Back to the Gym, Moms!

So, I did it. I rejoined the gym this week.  

Mothering, with all of its constantly running around and running after has failed to fulfill my body's cardio requirement and it was high time to add in some torture at the hands of the elliptical machine. Of course, I kid because the plain and simple reality is that when I get regular exercise, everything else about my life seems better.

Finding the time to take care of ourselves is a constant challenge for most of the moms that I know. Time to focus on our needs and our desires often fall to the bottom of the list. How to fit in an hour at the gym between piano lessons, baseball practice and karate time doesn't happen easily.

When my children were younger, I absolutely loved my time in my water aerobics class. Of course, I was the youngest person there by a few decades but I found the workout as challenging as I made it and I felt good about myself when I was done.  My children had a bit of play time in the gym's daycare and the small fee for that service was well worth it. I went two times a week for over a year and I finally found those muscles in my upper arms!

But then something significant happened...my middle child started preschool. Our relaxed gym morning schedule turned into a race to see if I could rush through my post-workout shower, grab the kids and throw some lunch towards them as we rushed to get to the school in time. My great habit of getting to the gym evaporated (as did my arm muscles).  

In the years since, I've tried regular walking, Wii Fit (absolutely convinced that I was going to get into tip top shape while flinging the controller across the room), and various yoga and kickboxing videos from the library. It was a chore and, without the community that my water aerobics gave me, not a lot of fun. Before long, exercise was what I got carrying the laundry up and down the stairs.

I recognize as a mother with all her children at school as well as having my own business, I now have a lot of control over my schedule. It is, though, a schedule that fills very quickly with school volunteering, doctor's appointments and consultations with my clients.

I've decided this week to take back a bit of control and put myself under the control of the spin bike at the gym!

How do you fit exercise time into your family's schedule?  What are your favorite local resources to get fit?  Do you find that exercising with other mothers encourages you and keeps you working out?

Amber McCann is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant and owner of Nourish Breastfeeding Support, which serves breastfeeding moms in Howard County and Laurel, MD.  More importantly, she is the mother of three incredible children and very involved in the Laurel community.  She can be reached at amber@ambermccann.com or on her website www.ambermccann.com.