11 ways to find time to exercise as a mom
Since having a baby life kind of gets turned upside down and your priorities shift. Sometimes the things that were a priority in your life no longer are. Fitness has always been a big priority in my life. Working out is a way for me to blow off stress.
When I had my son I cancelled my gym membership, because as a new mom I thought there was no way I could manage having a child and workout. I didn’t trust leaving my child in the child care at the gym, and I didn’t want to go through the hassle of finding a baby sitter every time I wanted to workout. As time went on and I got the hang of this new mom thing. I became creative, and I found ways to workout and focus on my goals while having a new baby.
I am going to share with you 11 ways I made time to exercise with a new baby!
Exercise during nap time
Of course, easier said than done! Depending on how your child is, sometimes they make you work for those naps and by the time you get them down all you want to do is sit and do nothing…I get it! BUT! I promise once you get moving and start exercising you will feel a million times better and you will actually have a lot more energy.
Quick workouts
Burn the most amount of calories in the least amount of time. I rarely do isolated workouts where I just focus on a single muscle group. I do quick full body workouts that target multiple muscle groups and get my heart rate elevated. I feel like these workouts give you the most bang for your buck! Check out my fitness tab for tons of ideas for workouts!
Walk or run with your stroller
Pre baby I could not wait to have a baby so I can run with a stroller. Oh man but once that baby came it took some practice to get used to running with a stroller. At first I wasn’t really a fan, my back would hurt and it just made running 10 times harder. With lots of practice it had become part of my daily routine, and it has actually helped me burn a lot of that baby weight off!
Workout first thing in the morning
This is always my number one tip! Maybe because I am a morning person, and I am most productive in the morning. I always have to wake up and just get my workouts done! If you get your workouts done and out of the way first things in the morning you can relax or get errands done the rest of the day. You have no time to talk your self out of a great workout if you make it your number one priority for the day.
Find a friend to hold you accountable
Most people are willing to stick to their fitness goals with they have a little partner in crime. There are plenty of mamas out there too that are looking for a fitness friend. Make some new friends and get after your goals together! If you are more of a solo workout person, post on social media
Join a mom workout group
When my son was just a few months old I HAD to get out of the house and meet other mom friends, so I joined stroller strides. It was a great way to meet other moms and get a great workout in! It was a consistent Monday through Friday at the same time everyday. Each class was an hour workout that consisted of cardio with your stroller (running or walking) and exercises with resistance bands. After the workout the mamas all hung out while the kiddos played. It was a great way for me to get my butt in gear and meet other mom friends. Besides working out and play dates, they had monthly moms night outs. So, if you are in need of a kid free time out with some mom friends look into stroller strides and see if they have on in your area I highly recommend it!
Have a plan
Have your workout plan of action ready the night before that way you have something to look forward to in the morning, and you don’t think of any excuses to get out of that workout. Your plan could be “workout after breakfast” or “morning run before breakfast” or “naptime workout”. Choose the time of day and then decide what type of exercises you will do. Will you exercise be a run, a walk, a high intensity workout, a full body workout, in home leg day workout, there are so many options! If you need ideas here is a weekly calendar with a workout for you to do every day of the week!
Get your clothes ready the night before
If you’re a person who needs their workout clothes laid out and ready to go then get it together the night before. Shop for a new outfit if that’s what motivates you. IF you just want to get the workout done throw on any old shirt and some stretchy pants. All that matters is that you get moving! I found a great pair of workout leggings for an awesome price on amazon click here!
Let your kids join you
Sometimes its hard to get that workout in while my child is asleep, so since I have plenty of workout equipment in my garage I placed a baby gate at the end of my garage, and I let him run wild in the garage. I gave him some pieces of equipment to play with to keep him entertained. My son loves jumping on my bosu balls like a trampoline and throwing my stability ball around. Whatever keeps him entertained while I can get my workout in…I’m all for it!
Create a gym in your garage
Gym memberships can add up, especially with the cost of child care! Grab some weights off amazon and a yoga mat and use that as a starting point. There are plenty of exercises you can do with just a simple pair of dumbbells! Here is a simple workout you can perform with just a pair of dumbbells.
Work out with your baby in a carrier
Ok sometimes your child can be super clingy whether they are cutting teeth, not feeling good, or they just want to be glued to your hip. Place your baby in a carrier and get outdoors and exercise. By simply having your baby in your carrier and walking you are burning calories and working muscles in your core to hold your child upright. If you really want to get those muscles firing try out my baby carrying workout!
Below I had the opportunity to have some moms chime in on their tips and how they find time to workout as a mothers.
Emilee a stay at home mama makes it a point to get outside for walks to get some fresh air and vitamin D!
Emilee is a millennial SAHM who loves cooking, hiking and has done a bit of traveling too. You can check out her blog at www.explorewithemilee.com
Tiffany is a mom blogger who multitasks!
Tiffany Thomas is a chocoholic former math teacher and homeschooling mom with Crohn’s Disease. She and her husband Phillip (who is an engineer) work together on the blog Saving Talents. They enjoy spending time with their family, geeking out over sci-fi together, and saving money.
Niomi a mother of 4 prefers first thing or as early on in the morning is the best time to fit in a work out. Once it's done she feels proud of herself! Her top choices are yoga or weights!
Niomi is a mum of 4 little ones aged 3-7 with a 5th on the way. She is a British ex pat living in the Swedish Arctic where she runs her wellness centre Stellar Wellness offering massage, yoga and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy CBT. She recently started an online business to have more freedom to work around her kids. She provides online 1:1 women's relationship coaching. Her mission is to help women prioritise self care and self love. She blogs about women's wellness. She is launching an online course in June: CBT and Mindfulness for stress and anxiety.
Www.Stellarwellness.se
what are you tips, and tricks for working out as a mom!? Comment below!