Coach Zoe Discover the secrets of balancing fitness and motherhood to achieve LONG TERM, amazing results. Staying in shape will never feel like a chore again.
Maintaining my fitness became much harder after motherhood. Being a mom requires so much more of your time in order to fill everyone else’s cup. Like taking the kids to practice, running errands, making meals, helping with homework, folding the laundry, soothing a tired baby, and making time for your husband.
With all the things there are to do in a day, it’s soooo much easier to skip your workout or grab a PB&J because you feel like you have a never ending To-Do List.
But those kinds of habits are what’s holding you back from accomplishing the fitness goals you are longing to hit. Would you believe me if I said that you don’t need to choose between prioritizing your family or your fitness?
Believe it or not, it’s true. I’m not saying that it will be a piece of cake or won’t take time to adjust, but you can absolutely get serious results in any phase of motherhood.
Use these super simple tips that help me (a mom of 3 under 4 as I write this) keep my fitness a priority without sacrificing my responsibilities OR my sanity.
How do moms stay fit?
By balancing fitness and motherhood, any mom can get results without neglecting their responsibilities.
- Set a goal
- Create a plan
- Get your family involved
- Make adjustments to your nutrition
- Get active everyday
Begin with finding your why. What motivates you to set this goal to begin with? Is it for aesthetics? Is it to minimize joint pain? Maybe so you have the energy to keep up with your kids? Or possibly, you just want to lead your family in prioritizing their health.
Next, you will need to map out a plan to hit your goaL. This is done with small, achievable goals that you know you can accomplish given your lifestyle. That could be four 30-minute workouts a week. Or maybe drinking 8 glasses of water a day. Or cooking most of your meals at home.
Once you have your approach laid out, you will want to get your family involved. Either for accountability, support, or motivation, keeping the ones closest to you involved will help you stay on track.
Even if you think you eat healthy, look at your diet and see where improvements can be made. Minimize junk food, increase your water intake, and practice portion control. Eating clean, wholesome, nutrient dense foods will support your health, mind and body.
Make an effort to get in at least 30 minutes of activity a day. Listen to your body and give yourself variety in intensity, exercise method, and duration for a well-rounded approach to your fitness. Even on rest days, try to accumulate 30 minutes of light activity. These like stretching, balance exercises, or walking will allow for recovery while maintaining your exercise routine.
When you use this approach you will see small bites of progress. That will keep you motivated to stay consistent and continue. The more motivated you are, the more excited you become about your fitness. In turn, making you less likely to quit when it gets tough. (Read my post for more Realistic Fitness Motivation For Busy Moms That Want Results.)
And the longer you stay committed to your goals, the more results you will see. You won’t reach your goals with a half-hearted approach. Start building up small habits that you know you can maintain with the support of your loved ones.
Get big results from small changes
If that means you have to look at your planner and schedule your 30 minutes of exercise (or even 20, whatever you have!) then so be it! Save travel time and workout at home if you have a tight schedule that day.
Keep in mind that your workouts are also “me time,” and will give you that much needed mental reset so you can stay focused and on top of things.
Or maybe you stop buying those junk food snacks your husband likes to have in the house so you are not tempted to eat them. You don’t have to expect the household to eat kale smoothies, but everyone can benefit from a healthier diet.
Maybe you go to bed after you put the kids down so you get good night’s rest and feel more energized to workout the next day. And yeah, that means you may be missing the latest episode of that new show you are watching. But any small way you can make a healhy decision without turning your life upside down, adds up to help you stay fit with less stress. And less stress means you’re more likely to stay committed.
How to find time to exercise as a busy mom?
Make your fitness is a priority by scheduling in your sweat sessions, taking advantage of times your kids are occupied, or even sneaking in small bouts of exercise throughout the day.
As a mom like yourself, I know that you are busy. But sometimes we must work around life and cut the excuses to get results.
Maybe you workout during nap time, or after you drop the kids off at school, or once your husband gets home from work. For moms that are home, check out my post How Do Stay-At-Home Moms Find Time To Exercise for more tips!
