By: Martianne Stanger
Snow. Glorious snow. My oldest has declared that he wants to see 20 more feet of the white stuff fall this year. Me? I’ll take about 10% of that quite happily, but not all at once. For as I cleared inches upon inches of snow from our walk and driveway during the last storm, my groaning limbs murmured a truth: I may be an active mom of three young 
children, but I am hardly an active mom who gets daily sustained exercise.
Sure, like all moms of young children, I get bursts of activity here and there. Parenting provides ample opportunities for kid-lifting, and it occasionally demands a sprint to snag a child from danger. Plus, there are ambles through the woods and glorious deep breaths of fresh air. But a daily dose of 20+ minutes of muscle-strengthening aerobic and weight-bearing activities? The last storm made it quite apparent to me that there are not as many of these sessions as I thought there were. After shoveling four times throughout the storm, my arms and legs whimpered while my heart screamed.
Most certainly, the snowstorm threw down a gauntlet – one I must choose to take up unless I want to accept defeat. The challenge: Face the fact. Activity does not equal exercise. Health, especially health as a woman ages, requires exercise. This Mama must create more regular opportunities for sustained aerobic and weight bearing exercise on a daily basis.
For me, such exercise needs to be done:
- at home or in my yard
- with three young children in view or participating
- without cumbersome nor costly equipment
- without videos
These might seem like odd parameters, but they are the ones that my life’s current realities demand. So, Moms, Dads, Marrieds without Children, Single Adults, Health Professionals and others, HELP!
Please share your favorite aerobic or weight-bearing exercises, routines and resources – ones that can easily be completed by almost anyone, anywhere.
I want to be fitter by the next big snowfall. Moreover, I aim to build and maintain strength through exercise so that I can remain an active mom for the next 20 years or more!
Community Voices for Health 
Loved this! I feel the same way! You would think that with all the lifting we do, and constant moving around (and chasing after) there would be some sort of beneficial outcome.. Not the case!
I love to walk,, when I have someone to sit with the kids.. or in the early morning.. But, Hula -hooping, jump roping, dancing and (if you have some) stair climbing are great ways to get some cardio with and alongside of the kids!! Good luck! I have to become more self disciplined in this area as well!!
Thank you for the encouragement.
I am laughing, because I DO hulahoop in the good weather on the lawn. One is never too old to hulahoop.
I also hike, do obstacle courses and jump on the mini-tramp with the kids… but only in short spurts.
Indoors, we dance and stretch. However, 20 minutes or more of sustained exercise RARELY happens. MUST FOCUS!