I’ve got 7 kids and work out everyday — stop making ‘excuses’ for yourself
Mom of seven Emma Lewis, 39, is urging other parents to take better care of their physical health — asserting that those who say they’re too busy to exercise are “just making excuses.”
“I used to think I had too much on my plate for working out but it was actually because I wasn’t prioritizing myself as well as my kids,” Lewis, from Northern Ireland, told South West News Service.
“It’s a hard pill to swallow, but it’s total rubbish if you think you don’t have time to do a quick 10-minute workout,” the said. “If you can sit on your phone for 30 minutes, you can exercise.”
The motivated mama, who likes to do squats while lovingly preparing meals for her large family, began to change her lifestyle in 2021, after she noticed herself feeling extremely exhausted from long days full of chores, such as cleaning and packing lunch boxes.
Emma Lewis, 39, wants other parents to “stop making excuses.” Emma Lewis / SWNS
Lewis said that she used to feel “lethargic” until she started making small lifestyle changes. Emma Lewis / SWNS
“I used the think I had too much on my plate for working out but it was actually because I wasn’t prioritizing myself as well as my kids,” Lewis said. Emma Lewis / SWNS
She is a proud mother to Annabella, 13, Mabel, 11, Bobby, 9, Essie-May, 7, John, 6, Hugh-James, 3, and Wilfie, 19 months, but before she became a parent, Lewis recalled that she would exercise before work everyday, and would never leave home without a full face of makeup.
When she began to look at herself in the mirror two years ago, she claimed that she didn’t even recognize the person that was staring back.
“When I worked in HR I was always dressed professionally with pencil skirts and blouses and never without my hair and make-up done,” Lewis said.
“But when you’re navigating parenthood, it can all slip away,” she continued. “I was feeling exhausted, lethargic and unmotivated all the time because I was burning the candle at both ends and not having routines for myself.”
She claimed that these changes have even helped her marriage with her husband. Emma Lewis / SWNS
She is stressing the importance of self-care to other parents. Emma Lewis / SWNS
So, the thinspired thirtysomething began setting aside 10 minutes per day to work out, and found that it drastically improved how she was feeling — no longer was Lewis lethargic and sluggish. Instead, she was energized and invigorated.
Lewis explained that she does a “mixture” of weights and pilates, and tries to sneak in time for quick exercises while doing daily tasks, like taking weights into the bathroom.
“I even took up old pastimes like reading a chapter of [a] book a day and getting into making quick but nutritious meals,” Lewis added.
She said that she’s now in “the best shape of her life,” and is setting a good example for both her children and others.
Lewis has found the time to do squats while she makes dinner or during bath time. Emma Lewis / SWNS
A re-energized Lewis has chosen to share her words of wisdom on her Instagram page, @sevenlittlelewiskids, where she documents her journey as a parent and balancing self care with her over 2,000 followers.
She believes that it’s important to take care of yourself just as much as you take care of your children.
These little changes have made a positive impact in her family’s life. Lewis even claimed it has improved her marriage with her husband, Jonny.
“I was feeling exhausted, lethargic and unmotivated all the time because I was burning the candle at both ends and not having routines for myself,” she explained. Emma Lewis / SWNS
“It started with exercise and diet but now it’s about self-care which means reading, fake tanning twice a week and I never do the school run without my hair and makeup done,” Lewis said.
“Every parent is different but we all have things that are important to us.”
She explained that she often starts her day in a “deficit,” which means that her children’s school uniforms are laid out, and packed lunches are already in the car.
“It’s all about being one step ahead and finding smart ways to get things done for you,” she shared.
“When people message me asking how I do it all, I just say that I find the time,” she said.
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Mom Of 7 Says She Sets Aside Time To Work Out Everyday & That Other Moms Need To Stop ‘Making Excuses’
Emma Lewis, a mother of seven from Nothern Ireland, shared the trick that works for her whenever she wants to find time to work out but is feeling overwhelmed by her parental and household duties. Lewis even urged other parents to try and find time to prioritize their own well-being, claiming that they just need to “stop making excuses.”
The 39-year-old mother, who works as a motivational speaker and writer, will often use her Instagram page to promote the importance of mothers taking time for themselves, even if it’s just for a few minutes every day. In a particular video, Lewis shared how she was able to fit her own version of self-care into her hectic schedule.
“Do you feel like self-care is accessible for you as a busy mum? For me, the ‘typical’ versions of self-care didn’t fit with seven young children,” Lewis wrote in overlay text on a video shared with her 2,800 followers on Instagram.
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Lewis pointed out that there always seems to be something that needs to get done in her household, and that many of the self-care activities recommended to her don’t really fit with the lifestyle of a mom who isn’t gifted with much free time.
Lewis, the proud parent to Annabella, 13, Mabel, 11, Bobby, 9, Essie-May, 7, John, 6, Hugh-James, 3, and Wilfie, 19 months, acknowledged that since the gym isn’t an option, she chooses to workout for just a few minutes every day from the comfort of her house. In the clip of her exercising, Lewis said her children will often get involved as well.
“A run on the sand alone for me is a no… but a walk with the kids where I can breathe is doable,” she said. “These little people are my life. I give them my all, but I can’t be counted out when it comes to looking after my well-being because I am a busy mum who is always with my children.”