How do working moms fit in exercise? Go to the gym while the kids are in bed, exercise on your lunch break, try at home workout videos, jog the perimeter of little league practice, or go for a family walk after dinner. Whatever it takes to get in your workout that day. Try recruiting help around the house, that way you can have more time for exercise since everyone is pitching in with chores.
Now, I am not suggesting that you skip family dinner or your kid’s clarinet concert for an hour at the gym. But getting in a quick 15-minute HIIT workout while your kid does homework beside you shouldn’t make you feel guilty.
Remember that your fitness goes beyond your physique, it is imperative for your health. You can’t be the best mom you can be, or a happy one, when you are unhealthy and feel miserable because of it.
How do you balance family and fitness?
- Create a family fitness plan
- Try mommy and me workouts
- Make lifestyle changes
- Get your husband on board
Create a family fitness plan
How do you create a family fitness plan? Set a goal, break it into achievable steps, gather resources, layout a routine that fits everyone’s schedule, incorporate methods everyone enjoys, and set accountability check ins for motivation.
Your family can be your biggest cheerleaders and your best accountability coaches. Especially kids, they love to point out when you can do better, right? So why can’t you incorporate your family time into your fitness?
Get them involved with any of these fun family home workouts. Keep exercise fun with sports, tag, or a hike. Whatever activity gets you sweating and keeps the kids interested can give you the workout you need while spending quality time with everyone.
You can also get the family involved with a rewards system. Like whoever does the most workouts that week picks the movie for movie night. Get creative, the more involved your family is, the more motivated you will be to stay on track and set an example.
Try mommy and me workouts
Don’t let the baby and toddler years get in the way of your workouts. Yes, it can be more challenging to workout with a needy little one. But try to work with that phase of your life. Check out my post How To Exercise With A Toddler At Home, for some mom and toddler workouts you can try with your kiddo.
How to fit in working out with a baby? Put on a baby carrier and get active with babywearing workouts that will keep your baby close as you sneak in your workout. Babywearing workouts are more than just a great way to get your baby to nap. They also help build core strength and stability without any equipment.
I have an entire Babywearing Workout Video Playlist To Get Fit At Home that you can check out for yourself!
Make lifestyle changes
Small adjustments over time add up for major results. Change your family’s attitude and habits for a healthier lifestyle.
When it comes to the kitchen, get your family excited to eat healthy by recruiting their help to make meals. You can teach them cooking skills and about nutrition while spending time together. Find a compromise by having a list of healthy meals that they can choose from. If you find it hard to get your loved ones to eat healthy foods, check out my post Healthy Family Eating: 5 Tips To Eat More Vegetables.
You can even incorporate healthier habits into the holidays. Such as making healthy Easter baskets for any age or getting a family fitness gift that promotes exercise.
Get your husband on board
It’s a lot easier to get your kids involved if your husband is first. Start small with this Fun Couples Workout Routine For An Inexpensive Date With Husband. You guys can sweat it out while you reconnect. If working out at home is not for you try any of these Exercise Date Ideas For Couples That Are Fun & Exciting.
If he isn’t into the idea of working out together, ask him to be your accountability coach. He can make sure you have support from the whoel family. Plus, he will see you working hard to make progress and might even get inspired himself!
Remember what balancing fitness and motherhood looks like
To avoid burnout so that you can stay committed to those goals, it’s important to give yourself grace. Expecting perfection on all fronts can spread yourself too thin.
The key to balancing fitness and motherhood is to do your best to keep your fitness from feeling like another chore on Mom’s To-do List.
Say you have to do a short 15 or 10-minute workout that day, it’s still better than no workout! Or maybe the laundry doesn’t get done so you have time to exercise. Make the most out of the time that you do have.
Say you eat a bad meal, it’s still better than a DAY of bad meals. Acknowledge your slip up, and do better the next time you eat.
If you stress yourself out over the little things, you won’t stay committed and you will find yourself starting all over again. Stay balanced and do what you can make fitness a long term commitment.
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