Finding time to workout as a working mom can be challenging, especially when you have young children. My kids are ages 3 and 1, so between work and home life, I am very busy. However, I found that one specific thing needed to change if I was going to be an active mom – making exercise a priority. It may sound too simple but hear me out. If you don’t make exercise a priority, you are only going to fit it in when it is convenient for you. In this article, I share how to find time to workout as a working mom and the benefits of making exercise a priority in parenting.
This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission if you purchase through a link on this page at no additional charge to you. Affiliate links help me pay for my site so I can continue to provide great content for my readers. Thank you for supporting my blog!
How to Find Time to Workout as a Working Mom – Be Creative with Your Time
Before you can create a solid workout schedule, you will need to find the best time to workout. Between working and parenting, this takes some creativity. If you are a morning person, this is an obvious one. Workout before the kids wake up. For others who are not morning people, like me, this is not as doable.
Here are some options for a busy mom workout schedule if you are NOT a morning person:
- Before bed
- During your work break
- While Dad is watching the kids
- During naptime
- Workout with your kids
- While the kids are playing
Personally, I workout during my work break. I have worked both in an office and from home, and this has been the best option for me. The last office I worked at had a small rec center in the building. I would eat my lunch while working and then head to the gym in the late afternoon. This broke up my day well because that is about the time I start to get tired and lose focus. Working out gave me the motivation to get through the rest of the afternoon. When I work from home, I do either at-home workouts or go to the local gym.
Tips for Building a Workout Routine – Create Better Habits
Let’s talk about habits. Your small habits, whether good or bad, are compounding to produce long-term results. This was something I learned from the book Atomic Habits by James Clear. Your current lifestyle may be setting you up for failure with your habits. If you walk into your house and there is a candy dish on the counter, you will most likely reach for that first when you want a snack. Replace that candy dish with a bowl of colorful apples and oranges. When your afternoon hunger kicks in, you will go for fruit instead. It is convenient and easy.
In his book, Clear mentions setting a “trigger” to do a good habit. My trigger for working out at the office was packing my workout clothes. I knew that if I put in the time in the morning to pack my workout clothes, I would workout in the afternoon. It was as easy as that. Find something that can trigger you to follow a healthy habit. Other examples of triggers can be shopping for healthy meals, (which would make you cook healthy meals) or setting your alarm clock 30 minutes earlier (which would allow you time to workout first thing in the morning).
In my post, Consistency is the Key to Getting Results I mention how we often don’t continue with the good habits we start because we do not see immediate results. You need to have a strong “why” behind your goals as your foundation. When you plateau or get discouraged, revisit your “why” again.
My why is that I want to role model living an active lifestyle to my kids by showing that it is both fun and healthy. I also want to keep up with them when they are older and playing sports.
Tips for Building a Workout Routine – Work With a Health and Fitness Coach
Hiring a coach is a helpful way to create better habits and stick to a workout plan. I recommend Taylor Gates Wellness. Her services include weekly tips, recipes, and inspiration to help encourage you to reach your goals, as well as personalized workouts and nutrition recommendations. Taylor is not only a great friend of mine, but also another mom I trust when it comes to health and fitness advice. I personally have benefitted from her personal training and coaching services!
Mom Exercise Benefit #1 – Mental Health
Having strong mental health as a mom is as important as ever. As moms, we spend a lot of time giving to our families and careers with little in return. Finding time to workout as a working mom gives YOU the break you need to focus on yourself. Working out will give you a clearer mind and allow you to be present with your family. It will also allow you to be even-tempered because you let out your energy in a healthy way.
If you are struggling with your mental health, I have been there – more than once. Read my post titled I Love My Kids, But Being a Mom is Hard to learn about how I coped with postpartum depression.
Mom Exercise Benefit #2 – Role Modeling an Active Lifestyle for Your Family
When you find time to workout as a working mom, you are showing your family that staying active is important to you. Spend time also exercising in front of your kids. They will want to try it too and will soon learn that exercising can be fun.
Kids learn so much from watching their parents. When you make staying active a priority to you, then it will become a priority for your kids too. If your kids play sports, you will be able to keep up with them because you took the time to focus on your own fitness.
Mom Exercise Benefit #3 – More Energy
Working out gives you more energy. As I mentioned earlier, I enjoy working out during my work breaks. By the afternoon, my brain starts getting foggy and my mind is not as sharp. However, when I break up the workday with a workout, I have energy and mental clarity to focus again.
Kids have so much energy, and it can be hard to keep up. When you find time to workout as a mom, you can find the energy to keep up with them.
Great Programs for Working Out At Home
I am personally a big fan of Peloton. You can join their workouts without having their equipment. Most people know them for their cycle bike, but they also have classes for strength, yoga, Pilates, boxing, and more. Their instructors are highly motivating!
Beachbody has workout videos you have most likely heard of like P90X, Insanity, PiYo, and the 21 Day Fix. They also have instructors who provide personal training and set up groups to stay accountable with one another for fitness and nutrition. I suggest Beachbody coach Kathryn Christensen. She is another mom who loves to exercise and motivate others!
Yoga With Adriene is a YouTube channel with hundreds of yoga videos and over 11 million subscribers. Adriene has personalized videos for any way you prefer your yoga practice.
Thank you for reading How to Find Time to Workout as a Working Mom. I hope this post was helpful to you and you find the motivation to make exercise a priority as a mom. There are so many great benefits of it and your kids will learn from you about the importance of fitness.
If you read this article – please leave a comment. I would love to hear from you!
