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Clare Smith

Training Body & Soul

A Mama’s Guide to a Fit Summer (Part 1: Exercise)

June 8, 2015

Well, well, well. Here we are in June. My kids have been out of school since the last week of May so I am definitely in the swing of summer break! There is no doubt that summer comes with mixed emotions–relief from the intense mornings, lunch packing, and homework, yet a bit of frustration trying to juggle everything you did in those hours they were gone! (Tack on fighting, boredom and an always messy house and it’s just GRRREAT!!)

IMG_1785

(I understand that some of you have ZERO or minimal change from school year to summer because you home school, your kids are not school-age, or you work outside the home and continue to do so in the summer. So this series of posts may not be as helpful for you as other mamas who find themselves in my position: a stay at home mom or work at home (full or part), non-home schooling mama! But stay tuned because I think here will be some helpful tips all throughout for anyone!)

There are 3 areas in particular that are troublesome for a healthy mama to keep fit–and these areas are NO DIFFERENT than during the school year!

Exercise
Healthy Eating
Space (mental and physical)

Isn’t it funny how life manifests itself a little differently depending on the season (literally!) of life?! I have found that there really is no “perfect” time or conditions to get and stay healthy. I’ve found this to be even more challenging when I became a parent and even as they’ve gotten older!

However, God hasn’t asked us to only take care of our bodies when it’s easy. He asks us to take care of the temples we have PERIOD. We must work THROUGH our challenges., work WITH our resources and EMBRACE the life God has given us!

With that said, I want to give you some of my best tips to keep you on track this summer and today’s post will focus on EXERCISE!

A Mama's Guide to a FIT SUMMER Part 1: Exercise / www.claresmith.me

1) Do it early (or late!)

This is my first suggestion for women–no matter if it’s the summer or not! Early morning workouts (while can be brutal the first week or so) are the best way to make sure it gets done. I’ve found that once the kids are up, my day is very unpredictable. Take advantage of the early sunrise and cooler temps. Go for a run. Do some sprints. Take your DVD outside and enjoy doing it with the sun shining on you! If you need a little coffee before-hand, that’s fine! Set your alarm 15 minutes earlier and enjoy a small cup, then get to it!

Some of you non-morning folks may be happy to see that I added the “late” part! The beauty of longer days is that we have more daylight to get outside. I generally am a morning person, but since our summer routine has adjusted a bit, I am staying up at night later. Just the other night, after a crazy day, at 8:40pm, I ran/sprinted for 30 minutes on the streets near my house just to get something in! (If you can’t see my picture below, try viewing here!)

And sometimes your workout happens by the streetlights. After you’ve done laundry. After the grocery. After you’ve made dinner. After the time slot “scheduled” for it After you’ve put in a day of work. After the baseball game. And WAY after you put on your workout clothes It’s easy to call it a night–and many times I do- but my workouts are a time just for me to reconnect with who I am and why I spent the day living out those exact priorities that caused a shift in my regular workout routine. I am thankful for a body that can move even if it’s up and down my street 32 times, sprinting and sweating. It’s not a punishment. It’s a gift that keeps giving not just to me but those around me!

A photo posted by Clare Smith (@claresmithofficial) on May 28, 2015 at 6:42pm PDT

 

2) Split it up

You don’t have to do your whole workout at once! Yes, it’s true! In fact, short, intense exercises are some of the most effective ways to workout! Last week I had to get creative. My “gym” is a college. They don’t open early enough for me to go while hubby is still home getting ready for work and they don’t have childcare so I ALWAYS have a struggle getting my workout done there. (And I don’t love home workouts that much) So I woke up and did some stretching and a core workout for about 10 minutes and then later that morning, took the kids to a local track. I ran, did sprints, did hills–all with the kids in tow. Was it ideal? Not really. But THIS IS MY LIFE! #realitycheck I want my children to be with me in the summer and I know I won’t regret this in the future, so I embrace my life and resources and make the best of it. 30 minutes at the track and we were done. I find that it’s easier to find smaller chunks of time rather than one larger one during the summer. (If you can’t see the picture below, check out this picture on instagram here!)

Here is a quick TABATA workout–4 minutes is all it takes! Repeat a few times during the day and feel free to substitute other exercises!

