How Are Things?

I’ve been busy, busy, busy! Installed digital x-ray equipment, did a day of training on the new system, spent two days in Calgary at an orthodontics course, kids have started hockey and we’ve been running to meetings and practices (well, mostly my husband).  Have been getting busier with patients, fired an employee a week ago (unfortunately had to be done, but it was my first firing), and have been doing major organizing at work. There have been a couple of days where I barely had time to eat or go to the bathroom, but it’s been really good to be making headway at work and start to get the business organized.

Having said that, I really hate that so many people describe their lives as “busy” when asked how they’re doing, because most people I know are “busy.”  So enough of that from me.  My life, with kids’ activities, my new practice, and my husband’s new business venture, is kinda crazy these days, but I will have a pretty full schedule for the foreseeable future so I’d better get used to it and work around it. And, hey, it’s still a bajillion times better than dental school!

My eating has been pretty decent, but definitely with Thanksgiving last weekend and going out of town without snacks pre-planned, things got a little off track.  Workouts, though, have not really been happening, and I know I’d feel so much better if I could fit in some activity, and this, of course, requires planning.

I do really wonder, though, how other married couples with kids fit in workouts? We honestly don’t know any couples where both spouses work full-time and both workout. We know couples where one spouse stays home/works part-time, which allows that person to fit in their workouts during the day when the kids are at school, and we know a couple of families where at least one of the parents works out regularly, but the other person really doesn’t, so the “active” one is covered by the other parent at home. Is it just a matter of being really strict with a workout schedule or what?

We are also going hard with kid activities this year, with my son playing hockey and soccer and my daughter participating in hockey, ballet, and gymnastics, so we are scrambling a lot so far in terms of running around and fitting healthy meals, never mind fitting in workouts (even if it is our own fault). Honestly, a couple of early morning workouts would probably be the best thing, but I am so NOT a morning person, especially now that it’s so dark in the morning.  If you have (reasonable) tips for getting out of bed, shoot ’em my way.

All of that being said, one of the reasons I originally started this blog was to help keep me honest in terms of my workouts, so this week I am committing to the following workouts:

Monday – 30 minutes yoga 9pm

Tuesday – 30 minutes stationary bike 7pm

Wednesday – full body strength workout, 30 minutes walking (outside or treadmill, depending on weather) 9:30am

Thursday – 30 min yoga 9pm

Friday – 30 min walk right after work 5:30pm

Saturday – 35 min walk during my daughter’s ballet class 10:50am-11:25am

Sunday – full body strength and 30 min stationary bike 9am

Starting tomorrow night I will pack up my gear the night before, make sure my iPod’s charged, and fill up my water bottle so that it’s easy to just get that workout done.  Honestly, the schedule I’ve laid out is probably a little aggressive considering the week I have coming up, but it is doable. And I already have it in my Google calendar. As extra incentive, if I get all of my workouts in, I will download myself five new songs from iTunes.

How do you fit in your workouts when your schedule gets jammed?