The reality of trying to get a workout in with kids

You know, working out as a mom is hard. When we were single we could just go to the gym. Just like that. We decided to do it and then…..we did it. Carefree, no one running away or forgetting things or pooping their pants. We’d just saunter to the car, get in, drive to the gym, get out of the car, leisurely grab our gym bag (If we needed it! Honestly we could just change before we went.)  and waltz into the gym and workout. Yup. Just like that. And at the time juggling, leisure time, maybe school and getting to the gym seemed hard. Hehe. Hahahaha!! HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!! WHEW! That was a good ab workout! 

Now you’re a mom! YEAAAAA!!! Congratulations!! It’s awesome and wonderful and you never knew how you could love someone else SO much! NOW……..getting fit just became 10x harder! AND you need it more than you did before! It also doesn’t help that everyone and their brother keeps posting and reposting videos of these “awesome" home workouts with these serene kids. Yes, you look AMAZING doing yoga with your toddler. You’re very flexible and strong. I try it and it looks more like the wolf pack on Transylvania Hotel is mauling me in my living room. SAVE YOURSELVES!!! 

Or the one where the mom is holding her child doing lunges and squats or what ever else. The baby or kid just corporates. Yeah, I tried that too. My little one year old starts bouncing in my arms and then noticed my milk jugs are a jigglin’ and decides he wants to nurse. (Even though he JUST ate about half an hour ago!) At this point I’m still attempting to exercise and my baby is trying to lay in the cradle position, coping a feel and fussing. OKAY!! UNCLE! I give!  

So, I go to the gym! Woohoo gym and woohoo for the child care! Now, remember earlier? The scene where we’re single going to gym? Okay, fast forward 13 years. It takes almost 15 minutes to get everyone in the car and buckled in and even after all that….someone forgot their shoes! Seriously?!? How can you walk out of the house, across a gravel and dirt driveway and NOT notice you don’t have shoes on?? I decide to error on the side of caution and go in by myself to get them. (She’ll come back with not only her shoes but some Shopkins or Barbies or babydolls. It’s just not safe folks!) I return with the shoes to find the baby has pooped and it’s a doozy! I warn the other kids to stay put and go back inside and change the baby. He’s clean now and buckled in! I check and make sure everyone has their stuff: soccer, dance, Martial Arts, water bottles for everyone, a sippy for the baby, snacks, extra diapers, wipes and change of clothes, sunscreen, the kitchen sink…what the heck, let’s just get an RV and then we won’t forget anything!  Haha! AAAAAAAaand we’re off! Finally! I drop one kid off then the next, then a third, next it's back to pick up the first then we head to the gym and it takes another 15 minutes to just get the baby out of the car. He wants out, but NOT THAT WAY!!! And then he wants me to hold him, NEVER mind! He wants to walk! Not toward the road!! Time to be picked up again! We make it inside! SO close! Almost there I can just feel it! I mean I DO feel like I’ve already warmed up so it’s like I have already started! I drop the baby off and one of the other kids and sprint to the gym doors clutching my gym bag. I MADE IT!!! I feel like I should throw up my arms and yell some tribal war cry of triumph! I MADE IT PEOPLE!!! I’m free! Free at last! High fives for everyone! Getting fit here I come! PHEW!!!

#stress #fitness #workout