How to Keep Fit--- the Easy Way

Out for a walk...

I just came back from an hour of walk with my pre-schooler--- she on her trike and me on foot, sweating under a sweater and a leather jacket. The day is gray with tiny drizzles of rain. (Or mist? I'm not so sure.) So I thought a leather jacket will be warm enough, but it got too warm as I walked.

Walking is one of my easy (and enjoyable) way to keep fit, which I do twice in a week. I do other things, which I'm going to share with you in a moment. But why keep fit?

When I was younger, I kept fit to stay in shape, but I have more reasons than that now that I'm older. There are the body pains that usually go away after a few minutes of stretching and a cloudy mind that gets its dusting with every move and stride I make.

Keeping fit is essential to our bodies especially to those who are not getting any younger any more. And we don't get it by simply reading about some people who look fit and young because of their strict exercise regimen. But for many of us, it is a struggle to just simply get up and get moving, much more to do it daily.

I understand this struggle. With four kids to care and look after, a household to keep, work and interests and dreams to reach, I sometimes neglect this much-needed routine just to  have time for other things. Which I'm guilty to say I am more enthusiastic about. But having a fit body and a sound mind is important in every aspect of life as a parent, as a spouse, and in our relationship with God.

Listing down things I do, keeps them in mind more readily. Here's what I do in a week to keep fit.


1. Do the walk.

The ideal way for me to get the most out of a walk is going by myself. However, it always doesn't happen that way. So, I walk with kids. Sometimes, a kid or two. I invite the Honey to walk with me. And I do a prayer-walk around my neighborhood area or somewhere different from my usual beaten path.

I love to walk where I haven't walked before. That's why my husband is often astonished to learn that I have been in some places in our city where he hasn't brought me before. As I've mentioned, I go walking at least twice a week.

2. Dance to the Music!

On other days that I cannot go walking, I dance for 30 minutes to Zumba videos at least three times a week. The following videos in Youtube is enough to pump up some energy for me for the day, as well as, get my rusty joints stretched before I have my breakfast. Try this 15-minute Zumba video,  4-minute body toning video and a stretching video. I love that the first video is in French, and so easy and fun!

I also get my kids moving, especially when they are caught indoors because of nasty weather, by getting them do some kids zumba. And to get them enthusiastic, I move along with them to music such as "Gummy Bear" or "Hickory-Dickory-Dock", which my little pre-schooler loves. (She's a great dancer!)

3. Get soil-dirty hands.

Digging in the garden for even just thirty minutes burns 200 to 400 calories! And that includes pulling weeds and planting.  Planting vegetables have an added bonus of putting food on the table--- the healthy ones.

I have to pull weeds or our yard will resemble a beautiful Russian forest, complete with a big, brown bear. I try to get the kids in on the activity but the most they can give is five minutes, except for an empathetic Angelika, who cannot bear the thought of her mom with so much to do and no one to help her. Anyhow, working in the yard is a good bonding moment and families should do it often, working together.

4. Playtime! 

I'm not talking about video or computer games. Playtime should be with traditional games or sports. Perhaps we, adults, should be reminded how to have fun again with something as simple as playing tag or playing with a ball. There's nothing more rewarding than playing with the kids and nothing more fun while burning calories.

When I'm out of ideas, I just race the kids to the next lamp post or play a simple game of football or basketball using unlikely objects as a goal or a basket. As they are growing older, I introduce little-by-little traditional Filipino games--- the ones I played when I was a snooty-nosed urchin. There is "Seven-seven-up", "Patintero", "Luksong tinik", "Tumba Lata", "Piko". Aside from "Seven-seven-up" which we have mastered by far, we are still in the process of getting them down pat.

During winter, I roll around in the snow with them or have a snowball fight. Accordingly, minding kids and playing with them burns 300 to 600 calories.

5. Have fun with house chores. 

Ah, chores. Who likes them? Not me. But I've adopted the kids' attitude of fun, so I can get them done. And scrubbing or even just vacuuming has made me sweat so I guess I'm doing some sort of workout even if just a little bit. Even a moderate housecleaning gets a hundred to two hundred calories. In wintertime, shoveling some snow always guarantees a good workout even for just twenty minutes. In fact, ten minutes of shoveling snow will get you so warmed up you won't want to go back to the drab and boring indoors.

