Why Chasing Kids All Day Doesn’t Count as Exercise

I’ve said it, my friends have said it, and you’ve probably said it too.  It’s the answer you give when your doctor asks, “Do you exercise?”

“Well, I chase kids all day!”

Like you, I assumed this qualified as some sort of workout.  At the end of the day, after taking care of four kids, I’m beat!  (Even when I was “only” taking care of one toddler, I was still beat!)

Unfortunately, I had a rather rude awakening when I realized recently that this does not actually count as physical exercise.  (Yes, it’s “activity,” but I’ll talk more about that in a minute.)

My mother-in-law gave me a Fitbit (this one), and I started using it a month ago.  It is automatically set up with 10,000 steps as the daily goal.  I assumed with my normal life activity, I would hit that without trying (or at least come close).  Wrong.  This is embarrassing to admit, but during my first week wearing my Fitbit (without changing anything about my life), I was taking 4,000-5,000 steps a day.  That included the day when I was cooking, cleaning, and hosting a Christmas party (5,300 steps), and doing all the normal “mom stuff” I did: laundry, cleaning, cooking, chasing children at bedtime, etc.  Best day that week: 8,300 steps.  Ouch!

And then there is the “active minutes” tracker.  Oh boy!  I was logging big, fat ZEROS for my active minutes that first week!  Apparently “chasing kids all day” was not enough to elevate my heart rate in order to qualify as a workout.  And there’s a lot of sitting involved in being a mom: reading books, nursing a baby, editing photos, etc., as well as standing: folding laundry, chopping veggies, etc.

I knew I needed to start working an exercise routine into my life for several reasons.

1. I want to be healthy, have energy, and be able to participate in any activities my family may want to do.
2. I want to model a healthy lifestyle to my children so they want to be active also.
3. I have no excuses right now. I’m very good at coming up with reasons not to exercise (I’m pregnant. I just had a baby. I don’t have time. It’s cold. It’s hot. I hate it. ETC.), but I’m not making excuses this year.  I want to be known for excellence not excuses.

So all through the month of December, I’ve been challenging myself and making small changes.  Baby steps, my friend.

My goals:

1. Take at least 10,000 steps a day (planning to increase this goal soon!)
2. Exercise (30 minutes walking or jogging) six days a week.
3. Be conscious of how much sitting I’m doing and make an effort to get up and move regularly
4. Start the Couch to 5K program

My progress so far:

–22 out of the last 23 days I have hit my step goal, and many days I’ve gone well above that. (Best day so far: 13,699 steps.)
-I’ve been exercising 40-70 minutes a day (often split up – perhaps a family walk in the morning and then walking in place inside in the evenings while watching something)
-I’m much more aware of when I’ve been sitting for a while. I’m still trying to figure out how to edit photos, blog, etc. while still being active and not just sitting at my computer for hours.  Balance! But I’m seeing lots of improvement in this area.
-I started the Couch to 5K program today!  It’s SO doable and great for beginner runners.

I am also actively combating the lies in my head… lies such as “You’re not a runner. You are just going to quit. You can’t do this.”  Instead, I’m speaking truth to myself. “Who I was does not limit who I can be. I can do this. I will live with intentionality and excellence.”

So how am I finding time for this?  Tad’s schedule currently does not require early morning shifts, so either I’m running before breakfast, or we’re all going on a family walk together or to the park where I can run/walk around the track. If his schedule changes, I’ll have to adapt, but since he works from home I have more flexibility than I have had in other seasons.

Another thing I should note… I got some awesome activewear from thredUP.  I found a great pair of Nike shoes, some Gap athletic pants, a Nike t-shirt, and a New Balance zip-up track jacket, all for great prices.  (Use this link to save $20 on your first purchase.)  It sounds odd, but “dressing the part” has helped me tremendously.  I may not be an athlete (yet), but at least I can look presentable!

I’ll end this post with a sweet story that I’m keeping in my mind for motivation and encouragement.  One morning recently, Vera saw me heading out the door for a run and asked if she could come.  She had her shoes on and was out the door before I could even answer!  While we were running, she kept saying, “Mommy, we are the best runners!  We are so fast!  We are so strong!  We are so good at this!”  With a smile on her face, she ran her heart out in the cold December air.  Towards the end of the mile, she wanted to walk, but it was my turn to encourage her to finish strong.  It just blessed my heart so much to hear her cheering us on!  On days when it’s hard, I want to remember her sweet little voice.

How about you… do you have any health or exercise goals for 2016?

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