Your Fitness Routine Isn’t Convenient? Bet You Won’t Stick To It.

It is not enough to make changes in lifestyle for a fitness routine. Its success depends on how convenient these changes are for you.

I know that sounds odd but think about it. If you want to adhere to a healthy lifestyle in the long term, it must be convenient to implement. Otherwise, sooner or later, you will abandon it.

Trying to incorporate a fitness routine

As moms of very small children, we are often overstretched. When getting barely adequate sleep is a luxury, exercise and other healthy habits take a back seat. I know. Because, since my second one was born, I have not managed to get to the gym or even go for a brisk walk. I have to balance, looking after the kids, spending some time on my writing, doing a few household chores, etc.

With my older one, I could go to the gym when she was asleep (since my husband works from home). But now, my older one is awake, even when the younger one is asleep, and she wants my company. The older one also goes to school, so I have to make time to drop her off and pick her up.

With the two of them, my schedule is incredibly busy. But I really wanted to restart some cardio exercises, because I really feel a lot better when I do them.

I tried going for a walk when I take the kids down to play, but then it becomes a stroll because I have to keep an eye on them.

I finally realised that if I want to exercise regularly, it must be from home. So as a birthday gift, my husband got me an exercise bike. They are available at fairly affordable prices, way cheaper than an ipad. They are fairly compact, and fit in the corner of a room. They are exactly what I use in the gym.

Except now

1. I don’t have to waste 10 precious minutes going to, or coming back from the gym.
2. I can do it while the older one sits in the same room doing some colouring and the younger one sleeps.
3. I can even address occasional questions she has.
4. I can formulate arguments and thoughts, for my books and articles while I exercise.
5. I am home, so if the baby wakes up when I have finished only ten minutes of my workout, I can stop and resume in a few minutes, if I can make her go back to sleep, or try again at a later time.
6. Since I am home, I don’t necessarily have to do it when the baby is asleep. I can do it, when the sisters are busy playing together, because if there is a problem they can easily interrupt me and so my mind is at peace. Sometimes watching them play also serves as entertainment while I exercise.

Now what about eating healthy? I found that most of the unhealthy food, we consumed, was in the form of snacks. It is difficult to whip up a quick healthy snack, if you are not prepared, or if you have not thought it through before. So the key is to make it convenient to whip up a healthy snack.

To do this

1. Make a list of healthy snacks the family will enjoy. They must be tasty, or there will be temptation to resort to junk food. Here are some ideas, my family likes:

• Besan Toast: Mix besan (chick pea flour), salt and some ajwain (caraway) seeds. Make a paste with water so there are no lumps. Add more water to get a batter of the consistency of beaten eggs. Dip brown bread slices in the batter and shallow fry them with minimal amount of olive oil.
• Simplified Rawa dosa: Mix 4 tablespoons of rawa (suji) with 4 tablespoons dahi (yoghurt) and 5 table spoons of water. Let it soak for 5 minutes. Add some more water so the batter is a little more runny than for a regular dosa. Add salt to taste and use batter to make dosas on frying pan with minimal amount of olive oil. Unlike regular dosa this does not require soaking for hours. Convenient!
• Fresh sliced veggies: Cucumbers and tomatoes (Refreshing and you can add chaat masala if you are craving chatpata)
• Corn and peas microwave boiled and lightly salted (The corn and peas need to be kept, shelled in boxes, in the fridge, ready for use)
• Finger fruit like grapes, strawberries and bananas depending on the season
• Dry fruits and nuts
• Brown bread and green chutney sandwiches (Keep green chutney made in the fridge)

2. Identify the ingredients required for your list of healthy snacks, and try to keep the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets stocked with the ingredients.
3. Avoid keeping junk food in the house. It is better to indulge when you are out, so the house is not associated with easy access to junk food.

Happy healthy living everyone!

Published earlier here.

Image source: woman on an exercise bike at home by Shutterstock.

kanika

Kanika G, a physicist by training and a mother of 2 girls, started writing to

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