Not only are these activities good for keeping you fit without much thought... and maybe, effort, but they are also therapeutic. Walking always gets me back into a happy, calm mood. Dancing makes me laugh and do silly things without getting embarrassed. Digging in the dirt makes me feel human, knowing that I come from the ground. Playing keeps that youthful spirit in me. And doing chores? It keeps the house clean and having a clean house is bliss!

Whatever we do, let's do it as unto the Lord (Colossians 3:23) For if we do, we will benefit greatly out of it. God's blessings are poured to those who willingly obey Him and it is His desire that we will be fit and in good health. Finally...

"Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things 

and be in health, just as your soul prospers." 

(3 John 2)

You may also like to read...

Keep it Simple

Rest: Jesus' Secret to a Well-Balanced Life

Ways (for a Mother) to Keep Calm

Warm Thoughts On a Frosty Night

Our yule tree is still up but there are more pine needles and christmas balls on the floor than there are on the tree. Little Roxy has been busy shaking the tree and "trading" balls around with her older sisters. She thinks they should be carried around hanging from the fingers, like a vendor would when selling ready-to-eat rice wrapped in niyog (coconut) leaves. These vendors are usually found in the Philippines in places where people are on the move, usually get hungry and  have no time to spare for cooking, like bus terminals or stopovers.

There's a snowstorm brewing right now. Our second to be blessed with for this winter. Snow has been scarce and so it's welcome. The brick fence with all the snow that settled on it looks so dreamy. Every time I see fresh snow, this comes to mind:

“Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18)

The scene outside is like that of angels plucking feathers from each others' wings and flinging them all around in happy abandon. Maybe they're having a pillow fight with the pillows of clouds bursting white snow. So much activity going on outside, pretty much unlike the scene inside, well, without the children. In a weather like this, I don't need much, just some hot tea, a heated floor, family around, a book, my notebook and pen, and a warm blankie. And yes, my necessary zumba on some mornings to get the stiff out of my creaky bones.

Keep It Simple

Winter in Russia by Oksana Yushko

Sipping my tea while waiting for Ella to finish her cereal, I type away as the two older kids torture each other with tickles. It's almost mid-morning but it's hard not to savor the last of the holidays. Tomorrow things will be back to usual--- waking up at seven, groggily making way to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for my son while wiping away sleepy cobwebs from eyes and ignoring a more incessant call for sleep with a pounding headache, and after that, get Ella ready for kindergarten. Usually, after seeing them off, Roxy's robust voice will be heard calling for her mom. Or for potty time. Or breakfast.

But that's for tomorrow. Today, I've got today. I have a choice to do what I want with it. But what?

We got to celebrate Christmas yesterday and the day before that. And since it was Sabbath, I was doubly blessed. I was able to take part in a musical program, sang two beautiful songs and the next day, had a party with the young ones.

Actually, if I haven't come to this part of the world, I won't know at all that many observe Christmas way past the new year, unlike most countries who do so on December 25th. And I'm glad to be ending all these holiday-making (from December 25th to the New Year to January 7th) with the thought of Christ's first advent. And the reason why I'm still here. Here, anywhere in this world. And why I'm waiting, so earnestly for Jesus' second coming.

Beauty

Li'l Angelika in a costume made
by my late mother, when I was away
 and unable to be with my daughter,
a few days before 'the storm'.

Beauty
is not found in heavily made up ladies,
Neither in the sparkling diamonds or glitters of gold
Brimming from necks and limbs;
Nor in the latest models of gadgets or antiques of old,
Strings of possessions and processions of things.

Beauty---
if you care to look--- is in the eyes
Of one where joy resides, see as she smiles
At the future in this ocean of life,
Facing with mirth its every ebb of tide,
Grateful, joyful for every unexpected love
Committed on the vow she made to the One above.

Seize the Day!

source

As I'm typing this off on my phone (and later on the computer), the sunlight is streaming through the windows. The sky... My! It's drawing pictures. Running horses there, a misty mountain here. Beautiful. It is much like the day I intentionally claimed and became one of my beautiful days--- vibrant, dreamy and raw.

Spring is coming. I can almost smell it. And it fills me with hope. And so much love.

