Thursday, May 31, 2012

So, you have a child, you do most of the parenting if not all of it yourself.  Your days start earlier and end very late.  On top of that you have work, parenting, errands, meetings, and extracurricular activities to get through each and every day.  Exactly WHEN do you have time to take care of yourself and stay in shape?  Yet, you see yourself falling apart before your very eyes.  You don’t feel at your best because you truly aren’t at your best.  Your clothes don’t fit right and every time you go to try on that favorite dress, you see the bulge, the rolls, and the cellulite. So, you opt for a pair of sweatpants and maybe a nice vacation t-shirt.  Every woman has been here, and if not…you will get there at some point in your life.  BUT….there is hope.  You can be the best YOU, it just takes….dare I say it….discipline and a true love for yourself.  We as women owe it to no one other than ourselves to keep ourselves up.  Not just for outward appearance, but for mental sanity and confidence.  We do better, feel better, and are in a better mood when we are in shape.  We accomplish so much more and build sustainable self esteem when we are on a great health track.  Not only that, but if you are not at your best and you are a single parent, what’s going to happen to your children if something happened to you?  That thought alone pulls at my heart. So how do you do it? Below, are tips to help you stay on track when it comes to your health.  It is not all inclusive, but definitely will set you off in the right directions.  These are tips I use, so I hope you find them helpful.

1)      Drink plenty of water.  Pretty simple right.  We all know water is essential for the body.  It does wonders! Here is what I do; I take a thermos full of water each day before I leave the house.  Throughout the day I refill it at the nearest water fountain.  Not only are you doing wonders for your health, but you are also saving PLENTY of money on drinks that we purchases  each day (coffee, sodas, juice, frappes….you get the hint).
2)      Eat more whole fruits.  When you leave the house in the morning, take two whole fruits (apple, banana, orange, pear, peach, etc).  Eat one piece on your way to work or when you get to work.  Eat the other when you leave work and are on your way home or to after work activities.
3)      Play.  When you get home from work, PLAY with your kids.  Whether it’s playing catch, or letting your child teach you how to shoot a basketball, play with your kids.  You can even get creative with it and play hide and seek or tag with not only your kids but also the neighborhood kids.  In addition, if you child has extracurricular activities, use this time to get your work out in.  If your child plays baseball, walk the edge of the field as he practices.  Encourage other parents to join you; you never know who may be interested.
4)      Take vitamins.  Vitamins give us the nutrition that we sometimes starve ourselves from while we hustle each day.  Be sure to consult with your doctor before you begin a vitamin regimen, and also be sure to follow directions listed on the bottle.  I love the gummy vitamins, they taste great!
5)      Work out when you can. Being a single parent your schedule will not permit you to be a diehard gym “rat”.  There is no way you can go to the gym everyday and spend hours upon hours working out and that is NOTHING to feel bad about.  In addition, the gym may not be budget friendly.  But you can and you must still work out when you can.  If you can’t find time throughout the day to work out, commit to doing a few exercises before going to bed, or when you wake up. 
a.       100 jumping  jacks
b.      3 sets of 20 push ups
c.       3 sets of 30 crunches
d.      3 sets of 15 lunges
            In addition, you can buy a few workout videos and rotate these every other day. 

Hope this helps! Be active, stay healthy, and I promise you a fierce, sexy, sassy SOMEBODY will emerge to TACKLE those day to day challenges of being a single parent.
-CRIS :-)

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