I was never into fitness. I was not one of the sporty kids at school, and I absolutely hated running. But after having two kids, I decided I was sick of the extra weight I was carrying, and it was time to do something about it.
I started running to try and drop the kilos and tone up a bit, when my kids were 5 months and almost 2. I didn’t like it and I wasn’t good at it, but it really was great for the weight loss. One day, after a couple of months, I realized I was actually enjoying myself – my runs were just about the only time in the week I was alone. I was able to breathe in the fresh air, clear my mind, have some “me” time and I would always feel fantastic afterwards.
And so I became a runner! A few mornings a week, I would set my alarm for 5am (morning runs are my favourite!), express some milk for the baby, and head off. Once it became a habit, it wasn’t hard to do, even if I’d been up a few times in the night. My runs increased and I began to set goals, working my way up to a half marathon. I couldn’t believe how far I had come in 6 months – and how being a runner gave me so much more energy to keep up with the kids.
A few months later, after going back to work – and finding it much harder to schedule in the time for running – we bought a running pram. It’s given me the freedom to run whenever I like, with the kids. It enabled me to train for a marathon, which I completed last weekend on the Gold Coast – something I could never have even dreamed of doing!
Here are my top tips for getting fit with kids:
– make it a priority, because being active & healthy has such a positive impact on the whole family
– get into “robot mode”, so you have your set time for exercise and you just do it – forget the excuses!
– you don’t need fancy equipment or an expensive gym membership – running is free, and you can easily do workouts at home
– believe in yourself! You can achieve whatever you set your mind to!
– get out there – doing just a little bit is better than doing nothing.
So what are you waiting for?! Get moving today!
You can read more about my journey towards running the marathon at http://mumsinthemarathon.blogspot.com.au/
I’m now also Event Direct at Sandgate Parkun
