Working out is extremely important to me. It’s something that makes me feel good and happy and if I don’t get to do it, I’m not myself. When you become a mother, there’s something that pulls inside that makes you feel like you must devote your every waking hour to your children. And a sense of guilt comes over you if you are to ever think of doing something for yourself. So we’ve all asked the age-old question “How do working moms find time to workout?”
There are so many benefits to working out, but the stress of work, keeping the house sparkling clean, and taking the kids to and from their activities makes it super difficult to fit in a workout.
That’s where this blog post fits in. In this post I’m going to highlight how I approach each week when it comes to working out, why planning ahead is so important, and some workout ideas to help spark some inspiration for you to plan your own week.
How do working moms find time to workout?
It may be a fine line for some between caring for your children and taking time for yourself, but if it’s important to you, than it needs to be prioritized.
But listen, making it a priority and overcommitting then blaming yourself for not achieving your way-too-high goals are two completely different things. There is only so much time in the day, and so much to do, so go easy on yourself and be flexible.
If you’ve read my schedule tips for working out as a working mom post, but want to learn more, here’s what my week of workouts typically looks like.
How do I find time to exercise as a working parent?
Planning
For me, planning is so important. If I don’t think through what my week looks like ahead of time, I’ll just keep telling myself “I’ll go tomorrow.” And when I’m not fully committed to going, any little excuse—especially the “I’m too tired” one, is too easy to give in to. Looking at the calendar and making sure I can fit exercise in, whether it be in the morning, in between meetings or after work on days without activities, gives me the motivation I need to make it to the gym.
Sundays are great planning days. I usually plan my workouts during the same time I plan my meals and prepare my grocery list for the week. (I love my Happy Planner for planning everything. It’s like my own customizable planning notebook!)
Setting Expectations
I’ve learned—through planning—that going to the gym 5 days a week isn’t a realistic goal for me anymore. Nowadays, if I can make it 3 times a week I feel great about it. There are so many things that happen during a typical week when you are working full time and caring for your littles. Not only that, my kids have soccer, golf and dance during the week and between Brett and I splitting the drop-offs, there’s no time to workout and put dinner on the table on some nights.
What my week looks like
It’s been a struggle to find the time and motivation to workout since the very first day I went back to work after my oldest was born. Back then, I was still commuting to work for almost 2 hours a day in traffic. And although Covid changed things significantly, as I am able to work from home, with that comes another struggle. It’s hard to shut work off at the end of the day and it’s easier than ever to jump back in.
The one thing that has always helped me is scheduling my workouts around class times. Taking a gym class is the ideal workout for me, and that’s because:
- After a long day of work, I don’t have to think about what I am going to do at the gym
- It gives me variety because every class is different and I don’t get bored
- I can pencil them in and make a plan to be there for class time
- I get to try new things, which makes working out exciting for me
When I discovered HitFit, it was even better, because there is no specific class time. You can show up whenever and have a great workout already planned, on your schedule. And it’s an intense workout you can do in only 45 minutes.
Here’s what my typical week looks like:
- Monday – HitFit class after work
- Tuesday – Rylee Soccer, Reece Golf (split duties between Brett and I)
- Wednesday – Rylee Dance – HitFit class while Rylee is in dance from 6-8pm
- Thursday – Reece Soccer (off day, home with Rylee and prepping dinner)
- Friday – HitFit class or a run/walk on the trail if I don’t feel like driving there
- Saturday – Soccer games/off day (on the field almost all day and pooped after from being in the heat. Might do something at home, but typically it’s errands or hanging out with the family)
- Sunday – Walk on the trail or rest day. Plan schedule for the next week
Workout Ideas to add to your schedule
If your curious about trying a new gym with lots of class options, I’d highly recommend something like a Burn Bootcamp, which has times all throughout the day, or my current location, HitFit. The YMCA offers some classes as well, and there are others popping up like Hotworx and OrangeTheory. Check them out, try a free trial and see if any of them work for you and your schedule.
If those are not an option for you, there are also ways to get workouts done on your own. If your in a pinch and need some inspiration on how to keep your workouts fresh, here are some ideas. Add these to your next schedule during planning to mix things and try something new.
Treadmill / Trail Workout
If you have access to a treadmill at home or at the gym or even a trail, an interval sprint workout might be something to add to the mix to keep things interesting.
Sprint Intervals
How to do it:
- Warm up at an easy pace for 10-15 minutes
- Increase the speed to a challenging all-out effort and sprint for 30 seconds
- Recover at a moderate speed for 2-3 minutes
- Repeat these intervals 5 or 6 times
- Finish with a 10-minute cooldown
Cardio-Sprint Pyramid
How to do it:
- Warm up for 10-15 minutes
- Build and taper the workout like this:
- 30 seconds sprint/30 seconds recover
- 1 minute sprint/1 minute recover
- 2 minutes sprint/2 minutes recover
- 4 minutes sprint/4 minutes recover
- 2 minutes sprint/2 minutes recover
- 1 minute sprint/1 minute recover
- 30 seconds sprint/30 seconds recover
- Finish with a 10-min cool down
Circuit Workouts
Here are some circuit workouts you can pin for later with and without equipment.
I hope this post was helpful and you found some tips to help working moms find time to workout. Everyone has different challenges and every week is completely different. So my best piece of advice is as long as you are taking time for yourself and prioritizing your health then you are on the right track. Your health is just as important as the health of your babies, and you’ll feel and treat them better when you are feeling good and taken care of.
For more on balance and healthy living, check out my Health & Fitness tab!
Great idea!