Over 40s Exercise Regime

It has been rumoured that mums over 40 don't exercise enough, it also has been publicly encouraged that mums over 40 should have a good exercise regime to keep healthy and to assist in losing those excess kilos/pounds that many of us have found silently creeping on after each child comes into the world.

My husband's idea of exercise is jogging up and down on the spot, doing jumping jacks and sit-ups, jogging around the block or playing soccer (football) and or volleyball. That's great for him but not so for me....

I have my own version. With 7 kids in the house, my daily exercise regime starts with a sprint down the hallway to the bathroom before anyone else bags it; then a ramming of the bathroom door when someone's taking too long in the shower amid 'warcries' of 'it's my turn' 'she's taking too long' 'Mum, I'm going to be late for school if she doesn't hurry up'. (I'm sure looking forward to when we can get a house with more than one bathroom and extra toilet at the back). I manage to reach the laundry dodging an obstacle course of toys, shoes, furniture and heaven knows what, to pile in a load of dirty washing into the washing machine. While the first load is in, I then proceed to make breakfast with several intervals of dashing to the bedrooms of various sleepyheads who need a prodding to get out of bed. Finding a lost sock or shoe often requires reaching under beds or desks. How many pairs of shoes I have lined up along the hallway wall that have lost their partners, I've lost count!

After breakfast, finds me often on my hands and knees mopping up the spills and messes of the little ones. I pile out the now wet clean laundry into a laundry basket and carry the heavy basket to the dryer at the other end of the laundry (have you noticed that laundry baskets were not designed to fit through doors without some clever manuevering) and proceed to load the dryer.

The older kids are now rushing out the door for their ride to school (our eldest daughter now driving). With the last one out the door waving their goodbyes, I close the door with a sigh of relief and turn around to start picking up stray items off the floor. Armed with basket in hand (or more like on my hip) I gather all the bits and pieces that have found themselves in strange places returning each item to its rightful room as I go along the hallway. I vacuum the carpeted floors, moving furniture as I go. With that done, I proceed to the kitchen and stack the dishes, crossing the floor several times in this exercise. Dishes done, I get down on my hands and knees once more to pick up a piece of fruit with one bite in it - several of these I find scattered throughout the house, this is no mystery, it's my 5 year old. Need I say more?

The bathroom is next on my agenda.....horrors (envision "The Scream"by Edvard Munch - thats what my face looked like)....the bathroom is seeping with a foul-stench. My 5 year old has used too much toilet paper, blocking the toilet to overflowing. Just minutes ago it was fully functional and in proper order, now this!! A half an hour later, I removed the peg from my nose with satisfaction that it is now as it should be. How many muscles were used to perform that task is a list long. Now those who dare say we don't get any exercise.....hmm.

The above scenario is one of many that I can share that happen during the course of a day. More often than not these incidents that happen with my preschooler and toddler form most of my exercise regime - every few minutes in fact, and the time between - attempting to keep house and do my work on the computer. Often after I make the bed and tidy a room, I go to my next task when moments later, I find the blankets have been pulled off the bed to make a cubby house in the lounge room. Or the clothes I had folded neatly in the drawers, scattered helter-skelter all over the floor as my 5 year old insists on dressing and redressing herself several times over. My preschooler then attempts to make herself a cup of cold Milo. She comes into the lounge room where I am now finally seated at my computer. On looking up, one glance tells me I am needed in the kitchen. I run to kitchen to behold Milo all over the floor, down the cupboards and spilling into the drawers and under the microwave! I grit my teeth and brand myself with a cleaning cloth and all-purpose kitchen spray. Where on earth did they get the phrase "No use crying over spilt milk"?!

Before you jump to any conclusions, may I remind you that these 'incidents' are happening minutes apart. I barely get down the hallway and into the lounge room when I rush back to clean up yet another mess. Mind you, the kiddies do have times they are watching tv or taking a nap, or having a outing with mum, but apart from sleeping they are never still.

Lunch and then yet another clean up of the kitchen.

The kiddies are now watching a bit of TV, as my preschooler does cartwheels across the lounge room floor. They dance and sing to the songs of their favourite Hi 5 and Wiggles shows. The little one climbs onto my lap and cuddles up close. Fast asleep, I take him to bed and lay him down.
My 5 year old on the other hand, is busy making another cubby house, cutting paper and 'writing letters'. Stuff scattered all over the floor. I smile a feeble smile and praise her for her wonderful creativity, while inwardly chiding at yet another clean up.

At this very moment, the older kids arrive home from school to behold the aftermath of a 'little tornado' rippling through the house undoing, in her wake, all the hard work I had done that day and me slumped in the cosy chair. I haven't had a lazy day, I tell them. The look of disbelief on their faces!

When our 2 year old awakes, he runs to me to be picked up. Did I mention 'lifting weights' was also part of my daily exercise regime? Yes, a 16 kilo/35lbs toddler. For your information: 1 medium sack of rice is 15kilos; my son is one and a half times as heavy as my husband's car care tool box; and he is the same weight as 4 large bags of potatoes you find in the grocery store. Now try to imagine carrying any of the above mentioned items, wiggling and squirming, kicking and fussing!!

A favourite pastime of my toddler is to ride 'the horse' on my legs. Forget the gym and all their fancy apparatus. I have a 2 year old as my gym coach.

We had a cat once when I was a teenager, when you picked him up, he would stretch and we would proceed to 'gather' him up into our arms. He would then sit in your arms cosy-like, purring contently. Try that with a toddler who is uncooperative about going to bed - yes he stretches....but the rest of him doesn't 'gather'! Short of dragging him....(ever been in a race at a picnic, where you have a sack, one sits on it while you pull?).... yes, that's it.

Now you have it....my daily exercise regime (and a variable one at that!). Just wish it would work on those excess kilos.....an exercise regime? - Nah! I think I'll stick with a healthy eating plan thank you.

By the way, our 5 year old starts school early next year.

Copyright 2005. Rebecca Laklem.