Keeping Up the Good Work

Wow! It's Monday, again.  I promised you on Friday that I would post more of my thoughts on how to keep good eating and exercise behaviors stabilized during the times that your normal routines become frenzied, chaotic or erratic. This subject was brought up by the reminder that many children across the United States are going back to school this, and next, week. 

So having given you the above introduction to today's post, let's just jump right in.  There are those of you who will dutifully take yours or someone else's children to school, and, of course, pick them up every day.  There are those of you who do not yet have all of your children in school, kindergarten, preschool or daycare.  And, of course, there are those of you who, more than likely, will also hear shouts of "goodbye" from your sons and daughters as they run out the door to catch school buses, ride with other students, or drive their own cars to their respective learning institutions.  

And, here are some other possible routine-disrupting factors as well:  What if you've just moved to a new town and are still acquainting yourself with its resources?  What if you've just changed jobs and/or location(s) of your new work-away-from-home office? This might even be further complicated by changing reporting and leave times.  What if you now commute to work using mass transportation or carpooling?  As you already know, factors that can disrupt and interfere with solid routines can come from any direction - at any time.  

Let's look at a few resources to help you stabilize fractured routines.  See that image to the right? "Start Where You Are." What a great reminder that it's never too late to pick up the pieces and go forward.  So, what if your morning walk routine now has to be postponed? More than likely, you can look at the menu of opportunities such as lunch, mid-afternoon break, after work or early evening, and you'll find one that fits.  As for those of you who are hustling children back and forth to school, extra-curricular and sports activities, make it a point to find a 15-minute break between obligations, steal it, and use it to your best advantage. When I say "steal it," I mean it. Don't ask for permission, just do it! 

If you're a stay-at-home mom, take your cues from those little feet that walk in and out of your daily routine so many times a day.  They're busy, right?  Well, here's your best opportunity to teach them the values of eating right and getting enough exercise during each and every day.  Spend some one-on-one time with them for child vs. adult yoga, read them books on good nutrition, ask them to help you pick out fruits and vegetables when you grocery shop, go bicycle riding together, etc.  And with the younger ones, you can make individual cards with single pictures of salad ingredients on them, and more for individual snacks, fruits, and other menu options and let them teach you all about making healthy food choices for complete meals.  I've done this before, and I know it works! In the case of preschool children, give them a kitchen timer or a pedometer to hold that will remind them of when it's time to walk and tell them just how many steps they've already taken toward a known goal.  Young children love to do this! 

The point here is to incorporate, reinforce and stabilize good eating and exercise regiments in spite of upsets in our daily routines whether you have children still at home, going back to school, have just moved to a new town, or taken a new job.  There are plenty of small things you can do to make big progress in setting yourself up for success in achieving your food and exercise goals even in the face of turmoil. Maybe you’ve already made your own list.  If so, keep up the good work!
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