It started off as just a day I claimed was for me. One that involves going far from all that distracts me from having a much-needed time with myself, like my highly affectionate kids and husband, and the technology I seem to struggle with finding balance. I have to simply be alone--- just me and my God. The objective was just to go out and see the world with eyes of hope. And love.

I have developed in-grown eyeballs. This is a common malady for many women. It is hard to see life and the beauty in it when one's sight are often directed inwards. It is a surefire way to be miserable. I need to see life.

Rest: Jesus' Secret to a Well-Balanced Life

Source

Most days I run around the house trying to get things done before going to work or before going to bed at midnight. These 'must do' tasks sometimes just bobs up in the surface like a hard to clean pan that I must scrub bright or a cleaning supervisor will suddenly appear over my shoulder and "Tsk tsk" me for a job not done well. I have gotten to the point where I am confused which things I really should do.

Then I got sick. And gone is the strength that powered me as I zoomed my way through the hours of the day (and night). I was left with mounds of dirty laundry and ironing that I did anyway even though I didn't want to, and meals to cook even when I didn't want to eat. All I wanted was to disappear between the blankets, soothe my pounding head with the calming sound of my throaty, labored breathing.

Mount Up with Wings: Flying by More Than Just the Seat of the Pants

And so... it has been a week since the old year has been gone and the new year has begun. I am glad and grateful to see another year in my life. God is good!

How are you doing with your resolutions so far? As with every new year, I am often pressed to make new year's resolutions but it has been years since I had given up making a go at it. Instead I have brought before God in prayers my goals and dreams, and the intentions in my heart to live rightly, hoping fervently that He guides me every step of the way to fulfill them.

However, the past years had come with lots of surprises, pretty unexpected ones at that, and I was often left trying to swim through or wing it out by the seat of my pants (Ouch! Sounds painful). So, to counteract all this uncertain happenings, I am going to have a goal to make a goal. (So far, this week has given me  a bit of momentum. I have a list! Yay! :D)

And here's what I have in mind...

Taking Roots: Home, Sweet Home

It has been excruciating for me not to blog or write. Or even think. The past few months have been very strange. Life, though, went as usual, but I felt like a stranger to myself. I wasn't enjoying what I usually found enjoyable, and instead was drifting. The only explanation I could give was that I was trying to adjust to being transplanted, while at the same time finding my roots again. It wasn't an easy journey as seen by the number of blogs  produced in the past five months. But it sure is awesome after finally making sense of what is happening with me.

I have God to thank for, and the people and circumstances, and even a TV show, that showed me what I have been missing for years. (And here I thought I don't watch TV :)) I realized that I have lost my roots. For the many years I have been trying to fly--- away from home and to the places I wanted to be and the person I thought I will be--- I had forgotten that one still needs a home after all the flying is done.

When Less Is More

It's the middle of the day and I'm looking at a small peso bill. What can it buy? Several diapers and a little food for the baby, some toiletries, but maybe not enough to give some to my friend for food for the week. Fear jumped on me. And worry started to woo me. Then as suddenly as it came, I remembered how God made Himself real to me by His Word, and worry was stopped in its tracks. I can still vividly remember that night...

Planting Seeds of Responsibility

I went through my usual routine-- saw my husband and preschooler off for the day, had a short worship with my two older children who were staying at home because of school vacation, made breakfast, fed the baby while the two kids ate, had my quick breakfast and got on with the chores. Before loading the laundry in the washing machine, I checked the girls' rooms to make sure there were no stray socks lying around.

I noticed right away Angelika's neatly made bed. She was assigned of making her own bed since age five and even before that, but it has only been recently that she has taken it to heart. It is like the task has become her crowning glory. Her bed looked fit for a princess. I felt pride for my daughter. There has been no need of telling her to do the job.

Aging in Grace

Doing her walk. Barefoot.
Which I so love to do!

Midlife. Life do accelerates after midlife.

So do aging. Wrinkles. Worries. And wilting.

May is my birth month. I just had my birthday. Another one in so many that I am blessed with. They are sure coming one after the other! Praise God!

This has been the first year that I have spent a whole year as an alien in Russia. Knowing from my previous experience of living in a foreign land, I will soon have to say goodbye to the honeymoon stage.

