When we start to get busy, the reasons for not exercising come easy: I have no time; gyms cost too much money; there’s no one to watch the kids during a workout.
Instead of skipping workouts, a group of Westchester women are joining the “No Excuse Moms” fitness movement. “It’s about making sure you do the best that you can with the resources that you have,” says Ossining’s Shannon Andino, a fitness instructor and regional leader for Westchester. The free—yes, free—group meets year-round in places like the Ossining Public Library, Richter Park in Yonkers, or WeeZee World in Chappaqua, so there’s no need to gripe about the cost of a gym membership. And mothers and other caregivers bring their kids with them— “I’ll have the mommies use their children as resistance,” Andino says—so there’s no need for a babysitter.
The No Excuse Moms movement was founded in California by Maria King, whose photo of her workout-toned body and three young kids—captioned “What’s your excuse?”—went viral on Facebook. The photo intrigued Andino, mother of a 4-year-old and a 16-month-old, enough to start a Westchester chapter, but says the benefits have gone beyond the purely physical. “It’s really just about fellowship of being with other moms,” she says. “We work out together; we do 5Ks together. We ask each other questions about our children.”
For information, visit www.noexcusemom.com.