Where do I find time to work out?

I think that my biggest excuse to working out is finding the time. With 4 kids my day is pretty planned out for me and I don't get a lot of "me time." I like to exercise by myself and finding someone who will take the kids for those 30 minutes has been rare in the past few months. Yesterday I went for a "winter walk" and I really enjoyed that, but today it is a lot colder and there is a lot more snow outside. So, I guess sometime today I will be doing a Leslie Sansone DVD. I should say I will be doing a Leslie Sansone DVD today. There that sounds better. :) I found a great article in the Jan/Feb 2009 Weight Watchers Magazine that talked about how to MAKE time in your day for exercise. The article gave 8 ways to make time to exercise. I am going to list them here. More for me that anyone else. :) But, I hope they help you too!
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1. Downsize your to-do list- My to-do list is full of stuff everyday. I get so overwhelmed, that it never gets all the way done. I would always put shower on my list or I'd feel guilty about doing it because I had so many other things to do. I know bad! This article suggest that we need to zero in on 5 key task that you MUST accomplish that day. The list should fit on a large post-it note and if it does not you should bump some of those things over to the next day.
2. Get off the phone- In my case, I think I should add get off the computer. The article states that we lose valuable time chatting to friends. If you have a cell phone, go chat it up while taking a walk.
3. Maximize weekend time- The article suggest that we have a lot more flexible time on the weekends and we should try to use that time to get in a good workout. When it is nice outside spend a Saturday outside doing an activity. Personally, my weekends are busier than my week days because I try to fit so much into it because I do have a little more help with the kids then.
4. Monitor E-Mail time- Instead of checking your e-mail all day. Limit yourself to 5 e-mail checks a day and have designated times for them. The article suggest that this could free up to 15 minutes a day.
5. Give yourself a takeout pass- I like this idea, although my budget might not. They suggest giving yourself the right to order out once a week to free up time you would be using in the kitchen. It also suggest that it not be junk food. I like Subway. I think I kind of do something like this anyways and I don't have to order carry out! I like to double my meals as I cook and freeze one of the meals to eat later. This saves me a lot of time later. I need to try to do this once a week, so I will have one night the next week that I am not cooking. Last night I doubled my Crockpot Brown Sugar Chili, so I can use that for one day next week to save me time in the kitchen that I could use to exercise.
6. Give 30 minutes, Get 30 minutes- The article suggest that research shows that people who exercise in the morning are more likely to stick with it. So, it suggest you go to bed 30 minutes earlier and set you alarm clock 30 minutes earlier. You get the same amount of sleep and you'll be able to dedicate those extra morning minutes to exercise!
7. Eliminate Tiny Time Sappers- These are the small to-do's on our list that we have so many of them that they add up and suck time right from us. You need to identify your time sappers and the article suggest getting rid of at least one each day. The article also says that these are usually things we are doing for someone else like baking cupcakes for your child's school party or babysitting for a friend's child at the last minute. I guess learning to say no is sometimes beneficial to our workout!
8. Have a plan- If you have seen my header to this blog you know I am big on PLANNING! If we have an exercise plan we are so much more likely do follow it and get our exercise in. That's kind of like my Monday Menu Plan. When I plan my menu, we eat what's on there. When I don't I end up spending more money than I should have and not staying on my eating plan as well. So, I guess exercise time is the same way, I need to have a plan for what I want to do and maybe even a set time. This way it is more likely to get done. The article suggest that you could take a fitness class of some kind and after paying for it before the classes start, you will be more likely to make time for it. Well, that's not going to happen for me due to budget restraints, so I am going to have to be a little more creative. But, I know lots of you do go to the gym and pay a membership fee, so that might apply to you.
The end of the article talked about how much time we spend in our car and gave some ideas for adding fitness to that time. What a great idea! Overall, I felt like this article gave me some great ideas to making time for me to exercise.
What do you do to make time to exercise?

My Winter Walk

About 2 weeks ago, a friend of mine at Weight Watchers let me borrow some of her old Weight Watchers Magazines that I had never read before. While I was in the hospital last week with my son, I decided to pull a few of those out since I was bored out of my mind. Almost every magazine talked about walking. Those magazines got me thinking. I need to do a better job at walking again. When I was consistently losing weight, I walked about 5 days a week. I have not been outside walking since the end of October. I had not been given the time I needed to go walking. Dh was working and had night classes two days a week and the other days he was doing his homework at night. It also got too cold by the time he came home. So, I would do Leslie Sansone's Miracle Mile 1-2 times a week. Well since that time, my weight loss has definitely not been that great. So, I know I need to walk more. Even the new Weight Watchers Momentum Plan has added a new Healthy Guideline and that is to exercise 30 minutes most days of the week. Walking was about the only exercise that I could do when I started watching what I ate and trying to lose weight, and I was 323 plus pounds. It was just the right exercise for me. So, now I need to figure out how I can add it to my day. It is so hard to get that time I need. I like my exercise time to be me time. The time I get away from the kids and I am just by myself. I have tried taking the kids with me, but I am so busy helping all 4 that I don't have time to get a good workout. So, I don't know how its going to happen or if I am going to have to just do the Leslie Sansone tapes that I have. I need to work on that.

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One article that got my attention was Warm Up to Winter Walking from the November/December 2005 Weight Watchers Magazine. It said that the best way to not worry about Winter weight gain is to get out and walk. It also gives 5 tips for Winter Walking. First, "Take a New Path." A shady walking path may be perfect for the hot summer, but in the winter you need to pick a path that offers a lot of sun, but offers protection from the wind. It even said to choose a path with lots of cafes along the way so you can stop and get something warm to drink if you get too cold. I live in a very rural place and that just would not be available to me. Second, you need to have a, "Cold Stretch." Exercising with cold muscles can cause injury, so the article suggest that you extend your usual warm-up by 5 to 10 minutes. Cold weather can also cause you to cool down too quickly and that may cause you muscle cramps, so you should plan for a post cool down walk indoors. Third, the article recommends to, "Drink Up." Your body actual increases urine production when it is exposed to cold, increasing the likelihood of dehydration during exercise. The article recommended drinking 1 cup of water every 15 minutes during your walk. Fourth, "Upgrade Your Gear." It suggest getting a pair of waterproof walking shoes with deep grooves on the soles for traction on slick surfaces. The article also suggest you can waterproof your shoes by coating them with a spray-on waterproofing fabric treatment to keep the moisture out, but you have to reapply it often especially after walking in very wet conditions. Last, "Watch the Weather." Pay attention to the wind chill as well as the temperature. If there is a frostbite warning, move your walk indoors. The article finally gave some ideas on dressing for the weather by layering. It also said to avoid wearing cotton in the winter because it absorbs moisture and clings to your skin. The dampness will make you colder, but is also a frostbite hazard. I knew that about cotton, but I guess I never really thought about that. Anyways, very interesting article.

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Today I really wanted to get out. All my kids are sick and last week I spent the entire week indoors and I just really needed some alone time and wanted to give "Winter Walking" a try. At noon today it was 32 degrees. So, I dressed warmly with a coat, hat, and gloves and headed off to the track I used to walk at a lot. It was so nice and quiet on the track and I was able to walk for 30 minutes. One part of the track was a little bit slippery, but I just walked in the grass when I got to that point. It was even flurrying as I walk. My face got a little cold at times and next time I would put on some chap stick before going, but overall I had such a great time. Now, I just wish I could figure out how I could get out like that most days.

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Do any of you go "Winter Walking?"