Lewis added that in the moments when her children need her to be present, she can do that, but she is also able to carve out time to be alone with herself. Lewis admitted that she used to think she didn’t have any time in the day to take care of herself.
In an interview with South West News Service, via the NY Post, Lewis shared that she wasn’t really prioritizing herself like she should’ve been.
“I used to think I had too much on my plate for working out but it was actually because I wasn’t prioritizing myself as well as my kids,” she told the news outlet. Lewis even issued a strongly-worded PSA to other moms that they need to “stop making excuses” for neglecting their mental and physical well-being.
“It’s a hard pill to swallow, but it’s total rubbish if you think you don’t have time to do a quick 10-minute workout. If you can sit on your phone for 30 minutes, you can exercise.”
Lewis, who revealed that she’ll do a couple of squats while preparing dinner, or will even walk around her house lifting weights, recalled being able to exercise before work, but after having seven children, she found herself losing the pre-motherhood version of herself.
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“When you’re navigating parenthood, it can all slip away,” she continued. “I was feeling exhausted, lethargic, and unmotivated all the time because I was burning the candle at both ends and not having routines for myself.”
“It started with exercise and diet but now it’s about self-care which means reading, fake tanning twice a week, and I never do the school run without my hair and makeup done,” she remarked. “Every parent is different but we all have things that are important to us.”Related Stories From YourTango:It’s crucial that mothers put the same energy into themselves as they are to their families.
Prioritizing self-care and well-being is important for everyone to do, including mothers. Mothers often find themselves juggling multiple responsibilities and tasks, which can lead to neglecting their own needs. According to a joint survey done by HealthyWomen and Working Mother, 78% of moms report they put off taking care of their own health because they were too busy looking after their loved ones.
It’s important that mothers, like everyone else, have their own dreams, aspirations, and interests that go beyond their role as parents. It doesn’t necessarily have to be exercising every day as Lewis does, nor should mothers feel shame if they find themselves not being able to go for a run or do yoga because of their busy schedules. Every mother’s journey is unique, filled with joys, challenges, and moments of exhaustion, and what works for one may not work for all.
Whether it’s a quick workout, stolen moments with a good book, or a relaxing bath after a long day, self-care can come in many different forms. Through these moments alone, mothers can be able to recharge and ultimately continue to not only give their best to their families, but to themselves as well.
RELATED: Mom Shares How She Was Able To ‘Recognize’ Herself Again After Having A Baby
Nia Tipton is a Chicago-based entertainment, news, and lifestyle writer whose work delves into modern-day issues and experiences.
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Husband keeps making excuses to get on expressway, wife fed up
A wife in the capital has become exasperated following the opening of the elevated expressway as her husband refuses to take any other road, even though the expressway doesn’t yet serve the areas where they live or work.
“Okay, we know Dhaka has a severe traffic problem,” Sanjida told this correspondent yesterday after getting off their car, following what she said was the 38th time in six days that her husband, Hasan, had veered onto the on-ramp of the expressway at the last second.
“And I know he, as someone who drives a car, has suffered in traffic all these years, but come on! It was fine the first day when the expressway opened, even cute how excited he was,” she said.
“But this is too much. I mean he comes home every day from work at least two hours late, because according to him, he took the expressway to make the journey ‘quicker’.”
“His bright idea was to take the on-ramp from Bijoy Sarani, in the opposite direction mind you, go to Kuril [7 kilometres in the opposite direction], get off the expressway, get on again from the opposite side, and then drive seven kilometres back to get off a few hundred feet from his office! Obviously, we missed the dawat.”
Sanjida said they live in Mohammadpur, and her husband works in Farmgate.
“I somehow knew, once I heard that the expressway would have a landing in Farmgate, that we were in trouble. Just yesterday, I left work and met him at his office, and we were supposed to visit relatives in Dhanmondi. Pretty simple, right? Wrong.”
Sanjida narrated that instead of taking a left turn at the Farmgate bus stand, or the next on after that, Hasan went on to the Bijoy Sarani signal, answering her frantic protests with the words “You’ll see, it’ll be quicker”, and took a right.
“His bright idea was to take the on-ramp from Bijoy Sarani, in the opposite direction mind you, go to Kuril [7 kilometres in the opposite direction], get off the expressway, get on again from the opposite side, and then drive seven kilometres back to get off a few hundred feet from his office! Obviously, we missed the dawat.”
She claimed this was the route Hasan took every day from work, even though there was no need for him to do that to get to their home.
“The expressway is great, you can get from Farmgate to Mohakhali, Banani, Uttara really fast and you can come back the other way in a jiffy. But we’re not going there.
“So, when today we were going from Banani to Gulshan, and he just saw the on-ramp and took a sharp turn onto it, I just got off,” Sanjida said.
When asked for her husband’s number, she willingly gave it. “Yeah, you talk to him, because I won’t.”
Contacted, Hasan said, “Listen, it is up to me to know the ins and outs of the expressway. And the roads are so good, the traffic so light, and all the while you know there is that insane traffic below. Plus, whenever people discuss the expressway at work, which is like all the time, I have the best answers.
“And can you imagine? Airport to Farmgate in 10 minutes! I just know there is a hack to Dhaka traffic, and I will keep trying till I figure it out. Hold on, I have to pay the toll at Kawla now.”
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