Exercising for 30 Days (and why you should do it too)

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post.

Well y’all, I did it!  I exercised for 30 days straight, not missing a single one.  It definitely wasn’t easy, but I did it!  There were days I wanted to quit, days that I felt “just too tired” but I pushed through anyway.  And can I just say, I’m unbelievably proud of myself!

30 days of working out may not seem like that big of a deal.  But with 2 little ones running around underfoot it at times seemed like an insurmountable feat. 

So you may be asking why; why did I take on the challenge of exercising for 30 days?

Because I want to be the mom that can run around with my kiddos at the park.  The mom that plays sports with them.  The mom that goes backpacking and hiking with the family.  Now I may not have been “overweight” to begin with, but I did still had a little bit of the baby weight from my two kids.  And let’s face it, I’m not getting any younger and it definitely seems harder and harder to lose those few extra pounds and stay active the older I get.

But you know the biggest reason I pushed through?  I wanted to feel comfortable in my own skin. I want to get dressed in the morning and feel confident.  And even if I still have a bulge here and there, I just feel better when consistently working out.

There are so many benefits to exercising besides losing weight. Here’s 5 of them!

1. Exercise boosts energy. 

Who doesn’t want more of that?  When we exercise regularly our bodies become more efficient, our metabolism increases, and we improve muscle strength.  All of this gives us more energy to chase after the kiddos and accomplish the ever increasing number of tasks on our to-do lists.

2. Exercise improves mood. 

Did you know that?  This always makes me think of Elle Woods.  “Exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make you happy. Happy people don’t shoot their husbands.  They just don’t.”  And the truth of it is, physical activity stimulates brain chemicals that do in fact leave you happier, less anxious, and more relaxed.

3. Exercise helps with sleep. 

Which is actually another goal that I have to work on.  It’s also a reason I try to get my kids out on daily walks, they simply fall asleep faster, and sleep deeper the more active they are throughout the day.  And just because we are older doesn’t mean that we are any different then a 3-year-old when it comes to the benefits of exercise and sleep.

4. Exercise can make your skin look better. 

Just as exercise boosts energy by getting more oxygen and blood flow to the heart and vital organs, it does the same for our skin cells.  Exercise produces natural antioxidants that can delay signs of aging.  Who doesn’t want to look younger?

5. Exercise just might improve your sex life. 

Between more energy and increased confidence you just might find that when exercising regularly you just might have more fun in the bedroom.

And there are even more perks to exercising regularly. Give it a try for yourself and see what benefits you reap.

So how did I accomplish 30 days?

I started by looking at my situation and making a realistic plan.  I knew that getting to a gym was just not going to happen.  So I turned to Beach Body on Demand (which I have no affiliation with other then paying for the membership to use the workouts).  I chose this platform because of the variety of workouts and the ease to do them in my own home.  I wanted both cardio and strength training, plus I love me some yoga and they just have a lot of options.

Then I chose the workouts that I would do.  If I left the decision until the day I was working out I knew that it either wouldn’t happen or I would somehow figure out a way to cheat. I wanted to go ALL IN so I chose 80 Day Obsession which has mostly hour long workouts, but I wanted to go big!

Next I picked a time to work out.  My goal was to get up in the morning and finish my workout before the kids got out of bed.  Then I had a back up plan.  If I was lazy and didn’t get up, or the kids got up early I would work out during nap/quiet time.  Then I had a second back up plan in case life got crazy (which it usually does).  My super supportive husband would watch the boys when he got home from work and allow me to work out.  He knew how important it was for me to get through these 30 days and get the habit.

And then I just did it.  I MADE it a priority and MADE it happen!  I simply did it again and again and again, day after day after day. If you are still doubting your ability to do the same check out my post on the Top 3 Obstacles to Working out as a Stay at Home Mom: and how to conquer them to give you the confidence to push onward.

And you know what,

It was hard!

Oh my goodness, those first few days, I thought I might die. But I kept going and the soreness started going away, and the energy finally started coming.

So what did I learn?

First of all I learned that I can do hard things. Now I’ve learned this lesson before (like when I ran my first marathon) but it had been awhile and sometimes we just need to be reminded of our own capabilities. So this was a great reminder to me that I can accomplish great things if I set my mind to it.

Second, I learned that I really liked setting the example for my kids. Even though they are only 18 months and 3 years old, if they were awake when I was exercising they wanted to join me. My 3 year old has a lot of weakness from his chemo and it got him really excited about doing squats and his stretches to offset some of the side effects from his drugs. And I sometimes even found it really fun to have them working out with me (when they weren’t trying to drop weights on their feet or shove me over).

Third, I learned that I really do feel a lot better when I am consistently working out. I’m a happy person, a more fun mom, and even surprisingly more patient with both of my children.

Fourth, I learned that it is so much easier to just keep going then to start over again once you stop. The exercise itself may never be “easy”, but the soreness period starts over every time that you stop. Plus the mental block that goes up every time you give up makes it harder to push through the next time.

Finally I learned that I was not going to be able to sustain working out for 1 hour/ 7 days a week indefinitely. Plus, I really don’t think it’s healthy to be that obsessive with any one thing. I’m glad I started there because it got my head in the game and in the habit, but it wasn’t going to be sustainable.

So, then where do I go from here?

Well, I keep exercising. I’ve switched to a shorter program, Morning Meltdown 100, where the workouts are shorter (20-30 min). And I cut down to 5 days a week. It’s just too hard to fit in the workout on the days I work a 12-hour shift, and honestly, I think rest days are important.

Once I’ve finished this program I’m planning on adding in some spinning since we have a bike sitting in my bedroom, and continue with some weights. So it’ll be continual progression as I’d also like to get back into running. But one thing I know for sure is that I’m committed to continue exercising. The benefits are just too great to stop.

I would love to hear about the benefits that you have received from exercising and any roadblocks that you are finding along the way!

Next Month: 30 Days of Meal Planning