My husband has a book he got somewhere that I think has the best title ever though I've never read it. I think it deals with the moral decline of western culture and society's apathy towards said decline, but that is completely irrelevant to this post, rather the title: 'Slouching Towards Gomorrah,' is a great description of life lately, at least the physical part of it. I left a rather active job to enter the home-isphere and this combined with the advent of winter curtailed much, if not all of my physical activity. I joke that a toddler is a 'complete home gym,' what with all the running around, picking up, etc. but that is not quite true. I just realized the other day that I am getting older (birthdays are not so much fun when one is past the first third of their fourth decade) and theoretically one's physical self does not get any better from here on out; things basically fall apart. I'm not fat but neither am I lacking insulation and said insulation gets a little more prominent every year. Almost anything one reads involving any human medical condition, it seems a good diet and exercise are just about cure-alls and one might perhaps live forever, or at least not die like an old car: slowly falling to pieces. But how to stay fit when one is pressed for time, money, equipment, compassionate weather, access to a gym facility, interest, and ability? Easy! Go crazy!
Yes, you read that right. I have gone bananas, at least anyone might think so if they saw me bouncing around the house a few minutes ago. I get bored easily so need some sort of interesting, involved exercise routine. I absolutely refuse to run on a human hamster wheel (aka a treadmill, stationary bike, etc.) which rules out the local 'gym;' the same goes for exercise tapes and stationary exercise (weights, sit ups, I just get bored!). I love racquetball but there isn't a court within 80 miles, the same goes for an indoor pool and swimming. The weather makes hiking, biking, and even skiing (cross country) difficult if not impossible (subzero temps, lots of (very uneven and crusty) snow, and plenty of wind). So I am stuck in the house with a toddler, don't like 'indoor exercise,' so now what? How about turn your house into a circuit training course? Crazy? Yep, but fun and maybe even effective. So put on some comfortable (and hopefully funky) clothes, play some snappy music, and get the kids involved (my toddler thought this was great, mommy was acting like him!). You don't need anything fancy, just use your imagination and whatever you literally have lying around the house.
Basically, you do a circuit of the interior of the house (stairs are a plus) at a fast walk or a jog (if you are into that sort of thing). Try to throw in a random bunch of activities to add variety, interest, and challenge. Jump rope in the kitchen, sprint around the basement, do jumping jacks in the nursery (not if the baby is sleeping), set up an obstacle course in the living room (shouldn't be hard if you have a small kid and the requisite toys, it is probably one already), do curls with a 5 pound bag of sugar or weight while walking backwards around the den, do wall pushups in the office, sit-ups on the bed in your room, whatever! Just move and keep moving, do a small number of repetitions of each activity (say 30 seconds of jumping rope or 10 sit-ups) each time you enter a certain room or pass a certain area and repeat the circuit several times. Adjust the activities to suit your mood, interest, health, stamina, needs, etc. and add more challenge as you gain proficiency (real pushup, 15 reps instead of 10, jog instead of walk). So I have survived one day, we will see if it sticks or not. But I actually feel pretty energized and excited afterwards so who knows! Don't forget to do some stretching afterwards (and before hand too once you get a little warmed up), keep hydrated, and use common sense (87 reps of lifting a 100# weight with a heart condition is a bad idea). Now I just have to eat better…if only I could get this excited about vegetables.
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