Why I don’t exercise… and you might not either.

Or more accurately, why this mum of a toddler doesn't exercise! 

I hate “woe is me” type posts.

I hate posts where I don’t really have an answer.
But unfortunately posts about why I don't exercise fall into that category at the moment. You see, I have preschoolers.

I want to talk about exercising with preschoolers.
It’s one of the topics I don’t want to talk about actually.

It makes me feel pretty guilty and silly when I do talk about why I don't exercise!! And I bet it does that for some of you too.
I don’t exercise particularly at all. There. I said it.

The idea of walking at a 2-year-old’s “I-will-not-ride-in-the-buggy” speed makes me feel like pulling my hair out. One strand at a time.
The idea of getting 5 blocks down the road then having Mr 4 not want to walk the rest of the way – again, the same.
Or it’s wet. Or too cold. Or miss 2 will fall asleep and wreak my “getting her to bed on time” plans. Or…

It’s simple you might say. Just do it when they are at preschool!

But the idea of taking up that precious alone time with a walk (which I admittedly don’t love), frustrates me. As does leaving the kids with daddy so I can do it when he’s home or in a weekend. I mean “I” want to see their daddy myself!"

Exercycles are awesome. I have one sitting my bedroom as a clothes rack. I do my best to use it… but it is boring, even watching my FAVOURITE TV program. And yes, I had a treadmill, but exercising, in the garage, in winter, in the cold......

Strength training is good (body weight exercises)… But I forget too often!

It’s pretty easy to use excuses. I can find a great excuse for every one of those above… and I can find a good comeback to my excuse too. But the excuses somehow still win out.

So, my plan is to go with actually move. Somehow. That may be tidying the house, that might be cleaning, that might be hanging out the washing. Forget exercise and the guilt it brings. I'm just going to focus on living, moving and being mum. 

*This was written in 2016 when I had a 2 and 4yo. I have so much more time than I did then now.... yet it's been taken up with so many other things. I think the moral of the story is focus on it when you can - but it's more that you need to put *you* first, whatever that looks like, movement, self-care, doing nothing, or loving on those kids.