With Mother’s day just 2 days past us, it got me to thinking about all of the mother’s out there who do everything for every one except themselves. If you have a fantastic mother like I do, your mom is probably always taking time out of her day to fulfill your needs whether it is to feed you, give you moral support, guide you, teach you, or yell at you because you are making a mess. Mother’s are typically some of the most selfless individuals and it can be problematic when they don’t get some time for themselves. They need to enjoy some time to themselves to partake in things that they may enjoy such as working out, reading, sewing, cooking, crossword puzzles, or getting together with their friends. Most moms’ typically put themselves at the bottom of the list when it comes to putting some time into their schedule for just them. I thought it would be helpful to give some tips on how mothers’ can make use of a few spare moments they have to be able to take care of their health and nutritional needs. As a mom typically you are running from place to place shuffling kids making sure they have arrived at all the various sports the children take part in or cleaning up after the other members of the family. This means that for many families they are not getting to have a sit down dinner with all members of their family, but they are dining on the run to and from various practices. Here are a few ideas to make sure that you get the food that you require in order to continue to be the super-mom that you are:
1. When packing lunches for your children, make sure you take some time to have breakfast. This could be as simple as if you are cooking eggs for your family, make sure you make yourself some as well. If you are rushing around and trying to get out the door, a good quick breakfast can be a greek yogurt or a protein bar that is properly balanced with proteins and carbs. Another solution might be double protein toast with some peanut butter on it or an apple with peanut butter.
2. Most mothers’ are like a whirlwind as they taxi every one from point A to point B. Make sure that you take some snacks along for both you and the children, so that you can have some good nutritional choices to feed yourself as you drive around. This will save you from buying non-nutritious food at a fast food place and if the children are rambunctious it will also keep your mood calm as you try to achieve some peace and quiet.
3. The best way to stave off potential problems is to plan your day and schedule out ahead of time and make sure you provide enough food for everyone to survive the entire day. This could mean that you take some time on a Sunday and plan your meals for the week that way everything is made and put in containers, so family members and you can grab things to reheat quickly. It is also a good idea to grab snacks that can last in a car like peanuts, apples, peaches, pears, etc.
Let’s talk about exercising when you have a hectic lifestyle. Many people think you have to spend countless hours in the gym to look good, however if you plan your meals and eat healthy you can get away with short bursts of exercise throughout the week. You can do 15 minutes of sprints where you sprint as fast and as far as you can for 2 minutes and then walk for a 1 minute recovery than repeat. You can also take 5 or 6 different exercises and repeat them for 1 minute each. Then rest for 30 seconds and repeat the exercises for 15 minutes or if you have 30 minutes. Another idea is to do crunches every time a commercial comes on the television or even an exercise that way you can get some exercising in while relaxing with your family. For more ideas or information, you might one to hire one of the trainers at Xcellerated Speed Training, www.xspeedtraining.com or call 610 334-4120.