One Thing that has Changed My SAHM Life

You guys. Balancing Life/Work/Motherhood is hard. If you’re trying to find your groove as a mom (been there!), read about this ONE thing that has changed my SAHM Life!

I had no idea that this one change I made to my routine (or lack thereof) would drastically affect my life so much. It’s unreal and it checks SO many boxes off for me that I needed you to know about it, too. It’s nothing earth-shattering, that’s for sure. But, it has made a world of difference for me, and I think it could make a world of difference for you, too, if you’ve been struggling to find a routine for yourself like I was.

Because Mom always comes last, right? We forget to care for ourselves so that we can care better for our families. It’s so easy to do, and I was totally there. Most days my kids were dressed and had eaten a couple of meals before I even thought about getting out of my pajamas, or attempted a quick shower, or nibbled on some breakfast, or sipped on a nice warm cup of coffee. They are our main focus…it’s just how it tends to evolve when you are “Mom” 24/7. But, it doesn’t have to be that way anymore!

So here it is… I started working out. That’s it. That’s the one thing I’ve incorporated into my life (haha!). I know, your mind is blown. Mine has been, too… why the hell did it take me so long figure this out??? Oh, yeah. I’ve been blinded by the postpartum fog (see 100 Days of Darkness) and trudging through my toddler’s world of constant movement and tantrums for the past year. Duh.

That’ll do it.

One thing that has changed my sahm life

The “life-changing” aspects are in the finer details, so let me explain.

I’ve committed to getting up at 4:40 am at least three times a week (I aim for five when possible) and driving (about seven minutes) to our local gym to work out with one of my best gal pals from high school. She off-handedly mentioned that she’d been going for a while and asked if I wanted to join her.

That was all I needed to light a fire under my bum and get moving! Yes, it sucks getting up that early every day. But, the benefits far outweigh not getting that extra hour or so of sleep.

Here are the benefits that keep me going and check off so many boxes for me:

Gives me a routine

As I mentioned earlier, I was on the struggle bus trying to get myself into a routine each day. One thing that has really shown through for me since staying home is that I function better as a person if I have a routine and structure.

That can be difficult to accomplish when you are your own boss, living in a world run by tiny humans. It had also become apparent that while getting up so early is not great, it is the best time in my day to make it happen because…

I start each day putting myself first

How rare is this – Mom putting herself first? That hardly ever happens. But with this routine, you have no choice. You are choosing to put yourself first multiple times a week, and it feels great (even with the early morning grogginess)! Just set the alarm and get your ass out of bed when it goes off.

Mental well-being

This is pretty self-explanatory, but I leave feeling energized with a clear head and ready to take on the day with a positive attitude.

Update: I’ve been doing this routine fairly consistently for over a year now. I’ve definitely noticed that on days when I workout I have much more patience with the kids. I also notice that my mom-rage isn’t triggered nearly as easily. All the good things! haha

Social well-being

We live in a small community, so I not only get to see one of my very good friends, but there are other people I know at the gym that early (believe it or not) and it’s nice to see them and chit-chat. Adult conversations = Social win.

I get OUT of the house

An alternative, if you can’t leave your house, would be to workout at home, but I’d encourage you to actually leave your house. It may not be driving to the airport to fly off to a week-long beach getaway, but it gets you behind the wheel, in a car by yourself, where you can jam out to some music or enjoy the quiet. Again, “adulting” for the win.

Physical well-being

You’ll notice I put this last… that was on purpose because while I believe physical health is very important, I feel like the other benefits listed help me more overall, as crazy as that sounds. However, I love getting a good sweat on and really enjoy stretching out after the workout. I feel like I walk out of the gym two inches taller just from moving my body and stretching out. It’s nuts.

I also discussed some of my concerns with my doctor when I was in for my yearly physical – irritability, anxiousness, mom-rage, lack of focus, etc. He mentioned that making better use (ie working out hard, cardio, etc.) of all that pent up adrenaline will help with those issues. I can 100% tell you that is does. That’s why I love doing a HIIT workout, get an good elliptical workout in, or run. It helps me so much.

bonus benefits worth noting

An added bonus of going to work out is just the cherry on top – I catch the sunrise as I leave, one of my very favorite things! It is amazing to watch the world wake up for a brand new day; I love listening to the bird’s chirp and I love breathing in the fresh morning air. I am grounded and rejuvenated as I head home.

Once I’m back home, everyone is still asleep (insert: jazz hands and ninja moves). So, I have enough time to get showered without the distraction of worrying about little humans terrorizing the house or each other. And, I get to do it on my time… no rushing through things. It is so nice and a real-life example of “the little things” having a big impact on my quality of life.

Now, I’ve done my fair share of working out in the past, so I’m fairly familiar with the benefits of working out. It’s on a different level this time around.

Why this time is different:

#1 I really need it in my life again consistently.

#2 I’m actively choosing and committing to take part.

