This one is for the mummies out there.
Being a parent is by far one of the greatest joys you could have, however it is also the toughest. Early mornings, late nights, not to mention you can’t remember when you had a full meal. Add on top of that full time work, it is almost as if you never get a break. It seems almost impossible to try to take care of yourself, let alone stay healthy, when you are only just managing to take care of the children. How then do you do it? How do you manage to stay healthy, when you are often the last priority on the list?
Lucky for me I don’t like the word impossible.
Prep, prep, prep and did I mention prep
I know you have seen the hundreds, if not thousands of Instagram posts around meal prepping. But I am taking it one step further, you need to prep your life. Take the time every night to make sure you have the kids and your meals packed, all clothes ready for the following day and then some. Sleep in your workout clothes if you have to, I guarantee it will make getting out the door a whole lot easier in the morning, knowing everything is ready to go. And back to meal prepping, it is not as tiresome as most think. I managed to cook 20 meals worth of food for myself over the weekend and all it took was a couple of hours of my time. I can’t afford to skip meals, and neither can you, so jump on the bandwagon.
Stay hydrated at all times
I know this is easier said than done, which is exactly why I carry a 2 litre bottle of water on me at all times. Research has shown that consuming a glass of water first thing in the morning can improve metabolism rates, assisting in weight management. Let’s be serious who does not love their weight being managed. Furthermore, staying hydrated assists in kidney function, will give you clearer skin and prevent the onset of fatigue. So get drinking.
Get walking
Walking is a great way to get moving and to get the kids outside. Put them in the stroller, take them to a park or find a great location to walk along. Research tells us that walking regularly, strengthens your heart muscles as well as significantly decreasing the risks of heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Not to mention you will more than likely get back the energy you were missing, which will help with all the washing waiting for you when you get home.
Sleep, when you can
Sleep is the most underrated health benefit, as it is free, yet most of us tend not to take advantage of it as much as we should. Instead of just laying on the couch for 30 mins when you get home from work, use this time to get dinner started early, get the kids fed, bathed and in bed. This leaves you with an hour or so to catch up on the day and goodness knows get the washing done. After that though, make an effort to get to sleep as early as you can. You will wake up feeling refreshed and thanking yourself in the morning for taking the time to sleep.
So there you have it. Whilst I understand not every situation is the same and you can’t always just go out walking. If you manage to just take one board one small step, then you are on your way to living that healthier life we speak about.
So whether it is drinking more water or trying to sleep when you can, those steps will make a big difference to your overall health!
