How to exercise? It’s the biggest question for me at this point in my life. I used to be a runner. I just can’t drum up enough motivation these days. Add to that the need to get up at 5 am and run in the dark and cold to have any time to do it…..it’s just not happening. But a friend of mine has got it right: jump rope. She was telling me recently that she jumps for 3 minutes ten times a day. And so I’ve been doing it for a few days. Let’s just say I’ll work up to the full 10 times. So far the most I’ve done is 5. But I can feel my arm muscles waking up a bit….and my calves are actually sore! And I can do it while the kids finish eating lunch….or sit at the counter making more chinese lanterns (which we did in History Club yesterday and they spent a good chunk of today doing more and more and more….)….or playing in the backyard…..or bickering over playing with legos….you get the point.
Another fun thing that most people may not actually count as excerise but that I, in my semi-pathetic state DO COUNT: dancing. Wildly with the kids in our big front living room that has no furniture but the piano, a big cushy carpet, and the stereo equipment. Celtic Fiddle—a great energy burst! Jessica Harper–just plain fun. Today was Tchaikovsky 4th—-Michael was even humming it later! There are huge benefits to having a large room that you can’t afford to furnish yet.
And let’s not forget schlepping the chubby two-year-old, a dead-weight in snowsuit and boots, up the hill over and over and over because he decided to love sledding today. It was exhausting but, hey! I’m not complaining. It beats jogging in the dark anyday.
