Fit Mama With or Without a Gym

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fit mom

Early on, our little one decided he wanted nothing to do with the childcare option at our paid neighborhood gym. We tried week after week to get him to like it, only to be called up 20 min into our work out about a fussy, crying baby. Yep, the baby was not happy at the gym so we gave up for a while until he was toddler age. We searched online for the best gym childcare reviews and thought we had finally chosen the right one. Our toddler enjoyed going to the gym with us for a whole two weeks! We were definitely in the green zone, until he decided to, again, want nothing to do with the childcare the following week.

Take the Gym Home

If you have tried staying in shape with any exercise (running, lifting, yoga, pilates) one thing becomes very clear. Consistency is key! Whatever exercise you set your mind to, it only really works if you are able to do it frequently and often. Stepping into a membership gym once in a blue moon was more of a waste of money than anything else. We called it quits and focused on bringing our gym home. The spare den in our home was the perfect place to set up a few key equipment pieces.

You’re probably thinking I live in a Scottsdale McMansion  and have an unlimited budget, but that is not the case. Through Amazon and Craigslist you can find really awesome deals on exercise equipment. We were able to include a compact treadmill, a squat rack and a few kettle bells in our small 100 sqft den. All under 1,000 bucks! We use to spend close to 1,000 per year on a gym membership that we never used. Now we don’t have annoying monthly payments to worry about, our child is happily at home with us and we can hit the gym as often as we want. 

Take the Gym Outdoors 

Our child is now a preschooler so he goes to school a good part of the day. With school tuition to worry about, the last thing I wanna do is get into a gym membership agreement again. So I’ve learned to take the gym outside. In Phoenix/Scottsdale we are blessed with tall mountains and challenging trails in every direction. I started out with 2-3 mile long walks at the Dreamy Draw. Soon, this turned into a 2 mile jog three times a week. I put on my favorite audio book or music, bring my camelpak and enjoy the beauty of the natural desert landscape. After a few months of this, I don’t think I can ever go back to a treadmill unless I absolutely have to. 

It’s 110 degrees outside, now what?! Summer sneaks up on us fast. Right around May, the temps were rising and I was asking myself that very same thing. Jogging outside was out of the question for me, unless I was willing to face a sweltering and unenjoyable work out. At this point I found it wise to tone it back and to find a location where I could get my heart rate up without having to jog in 100 degree weather. Choosing the best time of day to be outside also became very important. The earlier I could hit the trails, the better! I found a trail on North Mountain that boasted challenging enough incline and was paved the entire way up. With plenty of cold water, a good sun hat and sunblock, this has truly become my favorite ‘gym’ spot for the next few months!

How do you think outside the gym as a fit mama?

2 COMMENTS

  1. Which one of the trails is paved at North Mountain? I’ve been looking for a paved trail for quite a while after moving to AZ a while ago! 🙂

    • So it’s hard to pinpoint bc theres no address for the parking lot. It’s actually a service road that connect to the North Mountain National trail. If you drive straight south on 7th, pass the community center, you will find a tiny parking lot on you right just before arriving at the North Mountain Park.

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