1. Clean the house. Take a broom and a mop and get to work. Sweep the entire house from top to bottom and then follow up with a good mopping. It’s an amazing upper body work out (and you can really burn up the calories if you see how fast you can get it all done).

2. Mow the yard. Forget the riding contraptions that cost more than my first car did. Invest in a quality push mower. Pushing that machine around the yard, twice a week, will not only tone up your lower body but will also help you to appreciate pavement. For the best work out around, invest in a mower that is NOT self-propelling.

3. Play with the children. Whether you jump on the trampoline, take a hike with the whole family (and inevitable carry the toddler on your back) or just run around kicking the soccer ball, you are bound to get a great work out in muscles you had forgotten you had.

4. Play with the spouse – enough said!

5. Wash the windows (inside and out). Climbing up and down the ladder to reach the top corners of the many windows in your home is going to tone more in your lower body than any expensive Stairmaster ever could.

6. Plant a garden. Between the digging, plowing, stooping, weeding and hauling you will get a full body work out that you will not soon forget. If you really want to put your muscles to the test then rent a sod cutter and clear some area in your yard for a NEW garden (be sure to till well before doing any planting).

7. Volunteer to keep the toddler room at church. You’ll do plenty of lifts and squats and maybe even a few presses. Rolling around with the kids can be the best exercise in the world (for the body and the heart).

The great thing about these activities is that they help keep you moving. That is one of the most important keys to losing weight. Besides, if you are up and going then you aren’t vegging in front of the television eating.

Instead of spending your time (and money) at the gym, let go of some of the conveniences around your home and you will find that you can lose weight without doing any exercising.

Having children actually slowed me down some (in addition to the 24 hour television opportunities). It has been hard to stay as active as I was growing up or maybe it is just that the excuses to be a home body are easier to come by. No matter how I got – I got here. Staying station can not be an option if I want to be as physically fit as I was when I was active.

Getting Moving a Step at a Time

1. Pull out the yoga/pilate mat – stretching while I watch the few television programs that I still follow helps to tone and lengthen my muscles. I usually follow a similar routine to what I did when I was dancing although the going is much slower and not nearly as limber.



2. Take a stroll around the yard – granted, my yard is 37 acres, but the concept is the same if you are strolling around the park or around the block. The idea is to get up and get moving first thing in the morning. I tell my youngest (who is usually awake and determined to follow me around) that it is my time to talk with God.

3. Start slow – overdoing it in the first few days will almost guarantee that consistency will fall to the wayside. Painful muscles are not a good motivator. You need to work up to the heavy work outs and for now just concentrate on getting moving.

4. Count the steps – the recommended steps you need to be taking is 10,000. That includes the steps you take walking from room to room, from the car to your destination or any other steps you take during the day. How many steps are you taking?

Movement is essential to a healthy body. I am working my way back to the condition that will motivate me to follow my love of dancing once again.

It’s not as bad as it sounds. I’ll be doing the hard work; they’ll just be riding around and singing. Think of it as a very slow hay ride – minus the hay. This new regimen will have two focus points. It will get me past the hump of the day (about 4 pm when I start to wear down), and it will give me and my children some fun time.

Every day, I will take by big garden wagon (which I’m pretty sure weighs a ton) and load my kids in it (which definitely makes it weigh a ton). Then I will haul that wagon and kids around the yard (I measured and it and it is one half of a mile) two times. Eventually, I will work my way up to a mile. Then after the long haul, and before I collapse from exhaustion, I’ll spend some time with them on the playground – kicking the ball, swinging, or just throwing the Frisbee.

The secret to my weight loss with be movement. Instead of calling it a day and spending the evening propped on the couch, I’ll bring in the twilight of the day with some old fashioned fun. A huge added bonus is that the kids will go to sleep much easier than before – as will mommy.

Not working out is not an option. I have found that if I don’t get up and prepare for the workout, then my “gym” comes to me and asks if its time to go for a ride. How do you say no to those sweet little faces? Guilt makes me get up and get going when motivation has long taken the day off. Before long, I’m having more fun than the kids are having and the weight is running for the hills.

I knew I wanted to get moving again, and I thought I would break down and join a gym. Instead of spending money and taking time away from my family, I’m getting creative. The long haul is not only great cardio, but its strength training as well.

Weight loss is about burning more calories than you take into your body. I’m not counting calories, but I know that by eating only when I’m hunger, stopping before I’m full, and running with my children until we are all ready to collapse will not only make me healthier, but it will make me a better mom to boot.