Build that Muscle

Last spring, when I was younger and crazier, I undertook the P90X challenge.  While I admit to not finishing it in 90 days, more like 110 days, I worked hard at it - 1 hour a day roughly 6 days a week; except for those weeks where I just couldn't get it together, which accounts for those extra 20 days.  Still, not bad considering all that goes on around here.

Then summer hit and our schedule changed and there just didn't seem to be a lot of time to exercise anymore.  Within a few weeks I noticed the sciatic pain returning.  About this time the girls decided they wanted to do the Turbo Fire 5 day challenge.  For those of you who don't know, Turbo Fire, while great for some people, is an exercise program where you basically throw every part of your body in a different direction to music at 90 mph.  Let's just say that after day 2, Turbo Fire and I were no longer friends.  I went down hard that time.  Weeks of back pain and the realization that I can no longer throw my body parts around like that anymore!

As summer waned on and I tried to be kind to my back, I realized that the key to staying out of pain was to exercise continually.  But what to do??  I just couldn't face P90X again, I mean once you've spent that many days with Tony Horton, you just aren't all that anxious to go back.  Just looking at the Turbo Fire discs made me hurt, well that and I promised my chiropractor that I wouldn't EVER EVER EVER do them again.

My dh had started on more of a weight training regimen and while we used to do that together while we were dating (yeah, I'd do anything to spend time with my man:), it had been a long time since I picked up a barbell.  He was going to work with me but he can only do it at night and, I don't know about any of you, but the last thing I want to do in the evening is exert myself.  

Fortunately I found a disc at the back of the Turbo Fire packet that has three total body strength training routines on it; and to top it off, they're only 30 minutes each!!!  Let me tell you, however, that they are 30 total body  butt-kicking minutes of great exercise at a reasonable pace.  This is so doable for me right now, and the good news is that since I've started my back is back to feeling like a good back again!

As I was down there at lunch time today, I was thinking about how good I feel when I do this and how I think it really is so important for busy moms to take time in their week to stay in shape (or get in shape if that's the case).

So here's my pitch:  Take a look at your weekly schedule (cause I know you all have one!) and find three spots where you can squeak out 45 minutes, 30 for the exercise and 15 for getting reading and getting unready, and then find a good total body work out!  There are a bunch of different kinds to choose from, just do some searching and pick one out that will work for you.  As my husband keeps telling me from all of the research he's been doing - muscle burns fat so go for the muscle building exercises and burn more fat when you're doing all of your other stuff.  Or, as Nike says, "Just Do It".

 God Bless!