Making Exercise a Priority

Day 3 of our 5 day challenge is all about staying active! I haven't always been as intentional as I am now about exercise, but staying active has always been a part of my life in some way or another. My parents instilled this in me from a young age, making sure we were always playing outdoors, going on hikes while on vacation or participating in organized sports. At the time I dreaded our family hikes on vacation, but now I am so glad they made me do it! Now that I have my own little family I want to make it a priority for us as well, as I want to raise strong girls who know the importance of taking care of their bodies. I love seeing Everly run around, be adventurous outside and use up her energy. Knowing this is something I want to pass on to my girls, I have to be mindful to keep it up in my own life and lead by example. She already knows mommy and daddy go to the gym to get "strong". It's so cute.

I go through phases of what exercise looks like for me. I grew up playing competitive sports (soccer, volleyball, track) so movement came naturally. I then graduated from high school and all organized sports came to a halt and for the first time ever I realized I couldn't eat whatever I wanted and still feel and look good. It took me a few years to realize that I had to make fitness a part of my life in other ways. Over the years I have had gym memberships, gone to spin classes, done hot yoga, ran outside, done bootcamps and joined various fitness programs. I loved all of them in their respective seasons. The key for me is moving on to something new once what I'm doing feels monotonous and boring or I'll get burnt out or bored and won't enjoy it anymore.

I am currently apart of a program called the Fit Girl Gang, which provides me with weekly workouts that I do from home or at the gym. Everyone goes through the 10-week program at the same time so that you stay motivated to keep up with everyone else. I love the accountability, the flexibility of the workouts and the community of women. I'll keep with this program until I feel like I need something new!

Find what makes you get out of bed in the morning. It may be running, going on a stroller walk with some mom friends, joining a boxing gym or going for a swim at your local pool. Staying active can look different for everyone. The key is doing something and making it a priority. I usually go to the gym early in the morning before Jason has to go to the gym. He watches the girls and I run out for an hour to get my workout in. I made sure to find a gym that is 5 minutes from my house so I don't waste any time commuting.

It isn't always as easy as that though, because with our lifestyle Jason is often on the road and I am alone with the girls. Sometimes my mom can watch them while I go, but when we aren't living in Winnipeg I have to find other alternatives. I either work out from home when the girls are sleeping or find a gym that has childcare. There is always a way to make it happen! Some weeks I can't get to the gym for various reasons, but then I make sure to go for walks with the girls, or go swimming or anything else that gets us out of the house and staying active.

Let me know how you make movement a priority in the comments below!

Best,

Stacey