The Cheese-Puff is nude more often than he’s clothed. Shirts, shorts, and shoes are such an unnecessary bother when sensory processing is a daily struggle. “Clothes on,” I say, at least twenty to thirty times a day. Pulling a shirt back over his skinny-winny little bare naked body, I take time to kiss his tomato red hair. Who could resist?
Hopey dumps waaaaaaay more water from her cup than she drinks from a straw. She sometimes pours it over her own head … sometimes over mine. Why? I wish I knew. But she thinks it’s hilarious. After the water is spilled, she runs off on her tippy toes and giggles with abandon. “No, Hopey,” I yell, as she ditches me for the hidden shadows. At every moment, though, I choose my battles. And water just isn’t that big of a deal.
Bringing up two kiddos who sport an extra chromosome and who are non-verbal is challenging. Neither speak one word, but they still fuss and fight like typical siblings. And both vie for my attention constantly. One goes to bed with the chickens and rises early. The other is a night owl and is like waking the dead. One can tag you in the head with a ball from twelve feet away. The other can climb your body like you’re a tree and have his arms around your neck before you know what’s happened. They try to get away with jumping on beds, climbing on tables, and rolling the house in toilet paper … every single day. They’d rather dance to a Luke Bryan song than eat. They’re master escape artists. And if I leave the house without them, you’d think the whole world has come to an abrupt end. You’ve never seen the drama these two can cook up.
I travel, kayak, explore, and dance like a fool with Hope and Charlie. My life is so much fun, but it can also be chaotic. And hard. If I didn’t take time to be on top of my game, I’d be overthrown in a minute. My secret to being the consistent queen of my brood is fitness. Exercise boosts my mood, gives me energy, and is empowering. Do I have time to be fit? Ummmmm, the answer to that question is a hard no. Do I always feel like working out? I’m fifty years old and am outnumbered by two kiddos who have more energy than a zoo monkey, so the answer to that question would be a hell no. But I make fitness a priority so I can remain the queen. haha. At least in my own mind.
This begs the question of HOW to make time for fitness.
If you’ve read this far, you’ve checked off the biggest and most important box by realizing you need to make fitness a part of your routine. If I can do it, you can too:
First, make a schedule and stick with it. Carve out thirty-five minutes of time, five days a week, and make that time a priority. Even if you don’t feel like working out, push through it. Eventually, it will become a habit.
Second, plan your workout ahead of time. If you try to workout on the fly, you won’t make near as much progress. Every other day, use weights to focus on arms, shoulders, and back. The other days, work legs and glutes. Take five minutes each day for abs and set aside fifteen minutes each day for cardio. It’s can actually be that simple.
Third, find someone who will hold you accountable. Without an advocate who will push and encourage you, the beginning of this journey will be nearly impossible. Your head will give you every reason under the sun why it’s not normal for a woman to sweat. You won’t be able to sit down on the toilet seat, climb out of your car, or bend down to pick up the quarter you dropped when checking out at Publix, because your muscles will be aching. You’ll wonder what you’ve gotten yourself into. You’ll think you’re too old, too fat, too tired, too busy, or too depressed. Trust me, you need someone lined up who will remind you that if you want to be a queen, you must continue to tackle those push-ups, squats, and burpees.
Fourth, change your point of view. Your workout isn’t optional. It’s sacred. You wouldn’t skip eating or sleeping. You wouldn’t miss an episode of The Bachelor or that Starbucks visit with your college roomie. With statistics overwhelmingly proving how a regular fitness routine boosts your health and increases longevity, why wouldn’t it be sacred? It’s a no-brainer, and can be achieved with only 35 minutes per day. Yassssss, Queens (and Kings)!!!!
Here’s a quick 35 minute routine to get you started:
Settings:
- Initial Countdown = 5 seconds
- Exercise Interval – 25 seconds
- Rest Interval = 10 seconds
- Number of sets: 30
Week 1:
(Use your Tabata stopwatch with the settings above. It will prompt on when to begin each exercise and when to rest … Just do as many reps as you can within the exercise interval, making sure to implement correct form. Don’t rush.)
Arm Day:
- Bicep Curl and Overhead Press
- Tricep Dips
- Bent Over Flies
- Chest Press (lie on mat or on bench)
- Chest Flies (lie on mat or on bench)
- Skull Crushers (lie on mat or on bench)
Leg Day:
Fifteen minutes of cardio:
Walk three minutes, jog three minutes, walk three minutes, jog three minutes … alternating until you’ve completed fifteen minutes. Go as hard as you can.
Five Minute Abs:
- 20 crunches
- 20 crunches with legs bent into stomach
- 20 crunches with right leg up in the air / left leg still crunched to stomach
- 20 crunches with left leg up in the air / right leg still crunched to stomach
- 20 crunch toe-taps (crunch legs into stomach, then extend legs down to tap floor)
- 20 crunches (cross right leg over left knee — bring left elbow to right knee)
- 20 crunches (cross left leg over right knee — bring right elbow to left knee)
- 20 bicycle crunches
- Two 30 second elbow planks
PLEASE send me a private message if you have any questions … or feel free to comment. I’ll be your advocate, your cheerleader, and your go-to!!!
Just my thoughts!
Melanie
Brick Marshmallows 