Imagine with me for a second, and enter into my world. You are standing in front of your mirror looking at yourself. You are now a single parent, tired, haggard, and stressed. You were going for the whole “MILF” look like that Fergie song talks about, but are looking more like a hot mess these days. As you are listening to your iPod, TRYING to get motivated to simply move, the “Rocky” theme song comes on. Oh NOW you REALLY start getting pumped. You start doing the slow jog in place, and you are really feeling it. You give yourself an overeager high coach style pep-talk in the mirror: “You’ve got this, KP, get your workout in while you are feeling yourself, girrrrrrl!” Then, BAM!! At the climax of the song, the music comes to a screeching halt (insert glass breaking sound effect for dramatics). Your 4 year old walks in and states in a matter of fact tone, “I have something in my pants, mommy.” Reality hits. Your “Rocky” image is shattered. My kid has pooped his pants. Well…..Sh*t happens I guess… literally.
As I reflect on last year around this same time, I was writing an article on how working MARRIED cop parents must navigate the horrible shift work schedules and the constant daycare woes when all the NORMAL people are off on the holidays. This year, I am now struggling to navigate the SINGLE PARENT life, while still maintaining my horrible shift work schedule and daycare woes. Honestly, I am currently writing this article with my son sitting on my lap, blocking the computer with his head, and trying to use the computer mouse like a tennis ball.
Single parenting has certainly been a learning process for me. One of the most IMPORTANT things that I have had to sacrifice is my workout schedule (surprise…. it’s NOT my dating life!). I have learned to become pretty creative and use the time that I have to my advantage. Here are some of the ways I get my workout in on my new single mom schedule!
The park is fun for everyone-
My favorite thing to do as a mom is take my 4-year-old son to the park. The first time I took my son to this particular park, I was like a kid in a candy store. I WAS the giddy child as I looked around and started taking inventory of all the equipment and how I could take advantage of it for a quick workout. Now, there aren’t a lot of other tattooed moms around at this park, but the other moms seem to tolerate me. When this big “Life Event” came about (the DREADED D-WORD… divorce…go ahead and insert dramatic music here) I knew I would have to adjust my workout times due to my new single mom status. So, I thought to myself, why not utilize this time at the park?
At the park, there are TONS of cool exercises you can do on the playground equipment. Swings, pull-up bars, monkey bars, different height steps to do stair steps and different push-up variations, ropes, lots of things to climb… the opportunities are endless. Try getting your child involved in your workouts by doing sprints at the park, and making it a “Race.” I will be posting a new series of “Mommy workout” videos on my Instagram page @kpatfitcops of different exercises you can do on playground equipment, so make sure you check it out there!
The house (use your kids as weights…)-
You don’t have any weights at your house, you say? You have nothing to work with to build that booty, you say? Say no more! Just use your kid as a weight! You think I am kidding, but I am not. Trust me on this. Use your squirmy little one to cling to your body like a leech on a water buffalo, and start moving! You can do all SORTS of exercises with your children hanging off of you. They will think it’s a GREAT time - a mommy or daddy human amusement park - and you will get your weighted workouts in with little to no expense at all. Obviously, if you have grown children, that are bigger than you, then you might have to re-think this so you and your child don’t get hurt. But, with the small ones, throw them around and lift away, you human roller coaster!
Take advantage of your free time at work
I used to use my lunch breaks at work (when I got them… let’s just be real, we are cops here and sometimes the idiots don’t stop doing stupid stuff so we can take a lunch break) to drink coffee and waste time until shift change. Now, being a single parent, I have to find other times to get my workouts in. This means my lunch breaks where I used to chill with my best buds and discuss the latest gossip about me around the station, is now reserved for 40 minutes of fast and furious weight lifting.
I find the time restraint of my lunch break is incredibly beneficial to my workout routine, because I don’t have TIME to waste resting between sets. My lunch workouts are high intensity, high heart rate, with little to no down time between repetitions. Use your lunch break to your advantage and make the most of the time your department provides.
To all my single working parents out there, I want to give you a shout out. We can do this. Let’s all get to working out and bettering ourselves. This is going to come in to play especially for the second thing on the single parent life list…. the other dreaded “D-word”… dating.
