Family and Fitness: Tie Score
October 22, 2011 by thepranamama
Filed under Featured, Health & Fitness, Mom's the Word
It’s 5 o’clock in the afternoon on a crisp, October day. I’m driving home from work, my head swirling with to-do’s, my body aching to move after a long day at behind a desk. It’s been a full five years since I last spent so much time on my rear end, and I’ve never missed fresh air and sunshine like I do in this moment. But despite this yearning for a cool-weather workout, I know my family is waiting, and most likely a run is out of the question.
When I get home, I am desperate for time with my kids. In only a week of working full-time, I’ve already realized the joy of being greeted at the back door with squeals of “Mommy!” and arms thrown around my stiff lower body. Sure, I could pause their excitement, tell them to hold that thought for just 45 minutes. But in 45 minutes they’ll be tired, cranky and likely eating dinner. I’m not sure my own physical well-being is worth missing out on this time, at least not now while they still like hanging out with me.
Instead, I quickly change into sweats and we head out the door with a soccer ball. We walk and run “the long way” to the soccer fields in my neighborhood, chatting about the day and forgetting about the toys and T.V. left behind. No one is at the field, and my kids and I take turns running to half-field and back, then shooting on goal. We come up with other silly drills, including dribbling while pushing the baby in the jogger, and while I let my six-year-old score in dramatic, just-missed-the-ball fashion, I realize my heart is pounding.
Score one for mom, successfully multi-tasking a workout and fun with my family at the end of a long day at the office. The fresh autumn air, the dimly lit sky and the cool green grass take me back to my childhood, playing soccer on a team with my friends and my dad coaching from the sidelines. Those were the days, when exercise wasn’t an item on the to-do list, or a personal challenge to beat some time or distance goal. Instead, it was a fun way to connect with others, enjoy nature and learn important skills like coordination and teamwork. Watching my kids run and laugh, tripping over their own feet but having fun all the while, I am reminded of these joys, and I am grateful for our quick, family soccer game.
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