5 Ways When Exercise Is More Than Just Exercise

Multi-tasking is such a double edged sword. I used to be much better and more efficient at it but ever since I’ve had my kids and the craziness factor has increased, I’m not as sharp as I used to be! However, I’m always looking for areas in my life where I can make the most of time spent. Exercise is one of those times! Here are 5 ways when exercise is more than just exercise!

1.) Girlfriend Time

It’s hard to justify a lot of time spent with just your girlfriends the older you get. But we all know how important our girl friendships are to our lives! Exercising is a way that I get that in without feeling guilty! I love teaching my group exercise classes because it gives me a chance to say hi to my friends before and after class and joke with them during! (not sure that they feel the same way while they are lunging away!) Running is perfect for this too as my best friend and I usually get anywhere from 30-60 minutes in once or twice a week without anyone bothering us! So if you are having troubles getting some girl time in, lace up your sneakers, and get moving!

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2.) Prayer Time

Depending on the exercise that I’m doing, I can get some prayer time going. Granted, it may not be totally focused, but I can’t tell you how many times God has brought situations or people to mind in the middle of a run, crunch or tricep extension. I try and be obedient and to lift those situations up in prayer at that moment. My mind is very clear when I’m exercising so it’s very easy for me to do this! This doesn’t take over the bulk of my praying that happens earlier in the day, but it certainly is a big part of my prayer life! If you struggle with praying consistently, try this!

3.) Husband Time

When we get really lucky, my husband and I get a chance to exercise together. At this stage of life this is really hard since we don’t have childcare where we workout so we are each other’s childcare, however if the kids are at grandma’s, or they are down to sleep, we will take that chance to workout together! Both of us need to exercise so it’s great when we can accomplish it at the same time.Plus it’s a great time to be playful! It’s hard to do that when you are in “mom and dad mode” but when you are trying to sprint out your hubby to the end of the road, you almost always end up laughing…after you catch your breath!

4.) “Me” Time

I think most of us would agree that we need some alone time. This will look different for each women at each phase of life, and it’s not our job to judge how each mom spends this time, but it’s something that is important to us functioning well for our families. (I talk more about this here) It’s hard for me to tell my hubby that I need an hour to exercise, and then another hour to read a book, have some tea, or be alone all in one day. So for me, exercising is that time. Would I love to have an additional hour to do those other things? Sure. But I have to pick and choose and since my mental and physical health is a huge priority, those other things can go to the wayside.

5.) Planning Time

There is always need for some type of planning in my life. Maybe it’s my daughter’s 3rd birthday party, a blog post, how I’m going to organize our office, or what I’m going to do to with that pile of clothes that don’t fit my kids anymore. I have to figure out all these things eventually, so instead of fitting in the mental space at home while the kids are whirring around, I do that while exercising. Again, my head is very clear so it actually is the best time to do these things! Then when I get home, I jot it all down and continue on my way!

Have I convinced you with more reasons you should exercise? You can’t afford not to! 🙂

Have you found any of the above situations to be true when you exercise?