Get Moving!

Pre-baby I exercised a lot. Even through my pregnancy I was very active. Jogging up through the 7th or 8th month, riding my bike, swimming a little, yoga and Kenpo. David and I would day dream about how Ayden would jump happily in his door jumper while we worked out. Once Ayden came and I was cleared for exercise, I honestly just have never gotten the desire back.

After a good workout I feel great... During the workout I am distracted by everything else that I "should" be doing and getting myself to workout in the first place is tough. Part of it is lack of motivation and the other part is a feeling that time spent working out isn't time meaningfully spent. It is hard to explain but now that I have such a different and more meaningful purpose, it is hard to waste any time working out when I could be spending it with or for my family.

Just because I feel this way doesn't mean that it is right, though. I am lucky that the combination of breastfeeding and our dietary lifestyle have kept me lean, but there are times when I wish I was as toned as I once was. This past week, as I have been spicing up my meals and such, I have gotten a small itch for exercise! Healthy eating and exercise have always gone hand in hand for me. When I am putting forth effort in one area, the other typically falls into place. Since Ayden was born, that changed. I didn't need exercise for weight loss or maintenance so I let it fall by the way side as I switched gears into full Mommy mode.

Today's lunch.  Ah-mazing!!
recipe

Today we woke up to snow!

I put Maverick on a tie out so he could enjoy the snow while Ayden and I played.

He refused to wear his mittens at first.

Then he realized that they helped :)

When I brought Maverick back in, I let him run as fast as he wanted through the snow. This, of course, pulled me along (he is a sled dog breed and all) and it was so exhilarating! I found myself running behind him and laughing. When we got in I was out of breath and felt that sweet dose of endorphins that you get after a burst of aerobic activity. It reminded me that there really is so much more to working out than merely being toned or "fit." Exercise also lifts your spirits and energizes you, even when you don't realize you need it. I have purchased some really great exercise Apps that I would like to share:

Check them out!

I am hoping that these will help me start to ease back into loving exercise again. Just as with my meal-planning, I needed to spice up my exercise to get me excited about it again and these Apps are doing it for now.

What is your favorite at home exercise regime? Get up and get moving with me!

~Sarah