Let’s Get Healthy, Mom! Motherhood & Exercise Can Co-Exist! New Research Gives Us Hope

This article originally appeared on ATFM in March 2011

It’s the cry of every mom with young kids…how do I find time to exercise now that I have kids?!  Waking up at 5 a.m. to exercise for an hour is not appealing and, often, not practical for most of us (personally, that’s when my kids start making their appearance!) but sometimes there is no other way to fit that all important workout into your schedule.  Research has proven time and again the importance of regular exercise for all of us.  It boosts our immune systems, it fights cancer, it improves our moods, it awakens our libidos and it helps us ditch the baby fat.  Yet, we still have trouble prioritizing it into our lives.  Take heart, my weary friends, it might not require as much time as you think to get the results that you want.

As we age, the best way to maintain our strength and lose weight is by exercising.  You may only be in your twenties right now and still enjoying the benefits of a screamingly happy, healthy metabolism but let me clue you in, girlfriend, middle-age is coming.  Around the age of 35 your metabolism will decide that it’s time to retire and if you don’t change your lifestyle habits you’ll start packing on the pounds faster than Lightning McQueen can win the Piston Cup.  Its all due to a little known chemical in our bodies called HGH (Human Growth Hormone) which helps to regulate metabolism.  Until the age of 35, our bodies produce this hormone on their own.  Once we begin knocking on the door of middle age, though, the production of HGH decreases sharply.  The only way to boost the production of HGH after middle age and stop that dreaded spread is by exercising.

Back to the age-old Mommy problem – how do I find time for exercise between packing lunches, doing laundry and soccer practice pick-ups and drop-offs?!  Good news!  A new report in the Journal of Physiology tells us that we may have been missing the mark all these years.  Most of us go for the cardio and the longer the workout, the better, right?  In comparison to other exercises, cardio is easy and requires very little thought.  We run on the treadmill, pedal our buns off on the stationary bike or work out our frustrations on the elliptical for an hour.  While these aren’t necessarily bad choices (it’s definitely better than just sitting on the couch watching Dr. Oz talk about exercising), researchers are finding that sustained, low-level cardio proves to be inefficient and, in the case of life-long endurance athletes, it can be detrimental to your health.  Recently, several studies have found that 20 minutes of anaerobic exercise, or alternating intervals of short bursts of high-intensity exercise followed by a longer period of rest, is significantly more effective than aerobic (cardio) exercise at burning fat and boosting your metabolic rate for up to 24 hours after the workout.  Did I just hear an angelic choir break into the Hallelujah chorus?!  That’s right, more burn and greater results in less time.

This doesn’t mean we should pitch the pilates or toss the treadmill.  Strength training, core strengthening and periods of aerobic exercise are still necessary.  However, for better, faster results we should cut down on the frequency and duration of those exercises and instead incorporate a short anaerobic workout into our routines.  What does that look like?  According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, a world-renowned physician, a high-intensity, low-volume workout would follow these basic steps, ideally using a stationary bike, treadmill or elliptical machine (however, it is not necessary, see suggestions below):

1.    Like any other exercise, warm up for three to five minutes by doing your chosen exercise at a low-intensity, moderate pace.

2.    After warming up, go all out, as hard as you can, for 30 seconds.

3.    Recover for 90 seconds.

4.    Start with two or three repetitions but work your way up to seven more times for a total of eight repetitions.

5.    Cool down for a few minutes afterwards by cutting down your intensity by 50 to 80 percent.

If you can’t find time to workout at the gym or do not have access to exercise equipment, these exercises can still work for you.  Think about it, it’s the way that your kids live their lives…short bursts of high-intensity activity followed by periods of rest!  Try the steps listed above with these kid-favorite activities on a daily basis and, before you know it, you and the kids will be in shape for summer:

·    Dancing to your favorite music
·    Playing soccer, football, basketball
·    Playing tag
·    Having a race, time how fast it takes to get across the lawn
·    Running up-and-down the stairs or the hill in your backyard
·    Go for a walk around the neighborhood and alternate walking with all-out sprinting
·    Try a stroller workout with the baby…talk about resistance training!

Don't underestimate the power of play.  When we incorporate the high-intensity intervals into these games with our kids for just 20 minutes we are getting more of a workout than we realize.  It’s a great way to do double-duty, you get a significant metabolic boost and quality time with your kids.

Anytime we start a new exercise routine there are always some tips and cautions of which to be aware to maximize our benefits and minimize the chance of injury:

·    Always consult a physician before beginning any exercise program to ensure that you are healthy enough for this type of activity. 

·    Be aware of your surroundings, especially if you are attempting these exercises at home and not on exercise equipment.  It is much easier to injure yourself when participating in high-intensity exercise outdoors.

·    Before beginning your routine, treat yourself to a pair of high-quality running shoes – the kind that can only be purchased from a specialty running store where they properly fit you based on your gait and foot type.  Trust me, you will reduce your chance of injury and your tootsies will thank you.  The Running Advisor has an excellent article on choosing the right pair of shoes for your workout.

·     Old injuries have a funny way of cropping up again when we become more active.  Talk to your physician about using the right equipment to support particularly weak areas of your body. 

·    Make sure that you are consuming enough water.  Because these workouts are shorter you may forget to stay hydrated which can, among other things, sabotage your weight loss efforts. 

·    Do not eat sugary (including fruit) or high-carbohydrate meals, drinks or bars for at least two hours after a workout.  According to recent studies, sugar, even fruit sugar, and carbohydrates will essentially shutdown your production of HGH.  Remember, it’s the hormone vital for weight loss, especially for those of us fighting middle-age spread.  If you are hungry following your workout then grab some high-protein foods or vegetable carbs  – think green salad w/chicken or shrimp on it and a low-sugar dressing; skip the croutons and go for the nuts instead.

·    Avoid eating carbs at least 90 minutes before going to sleep to maximize your weight loss.  I could explain the whole battle between HGH and insulin spikes that happens while you’re sleeping but HGH Magazine does a better job of it than I would so check it out.

·    Schedule your workout on your calendar.  Whether you’re going to the gym or working out at home, you need to give exercise just as much priority as your child’s parent-teacher conference or a dentist appointment.

·    If you are not able to perform high-intensity exercises, you’re not off the hook.  Everyone needs to be doing some type of exercise based on their abilities.  The tips listed above are relevant to everyone regardless of the type of exercise you perform.  You can still lose weight without adding anaerobic exercise to your routine; it will just take longer.

Face facts, girls, exercise will never be effortless but it’s nice to know that it doesn’t have to be all-consuming.  With a little motivation and the right tools we’ll be on our way to being fit, beating the bulge and finding energy we never knew we had…and couldn’t we all use a little of that?

Do you have a great tip for fitting exercise into your lifestyle?  We'd love to hear about it in the Comments section...

Kim is the wife of one rockin' Worship Pastor and full-time mom to four crazy and beautiful kids. Toss in a part-time job, housework, a blog, training for a foster care license and what passes for a social life these days and she’s still wondering how she fits 32 hours into a 24 hour day.