Momma-Robics

I want to get in shape. I really do. I want to lose weight as much as the next person. I got hooked on The Biggest Loser this season and love that show. These people are struggling to lose hundreds of pounds and I complain about losing my baby weight (from two babies, but that's a post for another day).  It was time to stop complaining and start doing.

I bought The Biggest Loser cookbooks, I stocked my fridge with healthy foods, and I bought Jillian Michaels' 30-Shred DVD.

Let me pause here for a minute to say that Jillian is Satan...or maybe just Satan's girlfriend.  She is evil.  She is cruel.  But she gets results - even if it means crippling you in the process.

After huffing and puffing my way through one of her workouts, I was laying on the floor crying in pain and gulping every breath into my burning lungs basking in the afterglow of a good workout when I realized, I don't need Jillian.  I don't need Tae-Bo.  I don't need the PX90 or WD40 or whatever the heck it's called.

I'm a mom.  And mom's have their own workout -- unique just to them!

Mommy Stairmaster:

Run up the stairs to get something.  Once you get there, forget what you ran up there for in the first place.  Run all the way back downstairs to check on the kids, only to remember what you needed in the first place.  Run back upstairs.  (Repeat throughout the day as needed.)

For added resistance you can do this exercise while hauling laundry baskets or a small child with a blowout dripping down her leg.

Hurdles:

Survey the piles of books, magazines, laundry that you have randomly stacked on the floor throughout the house.  You can also include Lego towers, boxes of games and puzzles as well.  As you go throughout your day and find yourself near one of these piles, do a couple jumps over them while reciting "Jack Be Nimble"

Butt Blaster:

Put baby in sling and proceed to do squats throughout the house picking up smashed up cookies, stray Barbie shoes, barrettes, socks and other misc. items.

Resistance Training:

Change the sheets in the baby's crib.  Grab a clean baby sheet - which is always somehow a tad bit shorter than the actual mattress.  Wrestle with sheet and mattress until you've broken a good sweat.

Stroller Aerobics:

Wrangle baby out of straps and place child in car seat (which, for some moms - putting a child in their car seat could be a substitute for stroller aerobics).  Prepare to collapse stroller.  Lunge while looking for latch that collapses stroller.  Stand up, take a breath, and lunge again.  This time, drop to your knees and do a modified push-up while still looking for latch.  Stand up, take a breath.  Stretch calves while simultaneously kicking stroller.  Work out triceps by grabbing stroller handles and shaking vigorously.  Repeat until you collape in a sweaty heap (with stroller still intact) or stroller mysteriously collapses causing you to fall on cold hard cement.

 
And there you have it mamas!!  Our own workout - just for us!  Save your money on gym memberships and DVDs.  Grab your kids and start working out!  Because swimsuit weather is coming soon!