The BEST Workout Motivation For Stay-At-Home Moms

Save for Later!

How to find your “why” to get in the right mindset for workouts everyday. Workout motivation for moms that really works.

As a stay-at-home mom I have found 101 excuses to not workout. Im too tired. The kids won’t nap. It’s boring to workout at home. I’m not excited to workout alone. I don’t have the equipment I want. Every workout is starting to feel the same and boring. I have too many chores. I’m in a bad mood. My body aches. I’m too stressed out.

One of the most important things for me is my health and longevity. I want to live as long as I can and as healthy as I can so I will always be there when my children need me. At least within my control. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t need to workout like an athlete to be in great shape. But I have been 30+ pounds overweight and severly inactive. I know that when I was in that body I was unmotivated to play with my toddler because it was too much physical effort. My back was weak and I couldn’t hold her for long periods of time. Chores were harder. My mood was crummy. My eating habits got worse.

So my “why” became all of the fun time I was missing out on with my kids. I wanted my kids to remember all the time they got to spend with me. Not to remember their time with me as sitting on the couch in a crabby mood or struggling with health issues. I wanted to inspire them to take care of themselves and to persevere with strength.

There are so many reasons that we can come up with to not workout. And although they are valid reasons that I can completely sympathize with, they are are still excuses. This is not a post to say, “Just stop being lazy and do it!” Although I do believe that statement is the tough love we sometimes need, I want to teach you HOW to effectively do that.

How do stay at home moms get motivated

This is where we find our “why.” This is important because your why will be the one thing that drags you out of bed at 5 a.m. It will light the fire under your butt when you would rather take the free time to sit on the couch. When you discover the why that really motivates and excites you to get going, write it down. That way when you want to quit or blow it off, you can remind yourself what you are actually working for.

A regular workout routine will be beneficial to your everyday life. You will be in a better mood because you will feel better and more confident. Use your workouts as self-care. They can help you to de-stress with “me time.” You will have better stamina and endurance for chores and yardwork. The physical aspect of raising children will be less draining. Baby wearing, carrying your toddler, and running after your kids will be just something you do without thinking. Pregnancy will be less fatigueing. Your postpartum recovery will be faster. Your aches and pains will diminish as you correct muscular imbalances.

Most importantly, digging deep in your workouts will help give you a mental edge and toughness that you need as a mother. The kind of mentality that keeps you calm in the storm. The mentality that drives you to stand up for your kids and family. Or the toughness you need to protect your children in the face of danger. What is YOUR workout motivation?

How can I motivate myself to workout alone at home?

Working out at home is the best place to start or maintain your fitness routine. That’s coming from a stay at home mom myself, as well as a former group and personal trainer. I have worked in a variety of gyms, classes, formats, and styles of exercise. I completely understand the fun and atmosphere of a gym, especially those with a team-like setting.

What makes home workouts so fantastic is that it is truly a judgement free zone. That gives you so much freedom and creates a very low pressure workout space. Nobody is around to watch you. You can let go and feel free to try new things, to look silly, sweaty, messy, and imperfect. To look and be real. You won’t be comparing yourself to others. You will be focused solely on you and your workout. Talk about good workout motivation for moms.

Home workout motivation for moms

For those of you that feel like you need someone there, try out fitness videos! As a former athlete, I definitely can understand that having a little friendly competition can be encouraging during hard workouts. As a coach, I never underestimate the advantage of having someone there to hold you accountable. That’s why home workout videos are a the way to go. Tuning in gives you the feel a “class” with the coaching of a trainer all from home. I have so many workout videos designed for moms like you who workout at home. A variety of fitness levels, equipment, styles, and goals that are all programmed around working out at home.

Another fun way to get excited about working out in your living room, basement, patio, or any other normal place, is to set yourself up with a “home gym.” I put quotations around that because it doesn’t need to look like a gym. Just have a space with a little room and somewhere to store a few pieces of equipment. The act of setting up your gym space will mentally prep you for that day’s workout. Some gear I recommend you to have on hand (although not necessary to get results!) is

• a set or two of dumbbells,
• a medium kettlebell,
• mini-loop resistance bands,
• a workout mat,
• and maybe even some tennis shoes.

You can even splurge for a new or used piece of stationary cardio equipment, weight bench, weight set, gliders, medicine ball, or stability ball. None of these are necessary to get or stay fit at home. However, having some equipment can keep it interesting and help you to challenge yourself in different ways.

How can I get in the mood to exercise?

When your working out at home it can be hard to get out of “mom” time and into “me” time. It’s easy to let kids, chores, and responsabilities to be a distraction to your workout. I have found myself thinking that I have a laundry list of things I need to do or feel completely whooped by the time the opportunity presents itself to workout.

Lucky for you I have supplement-FREE methods of workout motivation for moms that will instantly get you ready for that exercise session.

Turn on your favorite music and dance around for a song or two. Knock out a quick chore to feel productive and get your blood pumping. Both of these workout as a “pre-workout” or warm-up to the warm-up as you will have a mental and physiological response that preps you for more movement.

Another thing is to take advantage of the morning! I know it can be hard to get in the habit of waking up early and jumping into a workout, but that will be before the daily routine of motherhood wears your energy down.

You can even choose your workout based on your mood. Maybe you do a lower intensity workout the days you feel blah. Or focus on strength, mobility, balance, or any number of health fitness categories that you want to work on or will sound appealing to your current state of mind.

How to MAKE workout motivation for moms

Remember that your question is no longer if you will workout that day, but when. Whether that means you knock it out first thing, schedule it in, or keep the pressure off and take advantage of a quiet 20 minutes of the day. Just do what works for you! It also helps to have an accountability partner, be it a friend, your husband, or a neighbor. Knowing that someone is going to check in with you always helps as a little reminder for those days you make every excuse not to workout. If you don’t have a partner, try my FREE Accountability Chart. Print it out and hang it somewhere that you will see everyday.

You are not the only mom out there that feels discouraged when it comes to her fitness. It is hard to juggle it all. But you can use these tips to get motivated and stay focused on your health!