15 fitness tips for busy moms: Understand how looking after yourself helps you and your family feel better.
Hey there, fellow moms! Life gets really busy for us, doesn’t it? Whether we’re working or taking care of things at home, we’re always busy with stuff like cleaning, cooking, and looking after the little ones. It sometimes feels like there just aren’t enough hours in the day, right? And finding time for ourselves? Well, that’s a whole other challenge.
So, I got curious and chatted with moms like you to find out how they manage to stay healthy and fit even with all this busyness. What’s their secret? How do they do it?
Guess what? I’ve put together a list of 15 awesome tips on how to stay fit when you’re a busy mom. These tips come straight from other moms like you, so you can start taking little steps to feel great about yourself and your body!
1. Get a special bag for the gym
Busy moms have a lot of things for their kids – like toys, diapers, and clothes – not to mention their own stuff. Things can get messy and confusing, especially when you’re hurrying to exercise and can’t find what you need. You can avoid this by having a special bag just for the gym. Keep it ready with your clothes, shoes, snacks, and other stuff you need. After you finish your workout, put your sweaty clothes in the bag and get fresh clothes. Here’s a tip: put workout clothes that you really like in the bag. This way, you’ll feel more excited to go exercise.
2. Get Enough Sleep
It’s really important to get good sleep at night! Try to get around 6 to 8 hours of sleep every night. This helps your body, mind, and feelings stay healthy. Many of us stay up late using our iPad’s, but it’s better to stop that and close your eyes for sleep. You’ll feel much more energetic and get more stuff done during the day.
3. Have Water in the Morning
Did you know that drinking water, equal to the weight of your body, can make your body work better and burn calories faster? Research tells us that when we drink enough water, our body can work harder. Drinking water in the morning is super good for burning fat.
Learn More...How Much Water Should You Take Per Day?
4. Have a Good Breakfast
It’s true what they say: Breakfast is really important. If your usual breakfast is just coffee and something sugary, you might feel a quick burst of energy, but it won’t last. Soon, you’ll feel tired when that energy goes away. This can make you want to eat more and consume more calories all day.
Try starting your day with protein, like eggs or meat, and add in some fiber, like fresh fruit. This will keep you feeling full and satisfied for a long time. Don’t have much time to cook? A fruit smoothie with protein powder is a great option to have when you’re in a hurry.
Learn About…….. Healthy Breakfast: 10 Smoothie Recipes
5. Play Sports with Your Kids
Head out to the backyard and have a playful soccer game with your kids! Have fun but also move around and get a bit sweaty. I used to really enjoy playing basketball with my dad in our yard. You can create fun memories with your children and also burn calories. It’s a win-win situation for everyone!
6. Invest in Your Health
When you commit money to your fitness regularly, you’re more likely to succeed. Join a gym, work with a personal trainer, become part of a fitness group, or get books about self-improvement. If you want to be healthy, it’s important to learn about it. Remember, knowing things is a great way to stay accountable.
8. Love Yourself
You’re the most amazing mom to your wonderful kids – never forget that! Be the role model you want them to have and enjoy every moment of your life. Sometimes, you might prioritize everyone else over yourself because of your many responsibilities, but remember to set aside time for yourself – you’re number one!
8. Set Up a Schedule
Making time for exercise and staying active can be tough. Moms who are always busy understand that having a regular routine for work, taking care of kids, and managing the house is really important.
When it comes to fitness, doing things the same way each time can bring you the same good outcomes and help you keep up with your exercise plan. A good routine is like a plan that you can count on. It’s something you can predict and rely on. Both you and your family will do well when you have a bit of consistency to guide you through each week.
9. Have Fun with Different Activities
When you want to stay active and get enough exercise, moms can include their kids in the activities. Letting your kids join you can be a nice way to have fun together and keep everyone healthy.
As your kids grow up, you could look for a gym that takes care of kids while you work out. This can be really helpful for busy moms who don’t have much time without their kids to go to the gym alone. As they grow, your kid might even become a great exercise partner to keep you excited and motivated.
10. Change Your Perspective
If you’re not setting aside time for yourself, how can you give your absolute best to everyone else? Don’t think of exercise as just one more thing taking up your time. Try thinking differently: see exercise as putting effort into your health for the long run. You want to be around for your kids for as long as possible, right? Exercise is something you can choose to do to stay healthy. It also makes you more energetic, helps you think better, improves sleep, and makes you feel happier. These are all great things that can make you an even more amazing mom. Don’t you deserve that?
11. Get Some Help When You Need It
Trying to do everything all by yourself doesn’t get you any special awards. So, it’s okay to ask for help. You could ask your mom to take care of the kids for a bit a couple of times a week, so you can go to the gym. Or you might choose to hire someone to clean your house once a week. Taking a few things off your to-do list can really help both your health and your happiness!
12. Focus on Quality, Not Quantity
Of course, as a mom, you want to spend really nice time with your kids every day without needing to plan it out. But sometimes, planning a special activity can help you feel better about exercising on your own. Plan something fun and special where you can really enjoy being with your kids and have a great time together.
13. Discover What Makes You Feel Relaxed
Exercise doesn’t always have to be really intense, making you sweat a lot and leaving the gym all tired. Sometimes, the best workouts are the ones where you don’t sweat much at all. Studies show that spending time meditating every day or even once a week can be just as good for you as a more intense workout. Meditation could mean taking your dog for a walk for one person, and for another, it might be having a glass of wine and reading a nice book. It could also be a peaceful run by yourself, or a nice talk with your partner. Find out what helps you feel relaxed and try to include it in your schedule a few times each week. Believe me, it can really make you feel much better and keep you sane.
14. Lift Heavy Weights
I’m really into making the most of your time. You can spend 30 minutes jogging, or you can spend 30 minutes lifting weights and get very different results. To make your body burn more calories, it’s really important to lift heavy weights! I promise, lifting heavy weights won’t make you look like the big superhero, that’s just a made-up idea!
15. Bring Your Own Lunch
Lots of people are learning about the problems with the kind of food many of us eat nowadays. We’re making sure our kids eat healthier, but what about us? Moms, don’t forget about yourself! When you pack a lunch for your kids like organic peanut butter and jelly with an apple, make the same for yourself too.