Life goes on.

And tomorrow will be my youngest baby's first birthday. And though I wish I can bake a cake, I prefer to buy one and spare myself the trouble of going crazy over flour strewn around looking like baby powder all over my kitchen. There is also the problem of what to do with an inedible cake. I don't even have any idea what baking powder is, or baking soda, or if a cake needs yeast or not. (If I sound ignorant, that is because I am. I am terrible in baking. That's why I am so mighty proud of my Bilinchik/Russian pancakes. Which, by the way, doesn't include baking.)

My baby, though, is not aging. I am.

Somebody suggested that I should stop counting my age. For him, it's just too many years and the more years, the more it gets embarrassing to mention.

Maybe he is right.

I'm no longer the young girl that I was.

But I don't feel even a tiny bit sorry for being past that season--- not with the acnes, the awkwardness and uncertainties.

Does this mean that I am for aging--- wrinkles, aches, senility and a boring existence?

Wrinkles, well... I am now careful with my sun exposure which was unheard of when I was younger. Having too much sun is dangerous. It's widely known now how sun exposure causes wrinkles, sagging and accelerates ageing.

Aches. Got to exercise!

But a boring existence? Really? As I grow older, I encounter more challenges than I care to handle.

And senility? How about if I read more books and make more friends than I care to eat my chocolates? That would be good for my aging brain.

Or maybe they mean, serenity. No amount of challenge can move you when you have already encountered them all. (Especially if you have moved  past the embarrassing and the murky.)

I prefer to thank God for adding years into my life, and ask, "What else do you have for me, Lord?"

Each new day is a miracle. In it is the knowledge that I may be growing in maturity and wisdom. If not, then I am given another chance to grow.

With age comes the promise of the fulfillment of dreams and richer experiences.

I'm looking at the other side of the coin--- the one filled with possibilities, life and adventure.

Besides, life is too short. God reminded me of how it really is.

As David was in anguish over the wicked, trying not to sin with his mouth by keeping silent, his feelings burned within him. (Can relate much. Sigh.) And he cried,

“Show me, Lord, my life’s end and the number of my days;
    let me know how fleeting my life is.
5 You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
    the span of my years is as nothing before you.
Everyone is but a breath,
    even those who seem secure."

Then David prayed. He is positive. And that kind of thinking is anti-aging.

“But now, Lord, what do I look for? My hope is in you.
8 Save me from all my transgressions;
    do not make me the scorn of fools.

Hear my prayer, Lord,
    listen to my cry for help;
    do not be deaf to my weeping.
I dwell with you as a foreigner,
    a stranger, as all my ancestors were.
13 Look away from me, that I may enjoy life again before I depart and am no more.”
(Psalm 39:4,5,8,9,12,13)

My hope is in God. So is everyone else who believes in Him. In Him is salvation from sin, and our wrinkled, wracked-with-sin bodies. In Him we find grace.

We find a rich supply of grace as we live our short, borrowed lives in a world that is not truly ours. We dwell with Him.

Aging becomes not just a process we go through but a gift full of possibilities and one of it is the hope of getting closer to the heart of Jesus.

Growing wiser.
Making good choices.
Living a full and abundant life.
Leaving a legacy.

Aging in grace.

When Resignation is NOT an Option for a Burned Out Mom, What is?

The kids enjoying the sunshine...

Yesterday I was totally exhausted even before the clock struck 12 o'clock midday. And it was also the day I had to go out to work.

Yes, I only go out to work once a week and am compensated very well for all that trouble of dressing up and looking presentable. Most days of the week, I stay at home or work from home. I know, I'm more than blessed.

But yesterday I wasn't feeling blessed. I was feeling burned out... and feeling so alone in my struggle to keep up with all the things that I had to do as a mom, that I was ready to throw in the towel and resign.

Then I remembered. I am a mom. A mother. One who has to be on duty 24/7 and has no idea where to hand in her resignation.

Makeover

Ohoo! I have curly hair. Yes, I just had a makeover.

Any woman won't probably say 'no' to a free makeover. That's why makeover shows are very popular. Who would not wish to be transformed to the best version of themselves?

