I’d rather not have “being in shape” a thing of the past.

We’ll cover “push-ups with Nashi on back” when the time is right. I rode my bicycle to and from work everyday when Nashi was a baby. It was all I did, so a lot was lost, but at least it wasn’t a disaster. I don’t have that outlet this time so something a little more proactive must be done.

Bad news first:

1. I don’t have time for a gym. I actually can’t do gyms very well, so for me this category is more about exercise classes like yoga or boxing fitness at Cappy’s Gym. Even if I could coordinate a little time here and there when Mama can do double duty, believe me, that time would much rather be spent seeing a friend and/or going to a coffee shop and eating a cookie. Gyms are out.
2. Working out at home sucks. I kind of need an exercise-y environment to get into it. My living room doesn’t exactly scream eye of the tiger.
3. Working out at home is the only option. Short walks with the baby is great and very good for the body. But I wouldn’t consider myself “in shape” if that’s all I did. It also doesn’t give me those happy endorphins that comes with a little more blood flowing.
4. Baby napping is my quiet time. There’s actually plenty of time to work out if it’s all I did when Papaya napped. But let’s be real, there’s blogging to do, Daredevil on Netflix to watch, and just about anything that involves sitting or lying down and mentally checking out a little.

The good news:

1. It can be done
2. I’ll feel good if I do it.

That’s what I’m working with. Looking around online, things look way more complicated than it needs to be. Simplify. No bulky equipment, and no dependence on machines that will never get used anyway. We’ve got two categories: cardio and strength.

Cardio

Keep the heart rate up for an extended period of time. Lots of options here – jogging stroller, bicycle with kids’ seat, or just running in place.

Strength

Upper body – do things that involve pushing out, pulling in, pushing up, and pulling down.

Lower body – do things that involve standing up and sitting down.

Abs – crunches and stuff.

I’ll explore each category step by step. Personally I find cardio to be the most challenging when there’s a baby in the picture, so that will likely be attacked last (it’s how I roll).