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Just Keep Pedaling!

by on ‎02-07-2014 05:39 PM

It’s (another) snow day, kids are home from school (again,) the Internet & cable are flickering from the intermittent power outages caused by another foot of wet heavy snow, and getting out of our pajamas before noon is probably not happening.   



It’s February but it feels like we are still on Christmas break since our kids have been out of school more than they have been in so far this year.  I have been trying so hard to keep up with my fitness routine but it seems like Mother Nature is working double time against me.  I don’t belong to a gym, even though I was a spin, aerobics, yoga, Pilates (insert latest fitness craze here) instructor for over a decade. 



Since kids, I have found that I save time by just putting on a pair of walking or running shoes, some good tunes, hopefully grabbing a good friend and hitting the road.  But, that is much easier when you live in San Diego than it is when you live in Philadelphia in January.  So, since getting out of my back door is, of late, impossible - truly physically impossible since 2 feet of snow has piled up in 4 degree weather and my shoveling skills are lacking - I often push around some furniture in my small (tiny, miniscule, NY apartment sized) farm house and throw on Barre3 or Insanity or Tracy Anderson and get in 30 minutes of cardio & resistance while my offspring is in their 3 hours a day, 4 days a week preschool.



This brings us back to today.  A day like nearly every other day this year; the kids are not in school, they need constant attention and food and entertainment and it looks like once again, Tracy, Shaun T. & I are not going to get in our speed date. Enter Sit N Cycle.  



I’ll admit that the first time I presented this at QVC I wasn’t impressed.  I had been a spinning instructor and I used to road bike in California for more than 20 miles at a time.  I know a good hard bike workout, and this is not that.  But, I thought it would be a great idea to put at my desk at home, or better yet, at my husband’s desk so I could get in a bit of activity while balancing the family budget or he could get in any activity at all! 



The whole idea is not to get a hard-core work out.  It’s not a spin bike, or a bike you would find at the gym.  It’s for those of us who are so busy they can’t change into workout clothes and devote a half hour each day to sweating it out.  It’s active sitting.  It’s for jumping on any time during the day for even just a few minutes of heart healthy cardio.  It’s for executives to put at their desks instead of a chair so they are constantly engaging their core.  It’s for busy moms who have zero time to themselves. They can wheel the super lightweight chair around the house and outside to get a few minutes of exercise while they watch the kids play.  Active sitting means you can put it anywhere that you usually lounge - in front of the TV, by the couch, in the kitchen, and use it as a chair…. A chair that helps you move a little and contract those tummy muscles. 


I’ve seen it used by our back stage crew while they are punching buttons. 



People have told me they use it while reading, knitting, talking on the phone, during commercials, and even rocking a baby.  Don’t laugh, but over Thanksgiving we had so many people at our house and two unexpected last minute guests, and not enough chairs let alone space in our small (cramped, microscopic, miniature) old farm house, so I rolled the Sit N Cycle up to our table for the biggest meal of the year.  Now, I didn’t actually cycle, because my husband would have scolded me for taking this work out thing a bit too far, but I was sitting up straight and utilizing my core while I stuffed it full of yummy food. 


Even in a very small (teeny, wee, miniature) home such as mine it is perfect because you can move it around easily and it has a very small footprint.  In fact a small place is even better, because that way, you see it all the time and gives you a better chance of actually using it! 


Which brings us back to storm Maximus, (what is it with these names the Weather Channel assigns?) of early February.  My kids were not going to allow me to get in 30 minutes of exercise in one sitting; they are like 4-year-old infants that seem to need to eat every 15 minutes.  So my only hope to get in some cardio, short of running up and down my stairs, is to hop on the Sit n Cycle, crank up the resistance and get in 2, 5, 10 minutes here and there throughout the day.  It all adds up and I feel good knowing I can still be a very present mom and get in some core work and cardio at the same time. 


There is guilt that comes with taking time away from my family to work out but I do it most days because I know that if I exercise, I am healthy, and that will keep me around longer for my girls.  My greatest fear in life is leaving them early.  I have been losing my mom since I was 30 and it has crushed me.  I will do everything those doctors and scientists tell me to do in order to keep my mind sharp and my heart and body strong well into my 80’s 90’s and beyond.  Plus, for me, exercise clears my head and keeps the worry away.  And let me tell you, biking away my blues during yet another monster snowstorm is crucial.  Downed power lines, acres of snow to shovel & an energy bill equal to 3 months’ pay at my 1st TV job is enough to make a girl worry like crazy!!!


Keep pedaling Kerstin, keep pedaling!



 


I’d love to answer any questions you might have about the Sit N Cycle or any other wellness, mommy or QVC related question.  You can find me at www.facebook.com/kerstinlindquistqvc  or on twitter www.twitter.com/kerstinlindqvc


 


Have a blessed day and get moving!!!