The gym has too many people and too much social interaction and the equipment is not something that most of us want cluttering up our homes unless we have a dedicated gym room. In my house, I do not. I have four kids that all need their own bedroom and the extra is a playroom – highly necessary so we don’t end up with four kitchen sets, four Doc McStuffins doctor offices and four of everything else since no one wants to let anyone in their room (and sharing is caring). This is why I don’t have a home gym. Well, that and the fact that I’m not into workouts that feel like workouts, so there is that.
Many people feel that without the gym, there is no way to workout at home but I beg to differ. I work out at home every single day, and I do that with a full time career (that I work from home) and four kids who create a schedule so hectic I have to schedule time to breathe. I don’t say this to brag or to make anyone else feel poorly about themselves. I say it because it is a simple fact, the truth, and because perhaps my ability to workout at home and use methods that help keep me in shape will inspire someone else to live a healthier lifestyle. Here goes; I have four kids and I’m in great shape. Of those four kids, two are 18-month-old twins.
Between all three of my pregnancies, I gained a grand total of 94 pounds and they all fell off pretty naturally in the few days after giving birth. However, just because I was fortunate in that department does not mean that I was happy with what I was left with. Stretchy stomachs do not look good sitting down even with all the weight gone. It took me a while, each time, to tighten everything back up. Even now, I still work hard every single day to keep the weight off and keep myself in shape – partially due to vanity reasons, partially due to the fact that I turn 32 next week and I know my metabolism isn’t going to be amazing forever, and partially because I have four really cute kids that keep me very busy, and I’d like to be around for the next 70 or so years to spend more time with them.
Good health is important to our family, and we work hard to maintain that through a healthy diet and exercise methods that don’t feel like workouts. If you’re interested in working out without a gym membership, these workouts will make it really easy for you to get in shape, feel good and gain more confidence. Trust me, because they work for me. I don’t love to exercise, but I do love to feel good and look good, and these work for me.
Dance it Out
My kids love to dance and I love to dance. Several times a week we have found that turning on the music and getting our dance on is a great way to spend a half hour. And boy does it get my heart racing. The kids love every second of it, and so do we. It’s quality time with the kids and great exercise all rolled into on twerk-less half hour (because we have standards when it comes to dancing) that includes a lot of freestyle, some serious Cupid Shuffling and even a little Whip and NaeNae these days. Also, I just ordered the BeachBody Cize DVD from a friend because I heard so many people rave about it (I do not, for the record, do any other BeachBody activities) and I love the DVDs. They are amazing, and a 45-minute dance workout passes in about 30 seconds – that’s how much fun I have.
Play in the Yard
We like to get outside and play with the kids. Right now we are working with our 7-year-old on her baseball skills. My husband and I played as small kids and throughout our adolescence and we are really hoping she will love it, too. She does not, but our 4-year-old does. So, we go outside and play ball with them.
Garden
Gardening is a stress reliever and a great form of exercise. It’s therapeutic in a way that I cannot describe. My daughter asked me a few years ago if we could plant a garden. I have a brown – no, completely black – thumb, but she wanted to do it and I thought it would be a fun project for us. We are gardening addicts now. We’re not that good at it, but we do have fun out there, and it is amazing exercise.
Walk the Stairs
Our house is two stories, so we get to do a lot of stair climbing. I find myself running up and down the stairs 10-20 times at a time to get my heart pumping, and I do it several times a day. Sometimes it’s with two babies in my arms as I take them up for a nap and often it is with the laundry basket filled with clothes that need to be put away. It’s great exercise.
Get a Dog
Walking is a great way to burn some calories, get some fresh air and work out. I’d suggest, however, that you add to this a bit with a dog. This means you have to walk every day, you have to get outside and play and you have to get some exercise. That makes the entire thing more fun and more enjoyable – for the entire family.
Treadmill it Up
We have a treadmill. It’s boring. But, I use it. I usually use it at night or in the morning, and I multi-task. This is when I will catch up on my TiVo’d shows. Look – I can do this on the treadmill and watch an hour of television walking or I can do it sitting on the couch with a glass of wine. I’d rather do the latter, but the former is healthier.
Do Some Housework
We recently realized what a great workout this is. We are in the process of painting our entire house. When we bought it last year, we loved the neutral color the house was painted and we chose to paint only our kids’ bedrooms and bathrooms to match their décor themes. However, we quickly realized that the paint in the house was a flat paint and guess what? You cannot remove ANYTHING from flat paint. A kid with a wet hand touches flat paint and you have a greasy looking handprint forever. It’s not going anywhere. So, I’m sure you can imagine with four kids what’s been slowly happening to our poor walls.
We have a lot of ground to cover, but we’ve been painting a room at a time and it’s been the best workout. We are sore, we are tired and we can feel it in our muscles. We still have my office, our laundry room (which is the size of a bedroom, it’s really ridiculous and pointless since it has become a room that accumulates stuff), the formal dining, the breakfast nook, the master, the master bath, the upstairs bath, the upstairs hall, the stairs, the formal living room and the entry way to paint, and we are looking forward to the end results and the exercise we get here. So, remodel something yourself and see the benefits twofold.
Yoga
I love yoga at home. I bought a DVD years ago, memorized it and now I can do it when I have a few minutes to myself. It’s so relaxing and it’s so happy for me. I love this. I might not do it every single day, but my body is the best equipment I need when it comes to exercise and getting healthy.
Swim
Summer is great for us because we are in the pool all the time. Swimming is fun, it’s not tiring and it makes you feel so good. You don’t even realize you are working out, which is what’s nice about the entire thing.
Coach a Kid’s Team
One of the most fun things I did was coach my daughter’s cheer squad for two years. I did not choose to coach again this year (parents ruin everything and take the fun out of volunteering) for several reasons, including the fact that it’s really hard to coach 24 girls and still get to watch my own. I didn’t get to see her cheer last year because I was always talking to a parent, a kid, taking someone’s kid to the bathroom or coaching. I like to be a mom and watch my daughter. But, I will say that getting to practice with her every night was great exercise for me.
Photo by Getty Images
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