exercise demons -- what's holding you back?
Approximately 6 minutes into my yoga program this morning, the baby woke up and wouldn’t go back to sleep. Hey, at least I got 6 minutes in. But this year’s motto is “No Excuses!” So here are my personal exercise demons, with suggestions on how to overcome them:
Demon 1: Lack of sleep. Frankly, my 2nd baby hasn’t slept much since she was born. She’s almost a year old and she still wakes up at least 3 times each night. I’ve gotten about 5 hours of sleep max for a year now. Needless to say, this leaves me perpetually exhaustedzzzzzz. See?
Solutions: Put baby to bed in minivan outside Take turns with my husband to get up with the baby, on the one night on, one night off principle. Go to bed earlier. Nap when the kids nap. Sleep-train the baby (we’re doing this, but it’s slow going).
Demon 2: It’s cold outside. You know how it goes: who wants to get out of a warm, cozy bed to run in the dark or do yoga in an ice-cold living room? (Imagine that I’m saying this in a feeble voice from under my down comforter.)
Solutions: Sleep in workout clothes. Drink tea or coffee before exercising. Set small goals, like “just 10 minutes” — inevitably, I keep going once I start, but the minimal expectations lowball me into getting out of bed. (Shame! it’s the new black!)
Demon 3: No time. I have 2 kids, both in diapers, whom I love to death but who would suck everything out of me if they could. This includes exercise, recharge time (a pipe dream, but still), mealtime, and sleep. It’s the nature of the little beasts.
Solutions: Hey, you know who *also* has 24 hours in his day? Michael Phelps. So take back your day, in as small increments as you need. For me, this means getting up a minimum of an hour earlier than my kids, around 5-5:30am. My husband is still sleeping, so I can head to the gym for a quick workout. If the morning goes badly, I can exercise in the den while the kids eat lunch in the kitchen (it’s all one big room, so put down the phone). If there’s no getting away from the kids, throw them in the stroller and head outside.
Of course I have more than three exercise demons, so expect more tomorrow. What keeps you from exercising? Share, share. And if you have more solutions for me, bring ‘em on!
