By WMM Contributor: Silvia Cortes
Greetings Working Moms of Milwaukee! How are the New Years resolutions going? Some of us set goals with action plans and timelines and it is not too early to check in on our progress. So, how are we doing? A popular resolution or goal is to get into a physical activity routine that we can keep throughout the year. In case this goal is not where we would like it to be, here are my top tips for staying active in the New Year:
- Find fun activities to do! Check out the weather and opt for outside activities if it's not freezing and also have a list of fun indoor activities you can do this time of the year.
- Sign up for activities at your local community center. The social aspect of this tip is my favorite because it can increase your accountability because you might meet people who have similar interests and help keep you motivated
- Create a home gym. Have items you can use at home such as resistance bands, mini trampoline, small weights to help you complete your fitness task without leaving home.
- Stay hydrated. Going for the drink of water will add steps to your day and keep you moving. It does not always need to be a cardio workout and can add steps through daily activities.
- Earn TV time. Shocking news: our bodies were not made to binge on Netflix. To avoid the guilt and consequence of sitting to watch your favorite television shows or movies, let's earn our TV time by doing exercise first and then allowing ourselves to watch the same amount of time of television. We can also commit to doing some type of activity while watching television. Doing squats during commercial breaks is another idea.
- Default to more active choices throughout our day. Choose stairs, park far instead of driving extra to find the closest parking spot. Walk during breaks and lunch. Have walking meetings when possible. Walk the long way to your destination.
- Visit the library and borrow exercise DVD's to change up the routine. They have excellent videos for dance, step, barre, Pilates, Yoga and so much more.
- Monitor your activity. Wear an activity monitor and set realistic goals for yourself so if 10,000 steps are not achievable, set your goal at 4,500. You can also set your goal for active minutes. If 60 minutes is too stressful, set it for 30 active minutes. There are more benefits to consistency in our physical activity routine than duration or distance.
- Focus on how you feel after a workout to help motivate you to keep up with your goal. There is no workout I regret because I feel so good once it is complete. I also notice that I deal with life much more relaxed the days I exercise.
- Do activities that include the family. This also means to do everything our kids do. They do not think twice to start scissor jumps or dance when songs come on. I have learned to drop what I'm doing and join in.
If I could bottle up how fantastic I feel after I exercise I could quit all my jobs and live a very luxurious life but of course that is impossible. Until then, I will work hard to press start on my activity for the day and celebrate the workout complete feeling once I am finished. Are you ready to press the start button?
