EXERCISE FOR THE BUSY MUM

Tips for busy mums to help jumpstart your fitness journey

Mums’ schedules can be hectic. And it doesn’t matter if you are a stay-athome mum or you are back at work. You are busy. You can’t even go to the bathroom without an audience! So how are you supposed find the time or the energy to exercise?

When you are lucky to find some down time, often you would rather sleep, read or just relax. But before you do that, remember that working out gives you more energy, helps relieve stress, improves your mood, increases muscle tone, boosts your confidence and makes you healthier. You owe it to yourself and your family to stay as healthy as you can!

So, here are some tips for busy mums that might help to jumpstart your fitness journey.

1. Schedule work outs for the week.

Look at your week ahead and schedule in your workouts. We know that a mum’s life is not always structured and sometimes you might have to be flexible with your plan. That’s okay. But if you plan to exercise, there’s a higher chance that it’s going to happen.

2. Take advantage of naptimes.

You could either put the bub in the pram for the nap and go for a walk or work out at home while the bub naps in the cot.

3. Find a playdate work out buddy.

Find a friend who is also a mum and would like to get fit. During the playdate, while the kids are playing together, you can work out. Another benefit of this is that you are also socialising at the same time.

4. Find a gym or an outdoor training with crèche.

This option gives you the benefit of being able to actually focus on the workout and your ‘me time’.

5. Work out before the kids get up or after they go to bed.

For new mums or mums with kids who don’t sleep through the night, I don’t recommend waking up too early. Sleep is your priority and if you are not getting at least six hours, I wouldn’t recommend waking up early. However, as another option perhaps you can work out, run, or walk after the kids go to bed.

6. Work out during your child fitness activity.

If your child does a sport, instead of sitting on the sidelines and chatting to other mums (or playing on your phone), you could go for a walk or a run. Of course, this one depends on your child’s age and the activity they are doing.

7. Get the kids involved with you.

Working out with kids is never easy, but if you make it fun, they can be really good and fun workout buddies. In the past, I would create a little obstacle course in the park for my son and we would work through it for a time (believe me, I was out of breath after a few times). This is also a great way to bond with your kids.

8. If you are back at work, then use your lunch break.

I know that when many mums are back at work, they try to use their lunch break to do their own home admin (paying bills, getting quotes, booking holidays, etc.). But what if every second day, you would try to fit in a workout? You don’t have to sign up to a gym or do anything too sweaty. Start with a 30-minute walk. You could even get your colleagues involved.

9. Forget the all-or-nothing attitude.

Remember, even little things can make a difference. A 10 to15 minute workout is better than no workout. Walking to the shop instead of driving or parking a bit further away and taking stairs instead of the lift, counts too.

Remember to be kind to yourself. If your kids are sick or you had a rough day at work, it’s okay to miss the workout. It’s about consistency and what you do on most days, not that one ‘bad’ day.