It’s about damn time The Lowly Vegetarian aka my little, big sister Sarah contributes a new blog post, eh? Well today, we’re all in luck ’cause not only is she sharing her experience as a busy mom trying to stay fit but I’ve also just hired her as my new assistant! YES, this could go really well or horribly wrong! But in all seriousness, I’m getting way too busy helping all you lovely veegs reach your JACKED ON THE BEANSTALK vegan training & nutrition goals (a good problem to have for sure.) And truth is, there’s no one else I trust more in this world to get me better organized (and tell me to shut the eff up) than my one and only sista. 🙂

So for anyone e-mailing me or to those who’ve emailed me in the past and never got a response (sorry, I suck) prepare to hear from Sarah! And yes, she’s still a Lowly Vegetarian despite working FOR a VEGAN. Unfortunately the Labour Board of Canada won’t allow me to discriminate on the basis of her dietary choices. 😉

And on that note, here is the Lowly Vegetarian’s latest & greatest, totally random post: The Mom Workout

By Sarah Shorkey

I’m always seeking health and fitness advice from my little sister Sam. I always appreciate her input, but sometimes her ideas are a little unrealistic to me as a mom. My life revolves around my kids so I don’t have a lot of free time. I’m not trying to play the “I’m so much busier than you” mom card, but seeing as I haven’t had a private dump in five years, I’m guessing you probably have more free time than I do.

Staying healthy and fit has always been a priority for me and I will always make time for working out. I will never be one of those moms who say that you don’t have the time to work out when you’re a mom. You just have less time to work with. So, the mom workout tends to be a little different.

For me, the luxury of working out to inspirational good tunes pumping through an iPod is a thing of the past. Either you’re working out when baby is napping and you have to keep a close ear to the monitor or you have an older (non-napping) child whom you have to somehow incorporate into the “fun” workout. If you’re going to take some “mommy time,” you have to make sure your kid is entertained.

When my son was little, I’d throw in an exercise DVD, mute it, and put on something like “The Smurfs All-Star Show” so he could dance while I worked out. As far as he was concerned, we were doing the same thing. Doing choreographed cardio to the Smurfs rendition of “Old MacDonald’s Farm” is less than ideal, but you do what you gotta do. I had this favourite circuit because it just happened to be in sync with the fast-paced “Smurf a Happy Tune.” Sad, I know… But man, I rocked that shit!

Another trick was scheduling my run on the treadmill during my son’s TV hour. This way he was entertained and I could have a good (undisturbed) run. I also scheduled my ab workout during this time slot because when you have a toddler, any floor exercise becomes an invitation to be treated like a trampoline or wrestling partner. And while I suppose adding an additional 25 lbs. could be beneficial, oxygen is also a requirement for a successful workout.

The age of your child is a major factor. These days, I have a new baby so forget scheduled workouts. My workout happens when I have the chance. One day it may be in the morning, the next day it may be in the afternoon, and maybe one day it isn’t happening at all. And I try not to beat myself up about it. It’s all about the effort. The older baby gets, the easier it will be for me to pencil in some well-deserved mommy time.

Regardless of how we do it, staying in shape is important.

We can’t all be Sam Shorkeys and have an ass that looks like we stuffed our shorts with a couple of human heads, but we do what we can when we can.

It’s the effort that matters more than anything.

Editor’s Note: Yep, it’s me Sam again. Thanks for the compliment, Sare… I think??? And ahem, let us not forget who’s got the husband and family. If my ass is so damn nice, why am I still single?!?!?! Nevertheless, great moral to the story. I hope you enjoy my inclusion of the above “bootylicious” I mean, “human head stuffed” photo. Thanks for the post! I’m now off to the gym, then I’m gonna plan my next vacation whilst getting a massage. Give the kids my love. 😉

– Sam Shorkey, Jacked on the Beanstalk