When Making Time Means Taking Time

I remember the pre-baby Sarah, the one who scoffed at any mom that dared to claim they didn't have the time to exercise. "Oh, come on, you mean to tell me you can't find 30 minutes in your day?!" I had no clue, no idea what life is like once you have a kid. I do now and I regret every comment I ever made, I was so naive and so irritatingly 'judgey'. Here's what I would say to that snide skinny chick I used to be if I ran into her now and she spouted off one of her "suggestions":

"Just wake up earlier" Okay, I'm already waking up at 5:30 to get myself and my family out the door on time every morning. If I want to exercise before work I either need to cut off all my hair and give up make-up (tempting on some days, I'll admit) or I need to get up by 4:00 so I have time to drink coffee (no way in hell I exercise before coffee, not safe, not cool, not happening), then workout and have enough time to stop sweating before I get in the shower. Sorry peeps, 4:00 AM is for being at Denny's in your early 20's or for mothers of newborns. I am no longer either of those, so 4:00 AM and I won't be seeing each other.

"Just squeeze in a workout on your lunch" Okay, this one I can see as a tad more feasible, but still tough to actually execute. I'm only going to have 20 minutes of actual exercise by the time I get to the locker room, change, and get on a machine. Keeping in mind I need enough time to stop sweating (it takes me a while, okay!), mop up, attempt to put myself back together, and get back to my desk. While 20 minutes is better than nothing, it isn't enough and it is frustrating as all get out to be just getting into a workout and have to stop. And I seriously don't see this happening at all if I have training that day. In the spirit of being honest, I also really enjoy my lunch breaks because it gives me a chance to socialize with friends that I wouldn't normally see otherwise. Selfish, I know, but there you have it.


"Exercise right when you get home" This is the one I'm doing, and I wish I could go back and smack the smug know-it-all expression off that skinny brat that was pre-baby Sarah. Yes, exercise is important, and it is necessary when you are trying to put your body back into some sort of "shape" after a baby so that you are ready and healthy to grow another baby. But there is a very demanding new person in my life, and he is kind of like a new toy that you just spend your entire day wanting to play with. When I get home from work, I have been away from the coolest and most fascinating person I know for a loooong time that day and I really want to spend every precious minute I have hanging out with him. And here's the kicker, HE wants to spend time with ME. Kaleb doesn't understand "hang on buddy, Mommy has to ignore you for 45 minutes so she can exercise" and he is too young to get into doing the workout with me. Not to mention those pesky chores, and the fact that Kaleb needs dinner, the dogs want attention, and whatever else is going on.

All this to say, from my current perspective, it isn't at all about just making time to exercise. I know I can make the time. The issue, the part I couldn't have grasped before I had Kaleb, is that making time to exercise means I am directly taking that time away from him. Argue if you want, but that is how I see it.

I will continue working out each night after work, because it is something I need to do. I appreciate the point of view that says it is good for Kaleb to see Mommy being active and setting a good example and all that. But, when he is tantruming on the floor because he "waaaaants Moooooommmmmyyyyyyy", it is extra challenging to keep my focus on long term gain.

Okay, rant over, sorry. That's been on my mind lately. I really regret comments and judgments I've made before. I wish I could go back now to those moms and tell them I was so naive and I'm sorry. But, I know they already know and were probably just shaking their head and laughing knowing my day would come and I'd see the light.