FIT AND HEALTHY LIFESTYLE FOR BUSY MOMS
Introduction;
Living a healthier life doesn’t only extend your lifespan, but also improves the
quality of your life. Feeling physically better and having control over your own
life can greatly increase your mental health as well. Though there are some
aspects of physical and mental health that are beyond an individual’s control,
there are many things that one can do to improve their quality of life.
The purpose of this piece is to introduce you to some of the basic practices and
guidelines of healthy living. Because every person and his or her physical
health and abilities is unique, not all of the information in this article may
apply. It is important to check with your doctor or medical care provider when
changing your lifestyle.
Physical Activities and Fitness;
Physical fitness is the body’s ability to function efficiently and effectively. It
is a state of being that consists of health-related, skill-related, physical fitness
components each of which contributes to total quality of life. Fitness is
associated with a person’s ability to work effectively, enjoy leisure time, be
healthy and meet emergency situations. It is related to, but different from health
and wellness. Although the development of physical fitness is the result of
many things, optimal physical fitness is not possible without regular physical
activity.
The Health Related Components of Physical Fitness

Components of health related physical fitness are directly associated with
good health and include; body composition, cardiovascular fitness, flexibility,
muscular endurance, and strength. Each health related fitness characteristics
has a direct relationship to good health and reduced risk of hypokinetic disease.
Possessing a moderate amount of each component is important for disease
prevention and health promotion. Though it is not essential to have
exceptionally high levels of fitness to achieve health benefits. High levels of
health related fitness relate more to performance than health benefits.
The skill Related Components of Physical Fitness
These are more associated with performance than good health. They include;
agility, balance, co-ordination, power, reaction time, and speed. They are
referred to as skill-related because people who posses them find it easy to
achieve high levels of performance in motor skills, such as those required in
sports and specific types of jobs.
Busy Moms
Being a mom is a full time job that requires all of your time and
attention. With new priorities, joys, and responsibilities in the daily planner, it
is less frequent that exercise and fitness makes the daily list of duties and goals.
However, it is imperative that you learn how to stay fit so that you can be
healthy for yourself, children and ultimately teach them how to leave a healthy
life.
It might be hard juggling your many tasks as a mom not to mention the
frustration of finding the time to exercise and the guilt felt about taking the
time for themselves and their health instead of spending what free time they

have with their children. But still staying fit should never be put on the back
burner.
Setting smaller fitness goals may have a longer lasting effect for busy
mothers if paired with good eating and healthy lifestyle. Of course as long as
you set goals that can be fulfilled. Going to the gym for four hours daily may
not be realistic for a mother. However, smaller exercises several times a day
may be more realistic.
End results of these small exercises may not be an effective 20 pounds
weight loss at the end of month. These exercises will however, improve
confidence, strength, endurance, and the ability to multitask. Depending on the
food consumed, the exercises could lead to some weight loss leaving mothers
feeling and looking better. The major result though is the health benefits being
active has, such as lowering the risk of premature death, strokes, heart diseases,
diabetes, cancer and weight gain.
Setting daily or weekly fitness routine goals will not only improve one’s
physical well-being, but it will also result in a positive attitude and daily
satisfaction. Doing these small exercises may result in healthier and a happier
life which is exactly what mothers want while being there for their children.
Why is Physical Activity and Fitness Important?
Regular physical activity is essential to prevent and reduce risk of many
diseases and improve physical and mental health. It could even help you live
longer. Certain research has shown that regular exercise can add up to five
years to your life.
Physical activities also keep you in shape so you can enjoy leisure activities
and safely perform work and home chores. It offers great mental and social

benefits as well. Physical activities are also attributed to; a sense of purpose
and value, a better quality of life, improved sleep and a reduced stress as well
as stronger relationships and social connectedness. On the other hand, lack of
physical activity is associated with increased risk of;
- Anxiety, stress and feeling of depression
- Developing many preventable conditions, such as high blood pressure,
coronary heart diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis, colon cancer, and obesity.
- Dying prematurely.
Here are assorted important reasons to be physically active;
1. Increase your chances of living longer
2. Be healthier
3. Feel better about yourself
4. Reduce the chances of becoming depressed
5. Sleep better at night
6. Look good
7. Be in shape
8. Get around better
9. Achieve or maintain a healthy weight
10. Have a stronger muscle and bones
11. Be with friends and meet new people
12. Have fun etc.
Physical activity reduces risk for eight conditions. Exercise can reduce your
risk of;
1. Heart disease
2. Stroke

