8 Mom-Friendly Tips to Keeping a Healthy Routine

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Staying healthy is work. Add in kids, a spouse, your job, household chores, and extracurricular activities, and it can be a lot of work just to find the time to think about staying healthy. It would be so easy if there was an app we could download, or if staying healthy just magically happened late at night while we slept. Or maybe if we could pin fit tips and healthy meals and have them suddenly appear! But, unfortunately, it takes work. And just like any job, it is helpful to have a schedule, a goal and a reward for accomplishing your goal.

Here are some fun and practical ways to keep at it, or ways that can help jump start your healthy routine.

  1. Schedule: We schedule our kids’ meals, naps, play dates, and doctor’s appointments. We schedule our spouses meals, naps, play dates and doctors appointments 🙂 And then there is our schedule. Between work, children and spouses, it is hard to find the time to better yourself. It helps to make it part of your everyday schedule. If you stay at home and your children nap at certain times of the day, use that time to get your heart rate up. If you work, wake up thirty minutes early, or use your lunch break to get in a quick walk. There are tons of work out videos on youtube that you can do in the comfort of your living room. Schedule it. Make it a priority.
  2. Write it Down: Everywhere! Write it in your planner, and mark it off. Highlight it in bright colors when you finish. When you look back, it will be easy to see the days you got in a little exercise. Write encouraging words on sticky notes to keep you motivated to stay with it. Stick them on the bathroom mirror, on the front door, on your computer, your planner… everywhere. The more you see it, the more likely you are to get it done. Little reminders can encourage you to stay healthy.
  3. Keep a Journal: At the end of the day, write down ways in which you stayed healthy. If you got a work out in, write down what you did and what you would like to be able to do next time. If you weren’t able to that day, write down what obstacle stopped you from doing so and ways you can avoid the obstacle next time. Motivate yourself! Stay positive!
  4. Motivators: Coffee, wine, Facebook, a favorite tv show… Use these things as motivators to get yourself up and moving! If you are able to work out in the morning, tell yourself you can’t have coffee until after your workout is complete. At the end of the day, if you haven’t gotten your heart rate up for thirty minutes, don’t allow yourself a glass of wine. (This is a major motivator for me :)) If you enjoy browsing Facebook, instagram, or Pinterest, save those for after your work out is done. If you have favorite tv shows you watch every week, watch them while you work out. Use your favorite things to help motivate you to stay healthy!motivators
  5. Rewards System: It works. It potty trains your dog or toddler :). It gets your children to eat their veggies or clean their room. Pick a reward- a pedicure, a dinner out, a margarita with friends, a new pair of shoes. For every ten times you work out, pick a reward. For every ten healthy meals you prepare, pick a reward.
  6. Join a Gym: If you pay for something, you are more likely to use it. Find a gym that offers childcare. It will make going to the gym more convenient. There is even a gym in Corpus Christi that has a cardio cinema!! If the gym scene intimidates you, there are several all women gyms around the area. Group classes are a good way to get started and to stay motivated. Our launch partner, Yoga Studio Of Corpus Christi has great pre and postnatal classes available. Most gyms offer a free week, or free classes to see if it is a good fit. Use those free weeks! Find a gym that you feel comfortable with. It will make going a lot easier!
  7. Have a health partner: Your spouse, a fellow mom, your sister… Having a buddy to hold you accountable always helps. Bonus points if it is your spouse. It is easier to follow a healthy lifestyle if everyone in the household is on the same page. Take turns watching the kids while the other works out. Make cooking dinner a game. Who can make the tastiest, healthiest dish? Have the kids join in on the voting to keep it fun! Need an accountability partner? Our launch partner, Fit4Mom, has several options for great workouts that moms can do with or without their babies! No need for childcare, and you get to workout with other women in the same stage of life! You can also search Pinterest for fun mommy and me workouts- there are thousands! Have a sister or a friend that lives far away? Each of you do the same workout and FaceTime after with the results. Seeing an equally sweaty face can help you to keep at it!
  8. Game Plan: Know what you are doing before you start. Did you find a workout on Pinterest? Print it out or take a picture of it. It is too easy to look at other things if you have to go back to Pinterest to find the workout. Have a workout/meal planner. Keep track of what you have done and what you want to do. Plan out healthy dinners so when you go to the store, you aren’t tempted by the ease of unhealthy dishes. Reserve a few minutes on your off day to plan the week. Having a plan will really pay off.

Staying healthy is work, but you can do it! I hope these tips help you to stay with it!

What tips do you use to keep up a healthy routine? We would love to hear them!

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