Throwback Thursday: See Mom Run (And Save)
Getting active is on everyone’s mind nowadays. But how does a busy working mom find the time (or the money) for exercise. Gym memberships and pilates classes are great, but carving out an hour-plus away from the family three or four times a week, not to mention the fees and dues — can take a toll on your schedule and your pocketbook.
So Simple When Everything Else Is Not.
But a new fitness trend seems to be sweeping the country. It doesn’t involve salsa moves, stripper poles or yoga mats (although we do appreciate us some well-earned “zen” and a cute pair of yoga pants as much as the next gal). It’s pretty simple. Old school you might say. It’s running. That’s right, women running to exercise.
In fact, you don’t have to look at national trends to see that running for exercise is on the rise, especially among women. Look out your window. Check out your neighborhood streets on your morning commute. You’ll see them everywhere — the joggers, the runners — on your lunch break, on your way home, even when you’re taking the dog out in the middle of the night!
The simplicity of running is what’s great for working moms. If you can pop a casserole in the oven, tell your husband to listen for the oven timer, set your kids up with a video or homework or a puzzle (just enough to entertain them for thirty minutes is all you need) you can be lacing up your shoes, clipping on your iPod and sprinting out the door before anyone can say “Mom! I need ____.” No need to fill in the blank, you’re already a block down the street, babe.
How Women Usually Feel About Running:1. Ahh, I remember when I used to run in high school. That would be so nice to get back into again. I looked so cute in my little striped running shorts, too.
2. Yeah, um I hate running. The treadmill is my enemy. It’s boring, redundant, and not my workout of preference. I need a little more variety, please.
3. Hello. Indoor girl here. I can’t even run after my toddler without losing my breath.
Books like “Run Like A Mother” by Sarah Bowen Shea & Dimity McDowell will get any runner dusting the cobwebs off their old sneakers before sunrise and burn up three miles and get back before their kids even wake up and rub the sleep out of their eyes. Running for these women is an escape, a way to have “me” time, and reclaim their old passion for the runner’s high.
If you think jogging’s a snooze, ditch the treadmill, hit the street, and try a fun playlist. There’s nothing like a good soundtrack to make you feel like the star of a musical training montage right out of your own movie.
And as far as all you “indoor girls” go, Couch to 5k® is a training program by CoolRunning.com that, believe it or not, will make reality show junkie into a running addict in no time flat.
Save Money. Save Time. Lose The Excuses.
Running is also super cost-efficient. No fees, no dues, no fancy equipment. Just a good pair of shoes (on sale) and a stretch of road is all you need. Maybe one of those fancy jogging strollers if you want to take the little one along. But honestly, a nice regular stroller can do the trick in a pinch. Need extra motivation that a fancy trainer or a gym membership brings to the equation? Get a running buddy, set a goal, and get started. Make exercise work for you with running.
Watch out for those morning commuters in your neighborhood, though. They’ll be one hand on the steering wheel, coffee in the other, kids in the back seat — and noticing you zipping on by (cute racing stripe shorts and all) and thinking they really should start running again.
We know you’re “on the run.” FTWCCU has online banking, Saturday hours at most their branches, and more than 28,000 Free ATM locations to fit your fast-paced life.
