Real Soccer Mom

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As busy moms, we've got to take care of ourselves - put the oxygen mask on ourselves first - before we can help our kids. So what's "taking care of yourself" mean to you?

Do you hate to exercise?

18 comments on "Real Soccer Mom"

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sarah said…

Watching myself in this, and watching my little additional footage piece, even makes ME want to vomit.
debbiemarkham said…

my brain needs that hour to let go… i used to have all these great ideas & thoughts bubble up while i ran, and worry i’d forget them, so i started running with a digital recorder & i’d record my thoughts as i ran. then after a few months of doing that, i hardly had time to “play back” all my thoughts! overall, it’s taught me to let all my “to do” or “want to” or “if i could just…” thoughts happen, and keep running, and at the end of my workout smile & breathe deeply knowing i have not remembered one of them. brains just keep working and thinking no matter how much we want them to mellow out. exercise is the only thing that helps my brain shift into cruise control at least…and that makes me want it daily :)
misspip said…

I don’t really exercise and its really nothing to do with the kids… I am more on the “heart attack routine”. Sit on my rear all week and then once every few weeks huff and puff my way round the track! Its not that I don’t want to exercise, I do. Its just painful whenever I occasionally try it. I have never achieved that mythical “runners high” and really don’t think it exists and is merely propaganda put out by you exercisers. I will exercise one day as I know its good for you. just someone please tell me how to do it without pain!
mamatica said…

I never had time to work out when my kids where babies. But now that they are 9,7 and 5 years old, I go to the health club at noon. This way I have the whole morning to do whatever needs to be done around the house, then I swim for 30 minutes, run for another 30 minutes and I have enough time to take a very quick shower and pick them up from school. It works wonders with my mood, I’m definitely a much better mom (and wife) when I’m able to work out.
sugarjones said…

I live for my trail hikes and runs in the morning. It’s hard at first to drag yourself out of bed, but after a few times, your body and mind will begin to crave the physical activity and that time alone.
cubs2win said…

I find that I need to make working out part of my official schedule. I joined a small group at the gym, working with a personal trainer. We do martial arts-based training. It works the whole body and is a great way to physically let out frustrations with punching and kicking stuff! I drop my son off at preschool, take my daughter with me to the gym and workout for an hour, then back to pick up my son. I shower when the kids are resting. My daughter gets to play and I get my workout in.

As an older mom, I want to try to be healthy and in good condition as I get older. I’ve definitely seen good results (if I could just get the eating think reeled in!) so that keeps me going. After I lose the desired weight, I’m thinking about a tummy tuck to get rid of excess skin-yuck! And I’m definitley a better mom when I’m exercising…those endorphins, I guess!

And for misspip, if you don’t workout regularly, you’re going to have pain! It gets better, I promise! Our trainer really pushes us, so we are frequently sore…it’s a good pain!
harryr said…

We all need the energy kick you get after exercising…even more so with kids! It gives you a “selfish” hour which does you a world of good and keeps your endorphines pumping. You can always squeeze in one hour three times a week – don’t you just hate those mums who use kids as an excuse for laziness?
noah said…

Good video and definitely an important topic. I’d say that there are 2 things that “save” my marriage, working out and a shared Google Calendar. Exercise brings structure to the day and puts you in a better frame of mind (assuming no Roid rages) which directly impacts your interaction with the kids.
annemarie said…

Exercise has seriously been my outlet for sanity and feeling good. I know I’m a better mom when I keep exericse as a daily priority. And you can’t beat that endorphin rush!!
workoutmommy said…

Exercise is also my sanity saver. I am a much happier mom when I get to workout. I prefer to do it alone, but can also get creative if the kids are around. My 3 year old can do an almost perfect lunge, something his mama taught him! :)
dadio said…

I get incredibly nasty when I go more than a day or two without some sort of workout. It’s not intentional, but rather some sort of physiological reaction. I try to keep in mind what would happen to our kids if we didn’t let them play for two days – absolute train wreck, right?
thisweekfordinner said…

the BEST thing I after I had my first baby was join the local YMCA. childcare was included in the monthly fee. my daughter LOVED going to playcare, and I could take whatever classes I wanted. we’ve since moved and one of the things I miss most is that YMCA. it was great for both me and my daughter.

now I have two little ones and am always struggling to get my workouts in. I recently joined a exercise “pool” where you pay $25 to join the group. you have to work out 4 times per week for at least 30 minutes, and you have to break a sweat. for each week you don’t meet the 4 workout minimum, you pay $5 to the group. at the end of the year, if you meet the minimum number of workouts, you get a share of the money pot. this has been a HUGE MOTIVATOR. money talks, right? sometimes I go workout while my husband is home, many times I just do it at home with the girls crawling around me, and my husband is doing it too, so we’ve started taking the double stroller on some great walks together.

I actually don’t love working out, but I know it’s important for my health. the YMCA and the exercise money pools have been the best motivators for me since I’ve had kids!
thisweekfordinner said…

one more thing! when I’m exercising more, my relationship with food definitely improves. not that I automatically eat the healthiest that I possibly could, but bad foods are not as appealing to me.

ALSO…I have less food guilt, which I think is important for mom sanity! I know, you don’t workout just so you can eat more crap. but when you do eat the occasionally naughty food item, at least you know you’re working out and you don’t have to feel all bad the whole time you’re eating it. :)

I think eating, confidence, life in general is just better when you workout.
sallyhp said…

I just started going back to the gym regularly, and I have to say I feel like it makes me a much better mom. The pounds are certainly not melting off, and I still enjoy some lovely sugar, but I feel like it’s balancing out better. Also, I look forward to long walks outside and more adventures with my oh-so-busy pre-schooler and almost 1 year-old. Not to mention that the included daily 90-minutes of child-watch certainly save my sanity on some days!
ramblinggoddess said…

I love exercise but i don’t have a great deal of time to really get to it. I am running to karate with the kids two days a week and i instruct classes the other two.
I have a black belt class on Fridays and I want no one related to me in the building during my class! If i even get near someone from my gene pool during this class, I lose my mind. My SIL understands that I need this time and she gladly let’s me drop the offspring off at her house because she is on her way to Girls night in and my brother gets to entertain all the kids for the evening. We both just consider it his penance!
runner12 said…

I get up every morning @ 4am to make sure I get my exercise in. I never feel guilty about going out for a long run on the wk ends; it makes me a better person. Besides, the real pay off is seeing how jealous my sis is when we go to the beach in the summer!
rosanav said…

austria just cracked me up…hilarious! just gave a plug to the real soccer mom on my blog…

http://chroniclesofmomnia.blogspot.com/2009/04/kicking-and-screaming.html
michele1972 said…

I really WANT to work out again, but what do I do with the baby? I don’t know anybody else with a young child who would be willing to trade childcare (and I don’t know who I would be willing to trust with my baby anyway!) There is a local Curves in town but they don’t offer babysitting. What the heck do I do?