Becoming the Housewife MacGyver PHYSICALLY

Welcome to May!

This month our Housewife MacGyver efforts are focused on becoming more MacGyver physically. Because we all want a little bit more of this... ;)

image via http://rdanderson.com/
This was the closest I could find to a shirtless photo. To be honest, I didn't want to take too many chances searching for pictures of shirtless 80's men online because that could lead to all sorts of unwanted images seared into my brain for.ev.er. May the men of the 80's rest in peace.

Okay, I will never have pecs like MacGyver... and, since I'm a woman and not a man, that's something I can definitely live with. That's not the goal this month, either (unless you really want it to be).

Becoming self-reliant physically, to me, means having my body and muscles ready to do whatever I need them to do, when I need them to do it -- and feeling and looking good should be part of that package, too, right?

We have some great guests this month who will be talking about different aspects of physical self-reliance, so now is the time to start making your goals and getting motivated! Just a baby step in the right direction is all it takes to get started! You could...

• remember to take your multi-vitamin
• sign up to take a CPR course
• learn how to cook a healthy food that's always scared you... like kale or spaghetti squash or even whole wheat bread
• have your blood pressure and cholesterol measured... perhaps as part of an annual physical? :)
• start using those home exercise videos you've stockpiled but never opened
• re-stock your medicine cabinet with the summer-essential bandaids and first aid ointment... and probably some after-burn lotion for all the sun you'll love soaking up! or, better yet.. sunscreen!
• drink more water
• or really ANYTHING that will help you (and/or your family) become more self-reliant physically

I have two goals this month:

Be physically active *on purpose* for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. I walk for 30 minutes with  my mom 2 days a week, and now that the weather is finally warming up here (and the snow from the weekend has melted :), this is a doable goal for me right now -- just a small 3-days-worth step in the healthier direction. I emphasize on purpose because chasing after my toddler in 2 minute bursts really does add up... but I don't know that counts for the same health-benefits for me as real, concentrated exercise. ;)

When I was planning Housewife MacGyver back in October and November, I thought this would be a good kick in the pants to get me running again since I am TERRIBLE at running when the weather is dreary and/or cold. But, since this little bundle of joy I'm carrying doesn't always respond well to physical exertion and feeling light-headed and nauseous for two days after a good workout is NOT part of a healthy exercise regimen, I'll be sticking mostly to walking, and walking a local 5K at the beginning of June.

Cut out the junky snacks and replace them with healthier snacks. We are a family of snackers. And we love our sugars and fats... and not always in moderation. Especially since I've been pregnant, I want something to crunch at all times. So, instead of going for potato chips and Whopper eggs left over from Easter, I'm making an effort to have healthy crunches around and readily available, too -- apples and celery are our favorites, plus the rest of the veggie tray regulars and crackers. A cracker with peanut butter is almost like a nutty bar... :)

So, what baby step(s) are you going to take this month to become a Housewife MacGyver physically?