I decided that the only way to get back in shape was to just do it. Because I telecommute I work every precious minute that my children are at preschool; I rarely get up from my desk during those hours. But sitting at the desk was making me feel flabby and tired. Fitting in exercise was necessary and I couldn’t sacrifice my few work hours. Having small children makes doing anything for yourself difficult but enough with the excuses.
It was time to fight for mom time.
Kids safely occupied in the playroom I begin my new journey toward health with an old fitness video that I am very fond of. The first half of the video goes well, with my kids occasionally coming in to the room to see what I am up to. They look at the video for a minute, attempt some of the cardio moves (adorable), then move back to their toys.
The problems begin when I hit the floor for ab and leg work. My two-year-old thinks it is funny to get into the rolls of toilet paper stashed in the bathroom (a common theme) then drag the rolls into my workout space. From my vantage point I can see toilet paper all over the place, laying in mounds on the floor, trailing behind his little diaper clad bum. Ugh. I’m not going to quit, I tell myself. I am thirty plus minutes into this video. If I stop I will lose my momentum. Just as I come to relative peace with the toilet paper strung about, he walks over to me with a grin and piles toilet paper on my head.
Time for flat-on-the-back ab work. Two year-old thinks it is funny to sit on my chest. I push through. I…will…not…quit. And I don’t. I keep doing sit-ups. This is just like using a medicine ball, I tell myself. A twenty-eight pound medicine ball.
It feels like I crack my hip when the two-year-old jumps on my leg, mid leg lift. The four-year-old follows. Ouch.
A few more days of this chaos during mommy’s workout time and they begin to wear me down. But I’m not going to quit! I decide maybe it’s time to see what other fitness videos are out there, thanks to Netflix instant streaming. I come across a video with one of my favorite instructors, Ellen Barrett. It seems fun. Wait… there is standing ab work. And the leg work incorporates lots of standing lunges. Success! I have outwitted the kids!
…Until I get bored and need to find another video. Maybe I’ll have to incorporate some kid-friendly hikes into our future. Or purchase that Hawaii chair Ellen was so fond of.
Filed under: home office, parenting, productivity, telecommuting, telecommuting facts, work from home Tagged: | fitness, parenting, telecommute, telecommuting