3. High blood pressure
4. Obesity
5. Depression
6. Breast and colon cancer
Healthy Leaving Tips;
Being in good health is one of our major concerns and a very important
social value. The principal health goal is to increase the healthy life span of all
individuals. We will specifically focus on healthy living for busy mothers.
Healthy living is even more important once you become a mother. Being a
mom is an all consuming event and a wonderful filling, though it should not
mean you don’t deserve to look and feel your best. Always remember that
despite becoming progressively more busy, you are still just as fabulous as you
were before becoming a mom.
When we think of beginning a healthy living program, exercise naturally
comes to our mind. As busy moms, sometimes it is easy to let fitness fall by the
wayside. However, fitness (especially family fitness) is very important. The
important thing is that you should look for ways to incorporate exercise/fitness
into your healthy leaving plan and weekly schedule. I am not saying it is going
to be easy to establish the routine, but once you do, it gets easier. Healthy
habits are one thing that are difficult to maintain in our fast paced world
because we expect every aspect to happen instantly. Yes, with all the
technological resources we have at our finger tips I agree we never have to wait
for anything. Our health is although one exception, like it or not, if you want to

see changes in your health then waiting is what you will have to do. Here are
some ways to stay healthy that will work for you;
1) Eating Healthy
Every woman struggles with food to some degree, I don’t know of any
woman who doesn’t. We all know that a healthy diet for ourselves and our
family I important. It is very tempting as a busy mother to resort to fast food
and bad food choices when you are in a hurry. So why not start to adjust now
on your food choices and eating habits?
Begin with small changes of cooking dinner at home every evening
instead of grabbing take away or warming up a frozen meal. Next important
thing would be to make a healthy change in your own diet, whether it is
resolving to stop taking snacks while you cook or swapping your afternoon
scone for a stick of sugar-free gum. Incorporate plenty of healthy fruits and
vegetables in your menus.
Take serious note on your choice of food as mentioned earlier. Consider;
Eating fiber – If you are really busy and just don’t have a lot of time to snack,
you should think about eating a fiber rich breakfast. I am not asking you to
starve yourself though, so if you get hungry go-ahead and eat some fruit.
Another great benefit of fiber is that it lowers cholesterol and reduces your risk
of heart diseases.
Eat Almonds – This are appropriate especially as in between meal snacks.
Eating whole raw almonds has many health benefits including lowering your
cholesterol. Ignore the high calorie count and stick to about two ounces a day.
Almonds are the perfect on the go snack. Just toss a handful or two in a bag and
you are ready to go. Also try almond butter instead of peanut butter.

Drink lots and lots of water – This is really important because you can’t always
distinguish between hunger and thirst cues. Keeping yourself hydrated
throughout the day will prevent you from munching when you should be
keeping hydrated. If you are not a big water drinker, try Omega to Go. Just mix
a packet in water and you are ready to go. They are great for using in a water
bottle.
Stick to these tips and you will notice changes in yourself. Once you start
eating healthy and exercising a little, you will love the way you feel so much
that you will adopt new habits. You will even notice that you choose healthier
options in a restaurant as opposed to something you may have normally
ordered. Key word is consistency and not giving up.
2) Unwind and Reduce Your Stress
Healthy leaving also includes getting enough rest, avoiding undue stress
and taking care of yourself. We are all busy. But if you let the to-do list run
your day instead of setting your priorities thoughtfully and reasonably, you will
be a ball of stress in no time.
Whether it is a long walk after dinner or, a Saturday afternoon escape to the
spa, find something you can do to indulge yourself. It is only you who knows
best what can recharge your batteries and make you a better mom to your kids.
So do it!
3) Monogamous Sex
Speaking of unwinding, one sure way to release your tension and escape
for a while is an intimate encounter with your husband or partner. Sex is
important to a happy marriage and is the foundation of your family. When you

