Welcome to Mom Motivation Mondays where weekly contributing writers share their motherhood experiences to encourage you to find the joy in being a mom.

{This week: Post by Jaimi}

How to fit in exercise as a mom-workout tips, resources and ideas for achieving your goals as a mom even when you have little kids.

I have struggled with how to fit in exercise as a mom since having my second child. Her nap schedule never fit into a regular pattern, and we did not have a good neighborhood for going on walks. With the twins, the story was the same. Breastfeeding twins meant that was my full-time job. I didn’t really worry too much about fitting in regular exercise until they were 6-8 months old. It felt like a workout to care for 4 kids, and with the lack of sleep, I really did not need to push my body farther just to lose the excess baby weight.

If you are breastfeeding, I would strongly urge you to not workout too hard after having your baby. A little bit of extra weight helps with supply-as I talked about in this post of my breastfeeding tips. However, figuring out how to fit in exercise as a mom of an infant, toddler or older kids is important. Moderation is key, and these simple ways to fit in exercise will help you feel better about yourself and your time at home with your children.

Exercise is a great me time activity that you can do with your children, at home, without having to pay for childcare. Of course, some moms just need to get out and use their local gym to really feel like they are getting in a good workout. You don’t have to go this route, though. This list of ideas for fitting in exercise as a busy mom will help you fit in your workout, me time, and set a great example of health and wellness for your children. 

How to Fit in Exercise as a Mom

  1. Fit in exercise in simple ways whether you are the mom of a newborn or school age child. These 8 tips for getting fit are great ideas for fitting in exercise at naptime.
  2. Streaming workouts helps keep your exercise options interesting so you don’t get bored and you can pick a workout that fits into any small or large window of time that you have.
  3. Exercise inspiration in the Complete Guide for Stay-at-Home Moms is shared by SAHMs who have found creative ways to fit in exercise as a mom.
  4. Chasing the kids outside keeps the kids and I moving in the evenings and helps us all feel more balanced even during my husband’s deployment.
  5. Combine exercise and me time so you are recharging and accomplishing your fitness goals is a great way to maximize your time at home.
  6. Create a balanced approach to health by combining exercise, healthy recipes, and quality supplements like Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies. You can find these healthy lifestyle ideas all in one place.
  7. Playing with the kids in the backyard for an hour or more works! These ideas to keep them (and you) moving and burning energy are easy to fit in any time of day.
  8. Join the kids in their exercise. These kids music DVDs get the kids moving on rainy days and I danced along to fit in exercise as a mom too!
  9. Keep track of your active time. I found that tracking how I was spending my time each day helped me focus on how to fit in exercise as a mom and cut down on wasted time on other tasks.

Find resources for implementing routines and schedules in your home. Printables and suggested schedules make it so easy!

Focusing on all that gets added to our to-do lists each day can make it seem that we will never get into a balanced schedule to fit in exercise. Start small and let the kids join in-they get to move and you get a workout. Any exercise is great, so don’t worry if you have to stop before the video is done, or hold a baby during it causing you to decrease your movements. These 9 tips for how to fit in exercise as a mom helped me fit in exercise after having my 4 children, so I know they are simple enough even for the busiest mom.

How to fit in exercise as a mom so you can achieve your fitness goals even when you have little children. These are great tips for maximizing me time and getting in your workouts each day.

You may also enjoy:

Encouragement for Husbands

Losing Myself

When I Love Being a Mom

Goli Apple Cider Vinegar Gummies

Catch up on all of the Mom Motivation Mondays posts:

A weekly series of motivation for moms brought to you by stay at home mom bloggers at The Stay-at-Home Mom Survival Guide.

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 How do you fit in exercise as a mom?