#3 It just feels so dang good after I’m done that I’m excited to go back each morning.

#4 It’s out of the way for the day. I don’t need to figure out how I’m going to carve an hour out of my day somewhere else. It literally doesn’t affect anyone else in my family or any other part of my day. The one snag I have run into is when my husband has to work early in the morning or goes out of town for a shoot (he’s a videographer). Then I obviously don’t get to go, but I try to make it there when he’s back and on weekends to keep some consistency.

I don’t mean to keep adding to the list of benefits, but they’re just so abundant! I’m pleasantly surprised by how well it’s going. I didn’t have high expectations going in, and the thought did cross my mind that the novelty will wear off like most other things, and I’ll quit going.

I just don’t see that happening. I’m enjoying it too much. We also have some skin in the game, as there is a hefty (but reasonable) annual membership fee, so I need to make sure I go just to make it a worthwhile financial investment.

My workout

Disclosure: My background is in marketing (haha!)…I am not a physical trainer, nor do I claim to be. This is simply my experience and what I’ve chosen to do based on my specific health condition and goals. I’d encourage you to discuss what’s right for you with a healthcare expert prior to beginning your workout.

I don’t do anything extravagant when it comes to the actual workout, but here’s a guide for what a typical morning looks like for me in case you need an easy, quick start:

• Treadmill (10 min.) – I walk to get my heart-rate up and to get my body warmed up. I also use this time to chit-chat with my friend and catch up.
• Stretch – I spend just a few minutes stretching out and gearing up for more serious cardio.
• Elliptical (15 – 20 min.) – I feel like I’m getting more accomplished on the elliptical for some reason, so I switch to that for some good, low-impact, cardio.
• Stretch – Again, I’ll take just a couple minutes to stretch again.
• Bodyweight exercises (I do two sets of each right now)(15-20 min.):
  • Hip Bridges – 20x
  • Side-Lying Leg Lifts – 15 – 20x/side
  • Heel Touch Crunches – 40x total
  • Leg Lifts – 30x total (I do individual legs, you can do both simultaneously too) or reverse crunches – 15x
  • Supermans – 20x (I’ll also do these on an exercise ball instead of on the ground sometimes)
  • Squats – 20x (you can do standard squats or wide-leg squats)
  • Extras: Exercise Ball Plank – 40-45sec. (elbows on the ball and extend legs out into a plank), Pushups – 10x
• Final Stretch (5 min.) – I incorporate some yoga poses for deep stretching and breathing to end my workout.

To give you some perspective, I generally burn roughly 250 calories between the treadmill and elliptical. And then I’d imagine I burn another 50-100 while doing my bodyweight exercises. I get my heart rate up in the 140-150 range while doing cardio.

Update:

I’ve graduated from this routine. Now, I typically do a 30-minute elliptical workout (a pre-programmed workout on the elliptical), or I’ll do an interval workout on the treadmill, rotating between jogging and running for 30 minutes. Again, I like to get a solid amount of cardio in to release a lot of adrenaline.

I also will do a HIIT workout with a few other gals once or twice a week or on my own occasionally. I love these and it’s a nice change of pace from working out alone! I’ve also done a lot of road walking/running when the weather is nice.

set goals for yourself

I think it’s important to choose exercises that are right for you and your goals. I’d also encourage you to start slow and work your way up to incorporating a whole bunch of exercises into your routine. I started out just walking and doing some light bodyweight exercises and have worked my way up to the above workout. Don’t burn yourself out by over-doing it in the beginning. Give yourself some grace and progress gradually.

My goal for exercising has been to lose some weight and tone up in the mid-section of my body, which tends to be my problem area, especially after two babies. So, I’ve geared my bodyweight exercises to that.

You can certainly do whatever exercises will help you reach your goals. I look to Pinterest for inspiration on different exercises to incorporate. As I get used to this workout routine, I’ll add time or sets to everything to keep challenging my body.

Other Tips

Make sure to take water with you to drink throughout your workout, and wear a good pair of tennis shoes (I love my Brooks Tennis Shoes for my gym workouts, and my Keen shoes for my road walking/running on gravel). I find that I drink a ton more water on days that I workout, which is great because I’ve had trouble getting enough since I started staying home… yet another benefit!

Please note: I didn’t start this until I was six months postpartum. I honestly don’t think I could have done it any sooner while remaining sane and decently well-rested. Please be kind to yourself if you have a new baby. Sleep is more important than getting a workout in, in my opinion.

One thing can change your sahm LIfe

Whether you are a SAHM or a working mom, carving out time for exercise can have a big impact on your life and wellbeing, and I encourage you to make it happen for yourself! Get up and get moving! You can do it.

And if you’re a local gal, I look forward to seeing you at the gym soon!

Has exercising changed your life? How? Let me know in the comments. And if you’ve got other tips or exercises to try, list those, too!

To the chaos!

-mg