Sharing some fitness tips for busy moms today. Many of us are juggling work, kids, life, and it can be overwhelming.
Hi friends! How is the week treating you? I have 1:1 client calls all day today and am excited to meet up with a friend for a workout in the morning.
For today’s post, I wanted to put together a roundup of tips for my busy mommy friends. I know my mom friends have a lot to think about and juggle a variety of tasks throughout the week, and it can be hard for moms to focus on their own self-care and fitness.
In today’s post, I share some practical tips on how to make exercise a part of life despite busy schedules.
Fitness tips for busy moms
Get up early… if you can
For my friends who may be early risers, this is your time to shine. For all my friends who are fellow night owls, this one may not work as well. This may also not work if your sleep quality is terrible or you wake up frequently during the night to feed, change diapers, or comfort yourself from bad dreams. I am a big believer that the dream ALWAYS wins. If you’re exhausted, take time to rest and recover. If you try to power through a workout (particularly something high-intensity), it will only increase your cortisol, make you feel more stressed, and you probably won’t have a great workout anyway.
If you’re getting a good night’s sleep and enjoy making time to exercise in the morning, set your alarm before the kids wake up. It can be pretty amazing to work out early in the morning before the team gets up.
Split your workouts
Don’t be afraid to break up your workouts into multiple blocks of time throughout the day. Before I had kids, I had the mindset that if it wasn’t a full hour workout that left me sweating my eyes out, it didn’t count. Little bits of movement throughout the day absolutely add up. You can break your workout into 10-minute blocks: 10 minutes of strength training, 10 minutes of cardio, 10 minutes of core work, and stretching for 30 minutes of total exercise time.
I share more ideas of how to do this in this post. It’s also important to note here that the overall daily movement is HUGE and it’s a pretty active time in life when you’re chasing a toddler who’s crawling around the house all day.
stay flexible
Something that helped me dramatically in ALL aspects of parenting: lower your expectations. If you have high expectations, you are setting yourself up for disappointment. I went on every ride with the stroller knowing it could be an hour or 5 minutes. I was mentally prepared for any situation. 😉 Don’t be afraid to change things as needed and change and adjust plans depending on what’s going on.
Don’t be afraid to include children.
I used to think that working out had to be something you did alone, away from the team. She didn’t want the children to think that she was ignoring them. And then the world went dark. I switched to home workouts for over a year, and for most of that time, the kids were home with me. I quickly learned that they LOVED joining the yoga, kickboxing, and cardio dance classes. And then, when they got bored, they would go find toys to play with, a coloring book or a LEGO set.
Now, I’m always happy when the kids see me taking the time for strength training on demand or in the garage. They see me taking time to do something that makes me feel good, and I’m happy to set an example. 
(The BEST Little Hiking Buddies)
Hydrate
It’s easy to underestimate the importance of hydration, especially when you’re busy with kids. Try to drink at least half your body weight in ounces each day. (For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, aim to drink 80 ounces of water.) Have a bottle of water that you love and that you can carry with you throughout the day. Proper hydration can have a positive impact on our skin, hunger levels, digestion, immune function, and metabolism. Up, buttercup!
Ask for help
It’s SO hard to ask for help, but it’s always worth it. You don’t have to do everything on your own. Ask your partner if he or she would mind watching the kids while you take an exercise class, take a long walk, or take a nap. 😉 If you have the resources to hire an occasional babysitter, if you can give her the opportunity and the space to do things she might not otherwise be able to.
plan ahead
I’m a big fan of planning ahead, with the expectation that plan B or plan Q must happen. Take some time each week to set a rough schedule, outline priorities, and see what workouts you can plan ahead of time. (Even if you don’t have a set time, you can put something like “am walk” so you know you’re going for a walk sometime in the morning.)
Plan as many meals as you can ahead of time.
It’s always hard to open the fridge and see a ton of ingredients, but there are no real meals. Take some time to plan meals each week, including a few breakfast staples (boiled eggs, yogurt, oatmeal, etc.), lunch staples (salads, soups), and dinners. If you need help with your meal planning game, I have a free download here with my method, plus a weekly planner and additional recipes.
Meal prep over the weekend
Take some time over the weekend to prepare for success. I love to snack on a few veggies each week (big trays of roasted veggies to add to scrambles, wraps, and salads), protein (eggs, chicken breasts, turkey meatballs, etc.), and batch-cooked grains like brown rice or baked oatmeal . . Find out which staples you love to have on hand and take an hour or so to whip up a few favorites for the week ahead.
Opt for convenience options as needed
Anything you can do to make your life easier: do it. If you can’t find time to batch cook chicken, buy the chicken that is already cooked and sliced. Don’t have time to boil eggs? Buy the already cooked and peeled. Don’t want to chop a bunch of vegetables? Go for pre-chopped. See what staples you’d love to have but don’t have time to make, and enjoy ready-made versions.
Create a routine that makes you feel excited
It’s MUCH easier to stay motivated and consistent when you have a routine that you really enjoy. You must look forward to your workouts and meals; if you don’t, it will be much more difficult to maintain it in the long run. If you feel bored with your routine and want to try something new, Join us for the Fit team! A LOT of group responsibility and the workouts are great.
Be graceful and remember that time is short
Remember it it’s okay for your relationship with fitness and your priorities to change after having children.
I feel like the gym used to be a huge part of my life, I was constantly training and teaching, and now it’s something I’m IN, OUT and DONE. I take a very limited number of clients in person and currently only teach two classes a week. I don’t want to miss out on adventures with the kids, so I’ve learned to keep my personal workout routine very short and effective.
Your fitness mojo will ebb and flow over time, and that’s okay!
If your goal is to lose weight or lose body fat after babies, remember that you always win slow and steady. Give yourself time and focus on slow and sustainable habits. If you are postpartum, focus on healing your body; has been through a major athletic event.
If you are in a part of life where you say, “This is not a high priority for me right now,” give yourself the grace. Instead, aim for movement throughout the day (walks, stretches) and nutrition that energizes you. Take a nap when you can, enjoy the hugs, and know that you are going super fast. Liv is 10 years old and I can’t believe it.
So tell me folks: any fitness tips you can share with busy moms? You always have great ideas.
How has your relationship with fitness changed since having children?
xo
Gina
