As a full-time working mom you’ve got a lot on your plate. Some days it feels impossible to just get dinner on the table successfully, let alone sneak a workout into your day.
But no matter how busy you are, taking care of your health and fitness will benefit your whole family. When mom wins, everyone wins!
Here’s how busy, everyday moms manage to fit fitness into their lives and how you can do it too.
• Involve your family in fitness
Getting everyone involved in exercising can make it feel less like a chore and more like fun. You’ll check both boxes if you opt for a family run in the evening or a workout video that everyone can do together at home. When your kids see you having fun while working out, they associate positive feelings with exercise and see it as a regular and healthy part of life.
• Schedule/plan fitness
Prioritize and plan your workouts like you do every other part of your life. If it’s on the calendar, it’s happening. Look at your week ahead and choose two or three days that you can get in a workout. It’s okay if it’s only 30 minutes during your lunch break. Start scheduling fitness and it will become a regular part of your routine.
• Workout before kids get up or after they go to bed
If you don’t have time to workout during the day because you’re busy with your kids, squeeze in your workout while they’re sleeping. Trust us, getting up for that extra-early alarm will be tough at first, but eventually, you’ll find you have more energy even though you’re getting less sleep. Alternatively, put the kids to bed and then get in your workout. They sleep while you sweat means you don’t have to miss another second of precious time together.
• Get help with accountability
Find other everyday moms who prioritize fitness and make them your tribe. You can find a fitness group online, through your gym, or friends in real life. If you can’t find a group, start one. Having people who deal with the same things on a regular basis and have a common goal in mind will help motivate and encourage you to stick with it.
• Bring them to the gym
Many gyms offer childcare, so that you can workout at your convenience and don’t have to worry about a babysitter. The Edge Fitness Clubs doesn’t just have childcare, they have active play programming! Edge Kids allows you to workout for 2 hours, while your kids are staying active playing basketball, climbing a rock wall, pursuing obstacle courses and much more! This gives you no excuses to miss a workout!
Know that just like parenting, some days will be easier than others. Sometimes you might be full of energy and excited to workout, while other days it’s the last thing you want to do. Your schedule will get jam packed. Kids will get sick. Your spouse will have to go out of town. Take those days and weeks in stride and plan to get right back to it when life is normal again.
Prioritizing your health and fitness makes you a better and stronger mom, which is all your family really needs from you—to be the best version of yourself.
