For the last twenty-one years, I have spent the majority of my waking hours caring for my husband and/or three sons. There have been days, where if my husband hadn’t called me Karen, I would go to bed thinking my first name was MOM! Oh, don’t get me wrong; I love my family, dearly. It’s just with all the care giving, I had started to neglect me and felt it was time to do something for myself.

My hormones were so out of balance, I would just burst into tears about the simplest things. It wasn’t until later that I discovered the secret to keeping my hormones in perfect harmony.

I wanted to become more active, but where was I going to find the time to exercise and raise three boys? I spent most days driving the boys to and from school, then on to hockey or soccer, depending on the season. The only “free time” I had was when I sat in the car waiting for the boys to get finished. I can tell you right now, it’s hard to do leg lifts behind the wheel of an SUV.

By the time I got home, it was time to fix dinner, help the boys with their homework and still leave enough time for everyone to get a bath that night. Thinking about getting in shape was as close to any exercise as I was doing. This same scenario happened night after night until I got fed up.

I told myself that if I wanted to transform the way that I looked and felt, then it was up to me to make those changes happen. Since my doctor had always recommended at least 30 minutes of exercise every day, I figured I would put this theory to the test and see if I got any results. I began by writing my plan down in a little journal, and promised myself I wouldn’t cheat.

I had a full schedule every day. The problem was finding 30 minutes to devote to exercise. The solution was not to find it. If I was serious about exercising regularly, then the only way to do it was to create 30 minutes in every day that I could call my own.

So, I started out by exercising or doing some sort of physical activity every day for 30 minutes. This turned out to be a challenge because I didn’t really have a set program. Some days I would exercise in the living room, other days I would go bike riding with the boys, and some days I would just take a solitary walk for 30 minutes after dinner. The latter worked well, because usually somebody would clean the kitchen while I was gone. Every day I would jot down the foods that I ate and the activities that I participated in.

Now, I know I am making it sound easy. But it was far from easy. It was hard not to give in to the many responsibilities of my home. I’m very involved with my children and I enjoy being a wife and mom. Sometimes it seemed that there were too many conflicts in my schedule to allow myself those precious 30 minutes and believe it or not, there were days when I actually felt guilty.

But there were other problems. The weather was not always right; sometimes it was too hot, other times it was raining outdoors. Normally, I would just give up and give in. But this time it was different. This time, I was determined to succeed. And I had plenty to keep me motivated. My love for my husband and my three sons, my strong desire to be as healthy both mentally and physically kept me moving toward my goal.

The first time I walked into that big room full of men and women working out amidst the sound of all those weights clashing together, I felt quite intimidated. Then I realized that they were there to get exercise, same as me and I had every right to be there too. Of course, tagging along with my husband made it easier to get accustomed to the place. Once I got through a couple of workouts I started to relax and feel more comfortable going by myself.

Making the decision to create 30 minutes to devote to myself has been challenging but rewarding. Today, in my 40’s, my hormones are in perfect balance. I’m proud of the way I look and it’s not uncommon for me to be mistaken for someone in her twenty’s. All this and I have the energy to keep up with my youngest son ¬¬… he’s eleven.

Share your exercise motivation tips by leaving a comment:

So, you bought the gym membership months ago, and you’ve been there how many times? Enough to not resent the monthly fee you’re dishing out?

Well, if you’re like most people, the answer is probably no. And you’re not getting any help from your gym either. Unfortunately, many commercialized gyms have one goal in mind and that’s selling gym memberships. It’s actually advantageous to them if you buy a year’s membership and then never use it.

So, before you go the expensive route of joining that fancy gym, you need to really focus on why you want to stay fit and create an exercise routine that will work for you. Do you want to lose weight? If so, what happens when you do lose that weight? Will you just give up or keep at it? Do you just want to be healthy? Gain muscle? Tone your body?

The first step to starting a fitness plan that will last is sitting down with a notebook and writing out your goals. Just like you would do with a life goals plan, decide where you want to be in three months, six months, and a year in terms of your weight. Then carefully decide how you are going to get there. Keep a journal of your fitness plan and slowly work in intervals of fitness into your daily routine. Remember, it takes about 30 days for a routine to set, so keep at it until you can do it without even thinking about it.

Think about when the best time is for you to get in your exercise. Are you a morning person? Can you do it on your lunch hour, or is it better to do it when you come home from work. Pick whichever time you are most likely to not skip. If it’s hard for you to get out of bed in the morning, don’t pick that time to exercise. You’re more likely to sacrifice that time in exchange for hitting the snooze button.

Pick out your workout clothes the night before and have them ready and waiting for you. If you’re going to exercise at night when you come home from work, set your clothes out and change into them as soon as you come home, right down to your sneakers. Once you have the proper clothes and shoes on, this will tell your brain that it’s time to workout and you’ll find less excuses to skip your workout session.

There are many little tricks that you can use to help stick to a workout plan. The key is to find out what works for you and what will keep you motivated. If you’re going to skip a workout, make sure that you make that time up later in the week. If there are no consequences to skipping it will be all too easy to skip another, and another. With careful diligence and a drive to reach your goals, you’ll find that sticking to your fitness routine will become much easier over time.

Share some tips about sticking to your fitness plan in the comment space below:

Have you been exercising regularly for years? Do you consider yourself a seasoned athlete? Do you regularly increase your workout intensity to improve your results? If your answer is “No” is it because of a dip in your motivation?

Recognizing that you lack the motivation necessary to take your workout to a new level is the first step to recovery. If you’ve come this far, why have you become comfortable at your current stage? Why aren’t you reaching for the next horizon that will take you closer to your goal?

Much is discussed about beginning an exercise program but where is the support for those who have been working out for a while? To keep your program from becoming stagnated you need to mix things up a little. Try circuit training or a mixture of strength training and aerobic activity.

Perfect your balance and smooth out your moves so that they possess a fluidity and aren’t sudden or jerky. Be mindful at all times of your core muscles. This will give you a nice workout too.

Think about all the hard work that you have put into your healthy body. Rejoice in the wonderful way that you feel because you exercise and care for yourself. For this reason alone, you should continue with your program and begin to take it to another level.

Remind yourself how great it felt when you first started exercising…the first time you made it through a few sets, after you walked your first 5k walk or run, when you fit into your favorite pair of jeans. Emulate those feelings with new challenges.

Maybe you’ll plan to walk/run an additional mile every other day. Perhaps you’ll add weights to your workout or spend a longer time on the treadmill. Keep your workout exciting and challenging and it will be much more rewarding.

The Fitness4Her® Diet and Fitness program will work for young, old, newbies or seasoned athletes. With challenging exercises for beginners to intermediates. You can take it to the next level with Fitness4Her and push it to the limit.

Tell us about your workouts by leaving a comment below: