I get it. I get it. It can be hard to find time for fitness as a mom! That’s why I am here for you and ready to share the mom’s guide to finding time for fitness! Read on my friends!
Today I am 6 weeks postpartum with Holland! She’s my fourth baby and currently it feels like my plate is pretty full. So much good stuff! But yeah, very full. My arms are full with the baby girl and my mind is full from little conversations happening with and around me.
I have yet to make a plan to get back into teaching my group fitness classes, which keep me highly accountable to my fitness routine. I actually don’t know when I’ll get back to them with childcare not being available at the gym until my little girl is 6 months old. Until I get back into my teaching schedule I am creating my own fitness goals and routine! Here is how I guide myself and fit it in, even when life already feels so dang full.
Mom’s Guide to Finding Time for Fitness
Decide your fitness goals
What are you wanting to accomplish with your fitness? Move your body? Get stronger? Get faster? Become more flexible? Here is where you start to plan out what you want to accomplish in your fitness routine. Decide on the type of exercise you want to do.. Next, start writing down how often you want to workout and how many minute you can fit in.
Start slow
There is no reason to jump into an hour a day, every day for your workouts. Ease into it your workout routine with 10-20 minutes a day. That could be mean it’s your planned workout, or going for a walk. Find time for the small amount of intentional movement, then add more in the coming weeks as you find more time and become ready for longer a duration and challenge.
Write out your schedule
If you find it hard to make time for fitness, write our your day to see where little pockets of time are hiding. Maybe you know Tuesdays are super scheduled days for you, but Wednesdays are a little more lax – make that a day where you fit in fitness.
Utilize the fringe hours
Find your fringe hour – those times where you actually have quiet moments to yourself where you might just hop on your phone and zone for a while. Maybe you’re an early riser (like me!), or you like the night hours (so not me) – use those fringe hours, or minutes and schedule in your fitness there.
Make the extra minutes count
There will be days where you feel like you just can’t make time for an intentional workout – that is okay! Utilize pockets of minutes throughout the day. Add 10 squats every time you walk down the stairs, do 5 push ups every time you get down onto the ground to play with your kids, lunge down the hall way, hold a 1 minute plank when you change a diaper… the idea is to add little bits of extra movement into your day. It really does add up and gets your body moving more throughout the day!
Include your kids
Use your extra movement and workouts to include your kids. I find kids LOVE to workout with you! They are little mimics and just want to do what mom’s doing. Use that to your advantage and put on a workout video to do together. It may not be as calm and controlled as it would be without kids, but you’re moving and having fun together!
Turn play dates into workout dates
I love getting together with my mom friends that have kids and going for a walk or even taking it to the track for a workout. It’s a hilarious mess of kids running around, mom’s tag teaming in to hold a baby, and taking turns running, jumping, and pushing themselves. Plus it is so fun to have a workout partner that pushes and encourages you!
Insist on you time
Maybe working out with your kids just doesn’t seem doable. Maybe it’s hard to separate yourself from mommin’ when you’re trying to workout. If someone else gets home to be with the kids, insist on taking 20 minutes for yourself. Head outside and do a quick walk, put on a yoga video or lift a few weights. Insist on that time for yourself and put it towards your fitness. Remember to fill your cup back up so you have something to give to others.
Give yourself grace
There will be days that are hard as a mom. You really won’t find any fringe minutes, you won’t get relief from someone else (I get that since my hubby travels), you’ll be tired from sleepless nights, the kids won’t partner with you for a workout and it’s pouring outside so no one wants to go for a walk. Those days will come and that’s when you remember to give yourself grace. There is no need in beating yourself up for a missed workout. Just try the next day, be as intentional as you can, and make as many of those extra minutes count.
If you’d like to hear more about building a workout schedule and sticking with it, be sure to check out episode 12 of Fit Mama Real Food Radio!
Yesterday I took my own advice and turned on a 20 minute yoga video (Sarah Beth Yoga is my favorite!) during the kid’s quiet time. A few minutes into it Hunter came up and instantly wanted to join me. We moved, laughed and enjoyed that slice of time together. It felt so good to move again!
How do you find time for fitness as a mom? Do you have a workout routine you adhere to? Are you working on creating one or currently looking for inspiration to get started?
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