have just had a baby, sex is one of the last things in your mind, the first few
days are unlikely to mark any lifetime high points. But if you make time for
date night and remember why you fell in love in the first place, you just might
get yourself in the mood.
4) Unplug From Work
No matter how successful you achieve your healthy goals during the
regular routine of school or work, you will eventually hit the wall. The routine
will become unbearable, and this is when it is time for a vacation from work.
Take enough time off that you can truly get away from the office and demands
of home. Cut the cord and trust that they can handle any emergencies that arise
without you. Enjoy your family and remember that we work to live and not live
to work.
Achieving family fitness is definitely a family pursuit, but it is also important
to get support from others as well. Team up with other moms you know that are
trying to work on their family fitness as well. You will be able to plan activities
together and ensure you all stay on track. Having that support will make it
easier for you and your family to reach your fitness goals.
Fitness Activities For Busy Moms
Among other things, regular physical activities can help you reduce
cholesterol and high blood pressure, manage your weight, maintain bone
strength and muscle tone, and even boost your mood which is what anybody
would want their lives to be like. Our lives have become more convenient with
the technology we have today. Carrying out activities from chores to office

work has become very easy with a press of a button or even a single voice
command.
Yes, these advancements make work easier, but we should notice that as our
technology advances, we become less involved in physical activities.
Regardless of the awareness that exercise is greatly beneficial to one’s health,
most people still fail to form exercising habits. People have common excuses
like being too busy to find time to work-out. Ensure to go for a fitness program
that will help you stay motivated by offering you big incentives to adopt a more
active life. Here are several fitness tips and activities you can input in to your
daily life;
1) Walking
This is one of the easiest activities you can do to get your heath on the right
path. Even for busy women, walking can be squeezed into your daily lives. As
common and simple as it looks, it can cause a healthy positive outcome. Take
opportunities like taking the stairs as an alternative for the elevator, walking
with your friend around your neighborhood, walking your dog to a local dog
park, or parking further from your building.
2) If you are a mother, play with your children
An option that will you get the kids involved without a problem is Dance
Revolution, it is a game that is all about dancing. This doesn’t only give you
the opportunity to physically move around and sweat burning off a lot of
calories, but more importantly it creates bonding time with your children
despite your busy schedule. You will all be having so much fun that you will
barely realize you are working out.

3) Form short exercise routine
Identify five or ten minutes exercise routines that you can conveniently do
in your office. You could spend office breaks doing these workouts. This work
outs will not only be physically good for you, but may also keep you alert in a
busy dull or repetitive working afternoon, and might just give you the
attentiveness and productiveness you need.
4) Self help around the office
Stand up and walk around. Instead of asking your secretary, stretch and
reach for a file or something you need. If you need to have coffee or tea, make
yourself one instead of asking. Also stand and physically walk to your
colleague to ask a question instead of phoning or e-mailing them
5) For busy stay at home mothers, squeeze in gardening to your to-do list
While it might seem like an added work to the endless list, look at it in a
positive light; you will have a beautiful well tended to garden, a physically
worked-out self and a better sense of fulfillment knowing that you
accomplished two tasks at the same time.
6) At home workouts for busy moms
It is no wonder with all that mothers have to do, that sometimes busy moms
tend to gain weight or have a hard time still losing it, especially the past baby
weight that they have gained. Whether the moms work outside the home or is a
stay at home mother, it can be difficult to find time to work out. Most busy
moms just want to sit down and rest when they can, but what they do not know
is that regular workouts can actually help them have more energy for their day.

At home workouts are the best options for busy moms. They do not have to be
worried about taking the time out of their already packed schedule to drive
back and forth to a gym or recreation centre. Instead they could sneak into
another room for a few minutes to get some exercise in. Busy moms need at
home workouts that are going to be quick but also effective. Not all 10 minutes
workouts are effective enough to provide the necessary calorie burn to lose
weight and get healthy. Most moms can find at least 10 minutes in their day to
quickly pop in a 1o minutes Trainer DVD and get a calorie-burning workout in.
It could be after the kids go to sleep, during nap time, during quiet play time or
before the kids wake up in the morning. You can even ask your spouse to watch
the kids for only ten minutes as you work out and then return back to being a
busy mom.
There are some less effective at home workouts that busy moms can also do.
Running on a treadmill or an elliptical machine may be a good idea if you have
at least 30 minutes to spare for a workout. Another at home workout idea for
busy moms is taking your children for walks. This may be a great way to spend
some time with your kids while getting exercise in. To get an effective workout
from walking, you would need to spend at least 30-40 minutes walking at a
reasonable pace that elevates your heart rate.
It is possible for regular moms to find time to get in regular workouts. For now
they may have to start low with ten minutes workouts, but as they start to get
more energy from working out and start to see the results, they can add more
minutes on to their workouts. Forget about driving to and from the gym if you
are a busy mom. Instead look at your own home to provide you with effective
workouts that can help you lose weight, tone up your body and get you back on
track to a healthy lifestyle.

