The What and When

I workout daily and even my recent foot surgery kept me away from my exercise regimen for only 2 weeks. I prefer Tabata workouts, where you rotate between doing 2 moves for 20 seconds each with a 10 second break for a total of 4 times (or 4 minutes). So here's my workout for when I want to take it a little easy but still feel like I got something done (it takes 27 minutes):
Set 1 (do 4 times):
1st move: Lunges with rear leg inclined (prop one foot behind you on a chair and squat down so it looks like your planted leg is in a lunge--switch sides after 10 seconds).
2nd move: Weighted squat with arm twist (hold a weight above your head and as you squat down bring the weight down across your body to one side, so that you're twisting at the waist).
Set 2:
1st move: Twist crunch with weights (just like it sounds--do side to side crunches whilst holding weights)
2nd move: Mountain climbers
Set 3:
1st move: Side plank raises (from side plank, lift up the leg that is on top for a beat and release--continue for 10 seconds and then switch sides)
2nd move: Weighted side lunges
Set 4:
1st move: Jumping jacks
2nd move: 10 pushups followed by 10 dips
Set 5:
1st move: High knees
2nd move: Reverse plank raises (get in low plank--on your elbows--and alternate raising your legs as high as you can)
Set 6:
1st move: Jump rope
2nd move: Front rows (looks like you're rowing a boat, but with weights)
For the last set do these 2 moves for 30 seconds each (no rest), 3 times thru: reverse crunches and flutter kicks.
So there that is. And now this--I often get asked when I have time to work out--I'm a stay at home mom. My first reaction is always--what? Of course I have time...I do it every morning while the kids are awake either watching a cartoon or eating breakfast or tearing up the house. I head to my room, turn up the music and do it. Sometimes they will try to do the same moves I do, sometimes (like yesterday) they jump on my bed as they watch. It doesn't seem like a big deal to me. I believe that in taking the time for myself to do the things that I think are important to my physical and mental well being--like exercising or reading a book, which by the way I also do in front of them--I am bettering not only myself but them as well. I'm setting an example. How could it not benefit them to see me doing the things I enjoy? And it's not like I spend my entire day doing things for myself, it's just that I don't think they need me looking over their shoulder and getting down and gritty playing with them and holding their hand through every task every single minute of the day. That isn't good for any of us. They need time to themselves as well, they need to discover how to entertain themselves, how to be self-led. There is time for all of it in a day, it just takes balance. I've never been one to read books on how to parent, but the one that I did read, which I happened to like very much is titled The Idle Parent: Why Laid-back Parents Raise Happier and Healthier Kids by Tom Hodgkinson. The author claims that in worrying and helicoptering over children to keep them flawless we are doing them a disservice. That "in our quest to give our kids everything, we fail to give them the two things they need most: the space and time to grow up self-reliant, confident, happy, and free," and that parents should "stop worrying and instead start nurturing the natural instincts toward creativity and independence that are found in every child." I remember shaking my head yes in fervent agreement on every page of the book. And if you're in the mood to read more about this topic, check out this post from a blog that was sent to me yesterday (which ironically occurred after I already decided that I was going to write about the subject for today's post--I'm not alone!): why-my-kids-are-not-center-of-my-world.html