Finding Time For Yourself

I know sometimes it's hard as a parent, a spouse, or whatever area of life that seems to take up so much of your time - to find time for YOU.

This is my time to tell you how important it is! It doesn't have to be 3 hours of non-stop me time. It can be 10 minutes of walking around the closest 2 blocks and coming back home. I guarantee you the house will not be burned to the ground (it takes longer than 10 minutes for that) and nobody will have bled to death (ok, I'm hoping on that promise cuz sometimes a severe wound in the right place can bleed out quick), and the family will probably not even have noticed you left for those quick 10 minutes!

It can be as easy as incorporating some "extra movement" in your daily routine & chores too!

After the whole gang goes to bed, you're doing those 800 loads of laundry that nobody else seems to know how to do, take the time to go up and down those stairs (on purpose & on both legs, not using your bottom to bump down like when we were kids) 4 times or even 6 times. It's a quick workout & burns off some calories. No special equipment needed either (ok, other than a washing machine and dryer?). If you ever run out of clothes to do and need a reason to run up and down those basement stairs, please just email me... I have plenty to go around!

Turn on the radio in the kitchen or the iPod, or turn up the computer or music station on the tv, wherever you get that music from and get going with making dinner. Chances are it's just you making dinner as usual, so who's gonna know you're dancing while cooking? Shake that groove thing, cook up that healthy dinner & you're not only losing calories while cooking but killing 2 birds with one stone! Cook 'n Dance is my newest video soon to be released... um, well as "soon" as I can get someone to sponsor it's making & marketing! But you know what I mean... you get in the groove while cooking, dancing around with that spatula and I'm telling you girlfriend (or guy friend if you're a man reading this) your bootie is gonna love you!

So it's time for bed. I'm lucky enough to go to bed alone, with the exception of 4 furry creatures that think they own the bed (yes, sheets get washed every other day at this point because of those hairy brats) but if you're in there and the spouse is already asleep or not in there yet... perfect time to do some leg lifts! Again, I'm thinking killing 2 birds with 1 stone... as you're doing leg lifts one at a time slather on that lovely smelling lotion to smell good and keep your skin & feet all smooth and beautiful. 10 leg lifts on each side!

If nobody is in the bed yet, do some scissors with your legs too. You can do these on your sides (see the pic on the left although this person is at a pool it's the same technique but in your bed) or lying on your back and doing them open & shut/left to right. These are my favorite. I do them when I go to bed & wake up! LOL It's just one of those "KID FUN" things I love... kinda like bumping down the basement stairs on my bum!

Another fave of mine is to put a pillow between your legs, hold it tightly then pull your legs back & forth, it helps the core muscles too! See the picture at the right to see what I mean. They use a ball in the image but I use a pillow. As long as your holding something there and pulling back and forth you are working those muscles! Do 10 or so, quick & easy and again, no special equipment needed!

If you're lucky enough to live without a significant other (like me) you don't have to care who sees you doing these crazy things with your legs as you burn off a few calories and tone those gams!

Simple steps at work will help keep and get you healthy too. I can't do many of these, first off because I don't work outside the home.. secondly as I'm limited with my walking/stair ability. But for those of us that the only thing holding us back is our weight.... park just a little further away from the office and walk. Take the steps, not the elevator. Need a drink of water, refilling that bottle you have with you? Use the extra moment to take a complete walk around the floor or up & down 2 floors of steps if available and come back to the desk. Gets your blood flowing again, fills up your water bottle and you have an excuse for being gone those 5 minutes ("I was getting water").

Also, if you find yourself sitting at your desk... take the time to stand, stretch, bend & move. Here are a few stretches from LHJ that they suggest. It will keep you from being tired, it will get you awake again & it will burn just a couple calories if you do a couple stretches on each side. Of course your co-workers will wonder if you are insane, but that's always a plus because then they ask you LAST to do something for them.... see, again I'm thinking of killing 2 birds with 1 stone! Doing stretches, left, right, up, down, twist & tone up that body/burn some calories PLUS it's a way to get less extra work from co-workers who "need help"!

I realize that finding time for yourself is often hard if not impossible. Add to that the fact that most days you are worn out from every day stresses and work loads and you think "WHY would I even want to get out there and walk or move as opposed to sitting on the couch and vegging?" I can give you many answers to that question... first off YOU ARE WORTH IT! Secondly, your body needs to move to get healthy. It doesn't have to be huge workouts. I am very physically limited but I make it a point to do some type of movement each day/night. Stretching, moving, wiggling, etc. all make a difference and it burns off more calories than sitting on your butt complaining! Third, and most of all... when you do get up and move.. you get more energy AND feel better. Your family, friends, kids, all see you feeling better and might even join in on those quick 10 minute post or pre-dinner walks. Next thing you know, between your healthy eating habits & healthy lifestyle you just might have a group of healthy followers, admiring that NEW YOU!

Let's do this together! We can get healthy, without excuses of why NOT to!

WE CAN DO THIS!

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