March 23, 2020

Adding Fitness to Motherhood

read time: 5 minutes

Finding time to workout can seem challenging and once we add in marriage, children, a career, and keeping a home and it can seem nearly impossible. I have felt discouraged but I’ve learned that creating and maintaining a workout routine even with a busy schedule is possible! The key is not finding time, but making time. There are 168 hours in a week if you start with 5 hours of exercise a week that’s only 3%!!! Totally doable. If you have decided that fitness is a priority, keep reading! Here are 5 tips to adding fitness to motherhood.

-Plan out your workout week

Plan and organize your workout week the same way you plan your work and/or childcare schedule. Always allow for extra time, inevitably unexpected things will come up. There will be mommy fires you must extinguish. Just when you are about to leave for the gym a child poops on the rug and you have to clean it, or you hug your kids good bye before a long run and someone vomits all over your cute new running clothes. When creating a schedule look for pockets of time that work for your family, even if they are less than ideal. When my twins were newborns they would consistently wake up at 3am. I would feed them, change their diapers, and then try to go back to sleep only to be woken up by my 2 year old around 6am. I never fully rested in that time and realized I could go on a run or workout and feel energized for the day. I never would have chosen 3 am as my ideal workout time, but in motherhood each crisis is an opportunity. You got this!

–Involve the whole family

Have you wished you had as much energy as your lil ones do? Take advantage of that and join in! You will be modeling the importance of physical activity for your children and teaching them how to take care of their bodies. We are constantly discussing good habits regarding both exercise and nutrition with our kids and having them also hold us accountable to make wise decisions. You can get active with your little people in so many different ways; playing tag, running on a large field, jumping on the trampoline, any of these will hardly seem like work and the bonus is you’ll probably be laughing so hard your abs will be getting a workout too! If they are involved in as many sports as mine you can use that time to exercise. Simple exercises or running the field they are practicing on can be a great use of time.

-Invest in a trainer

If you are just starting out or have a specific goal in mind like losing a certain amount of weight, increasing strength, prepping for a race, having a fitness professional can be well worth the investment. I have often asked for personal training sessions as gifts for Christmas and my birthday. A personal trainer can tailor workouts to meet your goals, teach you proper form and technique to prevent injuries. A great trainer will keep you motivated and wanting to keep coming back!

-Focus on nutrition

On days that workouts aren’t going to happen (work, kids, injury, etc) focus on eat a variety of healthy, nutrient dense foods and avoiding fatty, sugary foods and snacking too much. Nutrition and activity are equally important in good health and feeling well. Meal prepping and planning out what I am going to eat for the day helps to keep me from making bad nutritional decisions.

For every nice picture there are about 10 of these 😉

-Workout with a buddy

While working out with a friend would be the most ideal, there are other options such a group fitness classes, stroller workouts that can involve your baby or small children, interactive fitness apps, and about a zillion free videos on YouTube. I have been teaching group fitness classes for 17 years and some of the women that took my very first class are still taking classes. Many of the women in the class have become friends, continue to take classes together and now hold each other accountable. Combining a playdate for your kids and a workout with your mom bestie could be a match made in heaven for a busy mom.

-HAVE FUN!!!

This may be the MOST important tip! Chose a workout program or activity that is fun, one that you look forward to doing, that brings you joy! Enjoy the process more than the end, often times people quit before they meet their goal. If you love what you are doing, you will remain consistent. I have found that body pump (a full body barbell class) and long distance running are what makes me jump out of bed excited to work out. I have friends that love hiking in groups, it’s a workout and a social gathering all in one, others love CrossFit, spinning, yoga, or apps that provide short intense workouts. Keep trying different activities until you find your fav.