Book review: The Clean Momma Workout
If your excuse for inactivity is "I don't have the time to work out", Carolyn Barnes empathises.
The turning point came one day about six years ago when her then two-month-old son Jack puked all over her in the kitchen. She threw a dish towel on the floor and used her foot to wipe up the mess while holding Jack in her arms.
The swiping leg movements left her feeling a burn in her inner thighs - the same kind of burn she had felt in her legs training as a professional dancer for more than 20 years. She craved more, so she threw a couple of damp rags on the kitchen floor with some water and soap, and began to use her feet as mops. Her heart raced, sweat flowed, and inspiration struck: she would call this marriage of exercise and housework Taskercise.
And now, this book: . Barnes, now a certified Pilates instructor and life coach, takes the "workout" to a deeper dimension in the 197-page paperback. She includes not only her exercise routine, but also advice for getting in order your home, diet and your overall life.
Barnes also offers exercise suggestions for cardio, and variations for seniors and children, and also for situations while you're on the road: waiting in a car park, cruising the supermarket, waiting in line or sitting in a plane.
In the final section, Barnes, who went through a divorce and bankruptcy in 2010, offers advice for cleaning up your life. This involves letting go of clutter in the home and in life, calming your inner chaos and setting priorities.
There is really nothing groundbreaking about . Incorporating exercise into daily life has been preached about at length, the healthy recipes she offers are the usual fare, and her motivational tips are self-help staples.
But just as a new pair of running shoes can be the kick in the pants you need to get out the door, a new book could be the spark that you seek in your workout regimen.
In her next book, Barnes should also consider another problem many Hongkongers face: "I don't have the time to clean my home."