Finding Time For Me

Finding time for me is a struggle that every mother goes through. We feel guilty if we do have time or we feel as if we don't have time. I, because of homeschooling, have come to realized that I perhaps don't have all my priorities in the right place. I've noticed that if it's something important to me I always seems to have the "time".

I've been under going some structural changes within our daily schedule, things that aren't set in stone, but things that I know need to be done in order for me to maximize my time! My husband is fully supportive with the idea of me having my own radio show.

However seeing I already struggle some days with the house work and daily chores, he doesn't want the radio show to trump housework, nor does he want it to trump the kid's schooling. Just like when I approached him and said I really need to do something about my health, going to the gym, something, he said that's fine you have my blessing, but I don't want it to trump the kid's schooling or the housework.

I'm fine with that! I don't want it to trump the housework or schooling either, but I'm at the point that I need to do something! I have several DVD and things here at home, but staying home doesn't work for me! It's all to easy for me to say oh I'll do it later, I'll do it when DH gets home, I'll do it when.....as long as I'm home I don't make the time I know I need for this.

Just like with homeschooling, everyone is different, and they have to find out what works for them! Leaving the house and having a place to go works for me. Going to a place that has child care for the children works for me. Well I've been bless to join such a place this week. I know joining a place isn't going to work for everyone especially if they don't have the income to do that. So I'm really, really bless that not only do we have the income right now, but that my husband is supportive of it.

The place I joined this week is medically integrated. It's part Dr office, Immediate Care (walk-in clinic), physical therapy etc and part fitness center (gym) with child care. I joined the fitness center. I'm so looking forward to this place and can't wait to get started. I can leave the kids in the child care for up to 2 hours per day. So that means I can get up to 2 hours for me.

This place features and indoor (1 mile) and outdoor (2 mile) track. The outdoor track goes in and out of the woods, prairie lands, up hills, down hills, etc. The kids are welcome to walk the outdoor track with me, so that is something I will do with on fair weather days. We also can bring the dog to walk the outdoor track. I'm sure that Gravy (the dog) would enjoy that.

On the inside there is a warm water pool, lap pool, treadmills, stair climbers, weight machines, etc; your standard fitness gym equipment. Then they have rooms for like dance, yoga, kicking boxing, etc. Those classes along with the water therapy classes are free. They all are apart of my standard membership. If I want to go to a class I just have to show up.

In the locker rooms, they have showers w/soaps, shampoo, conditioners, lotions, towels, hair dryers etc; this items are free for members and apart of the membership. Also in the locker room there is a hot tub, sauna, and steam room. Although I don't know what the difference between a steam room and sauna is, again those are free for members and all apart of the standard membership. The cream of the crop is that in the locker room there is a lounge room. The lounge room features over sized stuff chairs, tables, and ottomans to put your feet up.

In my mind I'm thinking I can do my 30-45 minute workout, go to the locker room, shower, change my cloths and hit the lounge area, within the locker room, with my spiritual book or books, put my feet up and just enjoy the quiet time to read, pray, and reflex. So I would be use the time to better my whole-self: Body and Soul! And seeing they provide everything there the only thing I would have to bring with me is my change of cloths and books. How easy is that!

I'm so looking forward to this tomorrow! I'm sincerely hoping that with this I will have the energy I need to accomplish everything that I need to do daily. I'm hoping this will help me be better prepared mentally and physically for my day.

I know not everyone is going to be able to join a gym. I'm by no means saying the only way to get exercise and spiritual reading done is to join a gym. It's just for me I've come to realize that is what I need to do! This is how I work!

This is not one of those I need time away from the kids and I don't want anyone to think that. It's just I workout better when I can go to a place to workout outside the home. I also workout better when I can do that during the day, while DH is at work. My kids are young 8 and 7 so this means I need to go to place that has childcare so I can leave them with a responsible adult while I workout. I can't have them on the gym floor with me, etc.

This is really important to my physical health. As part of my standard membership fee I got an health assessment done today. Here are the results:

Height: 5'6" (I shrunk; in high school I was 5'7")
Weight: 305 lbs
Body Fat %: 47.9 That means about 1/2 my weight is fat
Blood Pressure: 132/88 (Pre-hypertension)
Cholesterol: 203 (normal 50-199)

I had other things measured and analyzed by the fitness center today as part of my standard fee, but I'm not going to share. The bottom line is I know that I need to do somethings to correct these numbers. The really cool thing is that I was given a customized workout routine that I get to start tomorrow. All apart of my standard fees.

Here's hoping and praying that things workout! I'll be posting future updates about this on my site: Catholic Christian Living. I post this here at first as really a reminder to all moms, especially homeschooling moms, that we need to MAKE time for ourselves for our physical health and spiritual health. If we don't take care of our health then we can't take care of our family.