4 minute bodyweight tabata : claresmith.me

 

 

Ok mamas. I’m not sure about you, but the summer presents a new set of challenges to stay healthy! I’m going to write about this more soon, but I wanted to share with you 2 ways I get my exercise in when the kids are home! 1⃣ Split it up. I did 10 min core workout this morning before they were awake. Splitting up your workouts may not be do-able for some of you, but for others, it totally works! 2⃣ Bring them with you! Today is a cardio/core focused day. It’s beautiful here so I brought them to the track with me along w bubbles, hula hoops And balls. They even joined in on the fun— sort of. Did it come without complaining? No. Did I get my ideal workout in? No. But I did do something and got their bodies moving too. Done is better than perfect! Now it’s off to the strawberry patch! I may end up doing a few more core moves later. Own your situation! Get creative! Remember- a balanced health program is FLEXIBLE!!

 

A photo posted by Clare Smith (@claresmithofficial) on Jun 4, 2015 at 8:35am PDT

3) Do it together

As I mentioned above, the kids went with me to the track. I tried to get them to run a bit and do some drills–and they did–but they dropped off after a while–and that’s ok! Depending on the age and personality of your children, it can be difficult to incorporate them.  What a great way to role model health and be an encourager in this way! I also don’t want to forget dads. There have been times when the whole family has gone to the track and we’ve taken turns running while one watches the kids. Or we will go to the basement together and the kids will “join us” in some bodyweight exercises. Great way to spend time with the family!

4) Swap with another mama

Have you and your hubby ever swapped dating services with another couple? It’s a win-win. One couple watches all the kids while the other goes on a date and then another night, they swap! Well, think about doing this with another mama friend! I did this with a friend a few years ago and it worked out great! Sometimes we did it the same day–she would come here and would go run while I watched the kids and then I would go once she got back. Or we just picked different days. Don’t be afraid to ask. Maybe the other mama doesn’t want to workout, but could use an hour to herself.

As I said in an instagram post above, a healthy exercise routine is BALANCED and CREATIVE! Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box!

What other exercise tips do you have for the summer? I’d love to hear them so leave a comment below! Be sure to sign up to be on my newsletter list so you can grab the next post in the series as we talk about HEALTHY EATING during the summer!! (perhaps my biggest struggle!)

(The other blog posts in the series: healthy eating and space: mental & physical. Click on the links to read!)

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Filed Under: Fitness, Tips, Train Hard Tagged With: kid-friendly 5 Comments

About Clare

Comments

  1. Jen smith says

    June 8, 2015 at 9:10 pm

    Trying to squeeze in lap swimming for triathlon training at the pond over the summer and I found just asking another mom to watch my kids during break time and I hit the laps then! I offer to watch hers the next break so she can swim too!! Tonight I offered to take my
    Neighbors big kids with me to the pool (with my big kids) and I left my little one (2 years) with her little ones so I could jump in the pool and swim then too! Big fan of the kid swapping for workouts! My kids also sleep in till 8 in the summer so I get up around 6/30 and so quiet time and coffee. Then get a 30 min HIIT workout! The rest of the day is active with bike rides with them. Swimming at the pond and after dinner walks or as my kids call it “epic mom tag” – in which my
    Muscles are screaming and I’m breathless by the end!! 😉

    Reply
    • Clare says

      June 8, 2015 at 9:17 pm

      This is amazing and great use of your time and resources! Way to go!
      Clare

      Reply
  2. Michelle says

    June 16, 2015 at 9:46 am

    I used to like to run with the jogging stroller, but my kids are older now, 7 and 9. This summer I started taking them to the bike trail, they ride and I walk/jog or I have even pulled out my rollerblades once.

    Reply
  3. Molly Tyree says

    August 23, 2015 at 2:03 pm

    I love your workout suggestions! My two children are not in school yet, and this is my second year being a SAHM, so I’ve learned to just roll with it and be creative. I save money and don’t have a membership anymore because it was just too expensive. I usually try to wake up early and get it done with a workout video or run, but sometimes it just doesn’t happen if I have had a late night of cleaning, researching, or writing. So I have to get creative or break it up. AND I LOVE TABATA! My husband told me about it, and it is wonderful! And then sometimes I just load up the kids in the double jogging stroller and have special outdoor time with them while we exercise and listen to our praise songs. I just have to keep in mind that something is better than nothing, and I must continue to be healthy and fit for my family, but also because God has called me to care of my body!

    Reply

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