My friend and I were recently comparing notes about how we squeeze in exercise between full-time jobs, raising children, and managing a household.
“I give my three-year-old his DS and let him play while I work-out, I know it’s bad parenting,” she confided guiltily. But she needn’t worry about me judging, I have used electronic babysitters for far less noble causes.
However, her situation did bring to mind all of the people I know who go to great lengths to stay fit. My sister, mother of three, full-time Law Professor, told me recently she had to choose between keeping up her gardening and running. Running won. I was certain my brother would ease up on his competitive bike racing training after his daughter was born. He did for a few months. These days he logs hundreds of miles after his daughter goes to bed instead of right after work. Another friend fell and injured her knee. As soon as she could, she strapped on a knee brace and went back to her interval classes. She focused on upper body training and treadmill walking. And my best friend who, like me, used to consider herself a non-runner is preparing to run a half-marathon along The Great Wall of China.
So admittedly, I get a little bitter sometimes when I wake up at 5:00 for my solo work-outs. It’s easy to assume that people who are fit simply have more time for exercise than me. But I know that’s not true. We all have busy lives. There is always something else to do other than work-out. We all have to squeeze in the precious time it takes to stay healthy. So I will not hit snooze tomorrow. I will drag myself out of bed and get on the treadmill and join the ranks of the people I admire: all who make fitness a priority when it is oh-so-easy not to.
But just in case I do hit snooze…and need to do some cardio after work instead…that idea about the DS is a pretty good one…
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