Work or Workout

There are a few truths that I have learned since becoming a mom. Among them, one is that toys that are the most fun usually have many small parts. Two is that many small parts lead to many big messes. Three is that many big messes lead to constant cleaning by mom, followed by more big messes, and more cleaning. Therefore, it seems, in order to give my kids a fun childhood, it requires having a very tired mom!

My days fall into one-or-the-other kind of pattern. I can exercise and get a good, satisfying work-out—or I can have a clean house. I can’t seem to ever have both. I’m too exhausted from one to do the other.

I know that household chores burn calories, so I don’t feel quite so bad after spending the day scrubbing and cleaning. But—and this is a big BUT—housework will never equal the renewal I get from working out. Housework will also never give my body the extra dose of oxygen that I get from aerobic exercise.

I need exercise to cope. There is quite a lot of noise and drama that goes on in a household of little children. If I don’t let out some steam that has been building throughout a long day, I just might start howling like my two-year-old!

As much as I could let go of an exercise routine with some justification, the truth is I need it. Badly. My personal goal for the next month is to rekindle my determination to exercise and make it happen at least four times each week. It’s time to take what I know in my head and apply it.