Thus, when my husband suggested that I should have a makeover, even feeling slightly insulted (husbands are supposed to love their wives even for worse, read: wrinkles, fat rolls and under-eye circles. Ho! They rhyme!), I didn't decline outright.

Being in Russia and surrounded by beautiful women, I felt I needed it. Though I'm really wondering what could be done with falling hair (an after-giving-birth and nursing-a-baby phenomenon), sagging breasts and loose skin.

At any day, however, I can pass for a  sixteen year old (I'm short), that is, if you won't look too closely. Then you may catch a glimpse of a line or two on the forehead or a downy shadow of a mustache. 

Wasted

"Be careful how you live, not as fools but as those who are wise" (Ephesians 5:15).

I watched as I poured the contents of an expensive bottle of wine down the sink and out of sight into the drainage. It was a gift. But after an innocent request from a three-year old girl asking for a drink of juice with the bottle of wine in her hands, I decided to take the matter into my hands. No strong drink will my children ever see in this house, if anything is up to me. Wasted? No, not if it's  down in the drain and not in somebody's throat.

An Ordinary Man (or Woman)

An ordinary man, who has given his heart, life and ALL to God, is extraordinary. He has recklessly abandoned self to Christ, surrendered his will and wishes, and taken up the dream and life God has for him. He is living a bigger-than-life adventure. Everything he does touches lives. Everything he says is filled with wisdom and life. Everywhere he goes he leaves traces of God.

See it for yourself... 2 Corinthians 4:6-10, 6: 9-10

Blessed to Give

Last Monday was Ella's birthday. I have prepared birthday celebrations for my kids with more budget than we had that day. But by far, this was the best...

I have read about celebrities and rich people celebrating their birthdays with the less fortunate, giving a portion of what they have, and their act of giving is oh-so-inspiring. However, for many normal people, celebrating the way they do remains a wishful thinking...

To Drink or Not to Drink

"Sorry, I don't drink." 

I'm not sure how many times I had to say that line in just one evening. It was the night my husband introduced me to his friends. And for the most part, socializing usually involves a little bit of drinking or eating while talking. It would be too awkward when the talking gets a little too slow and one is left with just twiddling thumbs or gulping air.

Happy Place

A prayer garden in Korea

This is going to be a short post. Yay! I can almost hear you shout.

Where is your happy place? Physically, we get worn out and we often can't wait to get home to find rest. Emotionally, where do you go? Some find comfort in food. (Beware!) Others, in activities. I do, too. But I have found that being in a certain place is a sure way to get me back to my happy. Here they are in any order.

Woods. 

I have to admit that I saw a photograph that a friend shared on Facebook, and 'happy place' came to mind. It was a picture of an unpaved road, with tall trees and green grasses on both sides. Looking at the pic, I could almost hear the silence, with only the sound of my footsteps as I imagined myself walking on that road, crunching the leaves underfoot, with the wind softly blowing on the leaves of the trees and on my face. I could almost smell the fresh, clean air until...

I smelled the neighbor's food cooking, wafting through my window and I was brought to where I really was. Ah, it would always be pure joy to be in that place.

I have walked with my husband in the forest in Russia, when he took me hunting or fishing and I greatly enjoyed it. I love the green all around and the wild flowers growing without care on their own. I love the silence. It soothes the busy clamor deep inside me and echoes the music I want to hear in my heart. I have also enjoyed climbing up hills full of beautiful trees in Korea, where a nondescript prayer garden is hidden. 

Walking is one of my happy activities and so are singing and thinking-praying. I can do all that in the woods. I could belt out my favorite hymns while walking without fear of getting embarrassed. You should've heard me. I give my best concerts in such occasions. Praying-thinking or talking with God while walking is best done in the woods. I talk, even out loud (well, nobody is there to hear except God), while examining the intricate design of a leaf or flower that our Creator has made, or while I gaze with amusement at the cheerful antics of little robins. I tell God of my joys or the burden that is making my heart heavy and I hear Him whisper words of love and comfort. Peace rolls over me and I leave the woods happy, knowing that I had just been in the presence of God.

Bookstore/Library. 

I used to frequent libraries, but after having my kids, it has been impossible to visit one since I cannot go there with them. There is an image in my mind of them turning the place upside-down and inside-out. They can't get their hands off books and I'm so sure that they'd pull them down, everyone of them,  to the floor. My fears may be unfounded as we had been to the library once. And it went pretty well. Maybe I should take them there more often.

