself.  She is a HOTmama for herself, and her family. 
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Yes, You Do Have Time to Exercise!
Some of us love to exercise, some of us hate it, and some of us are just happy to get it done because we're supposed to. All of us are busy moms who are going to have to sacrifice/juggle/struggle to find time to take care of ourselves. I'm not going to spout statistics, but I think we all know (deep down, even if we don't want to admit it) that exercising will keep us alive and energetic longer than not exercising, and there are people counting on our energy for the long haul. Day to day, feeling stronger, more alert, and more energetic can only help.
My personal routine is a little crazy. I've been an avid distance runner for about 7 years. No, I'm not good--I just love doing it. My favorite races are road marathons, but I've also done some trail running and some shorter races. While I'm running, I meditate, decompress ,and problem-solve. It's become a very necessary part of my life... Which is why I wake up at 4 AM EVERY MORNING. Yes, even on the weekends. On 3 days during the week, I have a little breakfast, warm up, run for an hour, come home, get ready for work, spend some time with my men, and I'm at work by 7:30 so I can get my (13-month-old) son from school before 4. (My husband and I shift our work schedules to keep M in school less than 8 hours a day.) The 2 days I don't run during the week, I'll do calisthenics or cross-training during that early-morning hour. On the weekends, my husband and I alternate our long run days. On his long run day, I spend an hour doing strength work before waking M and spending quality time with him that includes an hour run in the jogging stroller. On my long run day, I leave right around when M wakes up, and the men have bonding time until I get home a few hours later. Sometimes my work requires me to work crazy hours, and then we have to juggle, but for the most part, this is how we do it.
Yes, I'm blessed with a supportive spouse. Yes, I'm probably harming my health somewhat by only sleeping 5-6 hours a night. And yes, I've been an athlete my whole life (gymnast for 20 years). So, for those of us who are just beginning a program, who really can't leave their children with someone else for any period of time, or who just aren't crazy about exercise, I offer...
The Exercise Game
Think of it like a drinking game. Every time you finish changing a diaper, drop and do 20 push-ups. You can start out with "little boy" push-ups with your knees down, but try to build up to the "womanly" version with flat back and head forward. Every time you feed a kid, do 25 sit-ups. Get the older kids to hold your feet (and/or sit on your chest to make it harder--hee hee). Every time you get a kid dressed, do 25 squats or 10 lunges on each side. You get the idea. Make up your own rules, mix it up, and have fun with it. If you're worried about bulking up, trust me: you won't. Most women do not do enough strength training because they are concerned about this. You will only firm up doing body-weight-type exercises. (Bulk only comes with lifting massive amounts of weight and/or taking extra testosterone.) For cardio, get the family out for a 30-45 minute walk 4-5 times a week. Walk to help digest your dinner or to go to a park for some fun. If you work, and you have a lunch hour, consider an extra walk then. To make sure you are exerting enough effort, keep in mind that you should just barely be able to carry on a conversation while walking.
Make sure you're stretching and drinking plenty of fluids. And, as always, be sure to consult a physician before beginning a new exercise program. If anyone tries this, keep me posted on your progress, and let me know how you change things up--I'm always looking for new ideas... Happy moving!
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I'm very inspired by Marathon Mama, and I'm going to try to get up at 5 am, 3 times a week to walk outside for 1 hour before work.
Has Marathon Mama inspired you?  Are you going to commit to taking time for exercise?  How?