The Early Burn

I understand the lack of motivation to workout, especially for a working mommy. I mean really, who has the time?..... YOU DO! I had the hardest time rolling out of bed this morning at 4:15. Is that even considered morning? Isn't that still the middle of the night? Whatever you call it, it was early, and it was difficult. Still, I did it. I got up and I went to the gym. Granted I had a 5:15 am boot camp class to teach which made it a lot easier to make myself get there, but the class was full of working mommies who pushed themselves to get up and get there! Let me tell you though, on days that I don't have a class to teach, I still get up at the crack of dawn (or before) to workout, and here are a few reasons why:

1. Getting your workout in before you have eaten a bunch of "junk" all day means you are burning pure fat calories and not just the sushi you had for lunch.

2. While it's hard to get up and out of bed, I have so much more energy all day.

3. I get in a full workout, shower & my morning coffee all before my hubby and the kids even wake up.

4. When I push myself to just "get up and get it over with", I can't find excuses all day not to workout. It's done!

Even if you can't make it to the gym early, or are just frightened at the thought of stepping foot in a gym, get some home workout DVD's. Get up early and get er' done. Or not. Wait till later when the kids are napping or at school or even for 30 minutes when your hubby gets home from work, or here's an idea, workout WITH your kids!! Have a dance party, or go on a walk or bike ride. My point is there is NOT a lot of time to do things for yourself as a "working mommy", but there IS time. You just need to find it, it's there!!! Whatever your job may be, "mommy" is the most important. It's important to keep a healthy mind and body not only for you, but for the little ones who look up to you.

Here are some DVD's that I would suggest for a good at home workout. All can be found on http://www.amazon.com/ :

Try to make time for at least three 30 min- 1 hour workout sessions a week to start. Try and do 30 minutes of cardio (jogging, running, dancing, jumping jacks, eliptical, step, bike etc.) per workout. As your fitness level increases you should add more workouts per week and more challenging exercises.

A couple tips:

Make healthy choices today. Order your salad dressing on the side. Order fruit instead of fries. Only eat half of your sandwich, save the other half for tomorrow and load up on some fruits and veggies. Drink lots and lots of water. Water helps fill your tummy and make you less hungry. If you feel the need to snack, pop in a piece of gum and go do something to get your mind off of snacking!

Have a wonderful and healthy day!!

katie