While there are several things you can do to keep yourself physically fit and
active while you are busy, it is still important to make time and create fitness
routine for yourself. Engage in a sport, go hiking, go jogging, swimming, take
dancing classes or make time to work out in a gym or your house. After all, you
can’t afford to not engage yourself in fitness activities because your health is
more important than any other job in the world.
Self Care for Busy Moms: A Life in Balance.
Life balance is something we are all trying to attain as moms. It is up to us
to take care of our families, making sure that they get everything they need.
Moms have to be on top of everything all the time and this takes a toll,
especially on moms who do not take care of themselves.
Most moms live a life of sacrifice, sometimes not even taking time to comb
their hair or brush their teeth. Of course it is important that the kids look good
because they are an extension of you. However, they are not a substitute of you,
your own life is important and it is up to you to make sure that you get what
you need even as you make sure the kids and your husband get what they need.
It is a simple delicate balancing act that few moms have mastered. Here are tips
for self care to help in finding
a) Set your alarm earlier than you normally do.
Say 15 minutes than you normally do. 15 minutes does not sound like a
lot of time, but you will be amazed at you can accomplish within this time
without the children running around. Finding life balance is about planning
your self care ahead. You won’t even notice the 15 minutes of sleep you did not

get, you will see just how much you can get done towards improving your well
being.
b) Spend some time really looking at your family schedule.
Think of yourself as the manager of the house rather than the lowest paid
employee. Delegation is an important part of finding the time to practice self
care. Have someone take the trash out every week. Make a chore list and split
up the tasks. This way you will sure be able to create time for workouts and
doing other things you like or enjoy doing instead of working continuously.
Delegation also is important as it helps moms to teach responsibility and
independence to their kids while they are still in their houses. This will help
them have a much easier time adapting to the world when they go out in to it.
c) Learn how to blend family activities with self care activities.
Life balancing is about keeping everything in check so that it functions
together properly. We cannot stop caring for our families but we have to learn
how to care for ourselves. The key is to look for ways to practice self care
while you do the things that most matters to you and have a direct effect to your
health and well being. For example, you might bring a book along with you
while you wait for your child during a speech or tutoring session. You could
also play your music while you take care of your garden.
Self care is the key to finding life balance. It is easy to feel cheated if you never
do anything for yourself, and this leads to a life of resentment towards our
families. Take a few minutes today and do something for yourself.

Conclusion
How can you possibly live a healthy lifestyle when you are busy 24/7 with
work, kids, household, husband and all the other stuff you have to manage? It is
not as difficult as it may seem. There is absolutely no excuse not to exercise.
Most companies embrace the importance of keeping fit and healthy and so
encourage health and fitness right in the work place, some offer on-site gyms,
walking trails, and swimming pools while others provide fitness classes and
even at-the-desk exercise equipment.
Some of the companies encourage team spirit through group activities like four
month fitness challenge etc. Becoming motivated to go to the gym may
become difficult after becoming a mother. With lots of responsibilities in the
daily planner, it is less frequent that exercise and fitness make the daily list of
duties and goals as we already mentioned earlier.
Working mothers need to remind themselves that keeping fit and energized is as
important as taking that business call….although it always falls to the bottom
of our to do list, exercise is essential to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Working
moms are pulled in a lot of different directions, so they need more ‘me time’ to
reconnect with their own priorities and goals, physical, mental, social well
being and exercise cover all three of these bases. A healthy and fitness program
plan, especially for successful well being requires a long term commitment to
making changes in your way of life from your eating habits to exercise routine.
In this course, dedication and patience are very important keys. Just always
keep in mind that keeping it steadily consistent is the best way to stay on
course.

The success of your tailored healthy and fitness program really depends on you.
You should be consistent in your performance and always stay focused on your
goals…for example, you cannot eat a high calorie food you have decided not to
eat or skip a regular exercise during a weight loss or fitness program. It is a
step by step process, you will be able to see or experience changes as you move
on gradually. You could keep track of your progress via a journal where you
will be able to see results in black and white which will keep you even more
motivated. Discipline and self control are the key components here.
No one said this road to good health and fitness was easy, but focus added with
support from others can make the challenges to reaching your wellness goals
feel more manageable. The level of support you will require to achieve you
goals really matter. Do you prefer companionship or interaction with people
with similar goals, or you would prefer to go through on your own.