Well, instead of libraries, we have been going to bookstores. And that has been the hanging out place of the girls and me. It is actually a very 'clever' way of doing one of the things that I love--- rubbing elbows with friends (read: browsing books... What a nerd!) and reading. I say 'clever' because the kids can have their own children's books to read, while I have my own choice of books. I don't have to sit down with them and read the same book over and over and over again, until I get all nauseated. The repetitive act is like getting carsick, and at times I can't help but ask, "Are we there yet?"

So I have my books and the girls have theirs, and it's bliss time. Until it's time to say goodbye. And we sadly say goodbye to 'friends'. Some, we won't meet anymore; some, we get to see again. (Haha...)

Bath/shower room.

This is where stress, milk residue and food bits get washed away. However, I can't be in that happy place for long before a knock comes on, and some little one asks: "Ma, what are you doing in there?" Then, another knock, and another, and another. What do they think I am doing there? If I'm lucky, I get a peep and a  surprised, "You're using my bath wash!" 

Sometimes, it's the only place where I can find a little quiet time to talk with God without waking anybody up early in the morning or in the middle of the day where kids are running the place.

Garden.

I get my hands dirty here as my back is warmed with sunshine, my brow sweaty, and my heart happy. So therapeutic! The smell and feel of soil on my fingers is enough to remind me I am loved by a Creator who takes time to shape and give me form. And even as I work, He works in my heart.

Etc.

There are also the little spaces where I sit to write or read the Bible which, by the way, is anywhere as long as I can have a few minutes. And the room where I iron gives me lots of time to reflect and enjoy solitude and fresh, clean laundry.

I have found that my happy place is not actually contained in just one place but in a variety of places where my heart have found repetitive joy. My heart chart shows that when I intentionally seek God, there I come out happy. And we humans are beings of habit. Whatever gives us delight, we seek.

So, what's your happy place? For moms, I encourage you to find your happy place and return to it again and again and again, especially when days are long, noisy, chaotic, messy and just plain crazy. Find the time. For yourself and for your loved ones. You will find that by having your happy place, you are teaching your children to nurture their happy spirits. You are teaching your husband to value you as a person and your happiness. Because once mom is happy, the whole family is happy. Take the time, find your happy place.

And may your delight is found in God. He promised, "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4). You'll see it's true:"Happy are the people whose God is the Lord" (Psalm 144:15).

Eyes to Behold

Me and my taped glasses...

I am currently looking more like an absent-minded professor, not because my hair is all over the place (which is quite normal when one seldom uses the comb or hair brush, like I do), but because I am sporting a pair of glasses that's obviously taped on one side of the handles. Yeah, with one of the handles broken, the glasses might as well be broken as I will still have to get a new pair for replacement.

However, husband said that I will have to wait for when I get back to Russia to get new glasses as he wants to be around when I am choosing the new ones. He doesn't like the pair that I am wearing now and he cannot trust my judgment for the reason that I don't have style. He wants to make sure that I don't go overboard with my 'unusual' style and embarrass him by walking around with a star-shaped, glitterati pair.

I admit I could at most times be eccentric, but it is mostly on my line of thinking and philosophy, and not much on style. Currently, I have the leopard-framed, oversized glasses. I don't know what it says about me, but I like them as they are flexible, light and, well, unusual. My husband though has a different idea. For him, with the glasses I am wearing now, I might as well be wearing a pair of binoculars for all the style that I am exhibiting!

Uncomplicated

I saw this immaculate row of plates filled with neatly cut vegetables. The table where they were on was tidy and attractive. A promo guy was demonstrating how they came to be-- the neatly cut vegetables and the tidy table. I watched in awe as he 'cut' a whole carrot in just a few minutes, without making any mess. Wow! It was totally out of MY world!

When I work in the kitchen, expect some damage and casualty like you would do during a war. Vegetables fly around while I try to contain my uncontrolled chopping and slicing. Kitchen utensils fall down or jump around like there's zero or double gravity. I am a wild, undomesticated cook. Usually, after the cooking is done, you can imagine the kitchen to be a very off-putting place to dine.