Mama's Bootcamp

Josiah sure is a cutey, but it has been a big struggle for me to lose those extra pounds I gained while pregnant with him.  Josiah is now six months and my most comfortable clothes are still either maternity or what I consider my "fat" clothes!  The primary reason it's been a struggle to get rid of the extra pudge is that it has been really challenging to figure out a way to fit exercise into my schedule with five children. I do get some exercise--I take the kids for a walk every day.  The girls ride their scooters; the twins ride in the double stroller; Josiah rides in the Ergo. Walking is good, but not enough for me. If I could get myself out of bed early in the morning, I would certainly be able to get a workout in, but this is really difficult because Josiah still wakes up to feed at least twice in the night. Plus, my kids are early birds, so I would have to be up and ready by 5am in order to work out and shower in time to wrangle the troops.  Another possibility would be in the evening after the kids go to bed.  But, by that time, I am really exhausted, and I fear that working out would only energize me and keep me from getting the rest I need to fulfill my mommy duties.  On Monday of this week, though, I got desperate enough and started to think outside the box.  I realized that, while I don't have a big block of time, I do have small pockets of time throughout the day that I could use to exercise. So, I googled Boot Camp Workout and found some exercises at Women's Health Magazine.  I am now doing each of the following exercises for 30 second intervals twice throughout the day.

Squats
Pushups
Bicycle Crunches
Jumping Jacks
Back Extensions
Walking Lunges
Squat Jumps
Close-Grip Pushups
High-Knees
Mountain Climbers

An added bonus is watching Mama exercise is really, really entertaining for the kids, especially the jumping jacks.  The kids like to join in, too: Jonathan sits on my back for back extensions and Josiah rides around with me for squats and lunges.

I am really trying to keep my focus on being fit for the glory of God rather than looking a certain way. My goal is to take care of the body God has given me so that I can continue to honor Him by serving my family and my church.  

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."  1 Corinthians 10:31