Our 5 Best Tips for Getting In Your Workouts As a Busy Mom
Being a mom is a rewarding and demanding role - one that can completely feel like it’s filling up our cups while simultaneously emptying them. We often hear from our community that one of their biggest barriers to exercise is TIME. Lack of time. How in the world do you find time to workout!?
We have a great podcast episode that covers some of this as well if you want to take a listen to it!
My sister Krystle and I have been there. We are still there. Krystle and I have 6 kids between the two of us and we’ve been in the trenches of motherhood where it feels like you don’t have a spare moment to even go to the bathroom - let alone workout!
What we also know is that working out is an incredibly high priority in our lives. Throughout our journeys through motherhood, we’ve figured out what works - and what does not work - for us. I thought today I would share my top 6 tips for prioritizing your physical fitness during those demanding little people years.
(Hopefully you’ve heard of the Expecting and Empowered App and know that we prioritize these workouts in our lives each and every week!)
Tip #1. Workout on days when you have support - even if that means the weekend.
Back when I was working as a nurse, it was incredibly hard for me to get my three Expecting and Empowered workouts in during the week. In my mind - I loved the idea of being able to workout during the week so I could spend all weekend with my babies. However - my weeks were crunched. It wasn’t working - I would have to get up super early - and any mom out there who has a baby still not sleeping through the night, the idea of waking up extra early is so awful.
The weekends - I knew I had the support of my partner Drew. I knew I could get in two workouts.
So I had to shift! I focused on getting in one strength training workout during the week, and left two of them for Saturday and Sunday! Was working out on the weekend my favorite thing in the world? No. But did I feel great knowing I was still getting in my workouts? Yes.
Tip #2. Prioritize your well-being.
Often people ask how I stay motivated to workout, but I feel like the key is actually making it a habit.
The trouble that a lot of mothers have after they have kids is finding habits that work for their current season. And I get it, that was really tough.
The benefits of prioritizing exercise:
Mental health benefits
Energy boost
Improve sleep
Improved body image
Up to the physical tasks of motherhood
We talked about scheduling and that you might need to shift your workout days to the weekends. That connects to this point of prioritization - are there ways you can work to prioritize your workouts?
Here’s what I mean by that:
Work around your workouts - build you day around when you can workout.
"For example if you know you want to get a workout in on Saturday and Sunday, make sure to schedule/plan them into your days rather than waiting to see how they fit (because we know how full weekends can get if we are not intentional about it)"
Prioritizing yourself and your needs/well-being
Can you communicate with your support people?
When you workout - you feel good - you can enjoy your life. Live the life you want to live.
We’ve got a free habit tracker for you to download so you try it out for yourself!
Tip #3. Make your workout space YOURS.
Working out at home CAN be successful. What does your workout space look like? Do you have a designated workout space?? If not, create one!
Having a designated space just for working out can make all the difference! Even if it’s small or unfancy - it doesn’t matter! Just knowing that you have a space completely dedicated for your workouts - where you can roll out your mat, grab your weights and escape to, will mentally help you prepare and execute your workouts.
What could this look like?
Somewhere where you can shut the door if you have kiddos who like to pop in and you want uninterrupted time
Could be an unfinished part of your basement
A home office
A bedroom, etc
Tip #4: Find movement where you can.
There are ways that you add in more movement to your day where it doesn’t feel like just one more thing on your to do list. How? Use stairs instead of elevators, park farther away from the store entrance to increase your walking distance, or take the kids to the park where you can engage in active play together. Can you take a meeting while on a walk or treadmill? Can you and your kids ride your bikes to the park?
Do you have to watch kids sporting events? Could you walk around the field while they practice?
Being creative about ways to move your body that feels good to you, and feels natural to your everyday life can really make a difference.
Tip #5: Does Not have to be “all or nothing”.
A lot of us have this idea that if we can’t do an hour workout then it doesn't count - and that’s just not true! We have to move past this all or nothing mentality - especially when we’re in the throes of motherhood.
Some is better than none
Try setting a 15 minute timer and see what you can get done in that time - anything more than that is a bonus
If you have to stop a workout due to your kids - its okay! Come back later if you can.
Progress over perfection
It’s the little things that add up over time
Small habits lead to large change over time
I hope these tips are helpful to you and you can find some ways to implement them into your life. Remember, even small steps towards staying active can have a significant impact on your well-being. Stay motivated, be flexible, and enjoy the journey to a healthier and happier you!
- Amy Kiefer
FOR EASY TO FOLLOW POSTPARTUM WORKOUTS
Download the Expecting and Empowered App, and all you have to do is show-up, push play, and know that you’re taking care of your body in the BEST way possible postpartum.
