Ok, so here’s the thing…I head off to bed thinking, “Tomorrow’s going to be a new day, a fresh start!”. I have my To-Do list for the next day ready to go, whether I’ve written it down or took mental notes in my crazy mom brain.

What happens next? You wake up to 3 kids who’ve got colds, one probably with croup. You have to volunteer at the school before a certain time, the dishes are piled in the kitchen sink, Mount Everest is currently sitting on your bedroom waiting to be folded and hung up, the doctor office awaits your sick kids arrival and you forget to make yourself that yummy green smoothie that in a perfect world, you would have had time to make before already running late getting your kids to school.

Meanwhile, remember that To-Do list that You had? Yup! It says workout somewhere on it! It’s not likely at this point that you’ll make it to the gym. So…what’s a girl to do? Here are some tips on how I’ve improvised my workouts when life HAPPENS as a young mom. It may sound crazy, but it’s important to utilize whatever time you have!

1. INCLUDE YOUR KIDS IN THE WORKOUT: Instead of trying to find some semblance of alone time, include your kids! Let them watch you while you are doing squats, sit ups, lunges, burpees, whatever.  They will see that Mommy is a strong woman who enjoys working out and encourage them to want to participate. As your children grow older, working out can be a time to bond and teach your children the importance of fitness. Any time that I workout in front of my kids, they almost 100% of the time are trying whatever exercise I’m doing and I love it!
2. BE SNEAKY WITH YOUR WORKOUTS: As a mom, there are times where you need to be sneaky on fitting your workouts whenever and wherever you can! Sometimes, if I haven’t made it to the gym that morning, For the 15 minutes that my kids are eating lunch, I’ll quickly go do a 15 minute workout video or improvise a workout.  You won’t always be guaranteed a straight hour of workout time as a mom so break it up into small increments if it’s a busier day than normal. I’ve even  spent a simple 5 minutes doing sit ups and pushups right before I get ready for the day just because it’s better than NOTHING.
3. CHANGE YOUR PRIORITY: Let’s be honest with ourselves. I’ll be the first to admit I spend WAAAAY too much time on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter. I challenge you the next time you go on your phone to browse the internet, or check your Instagram or Facebook, choose to exercise instead! Think of all that filler in time that our generation spends on our phones and put it to good use, and get a quick 20 minute workout in!
4. NAP TIME: Nap time is a Mom’s best friend! During nap time twice a week, if you still have a napper at home, try to get a good 30 minute workout in at home. I love the PX90 videos and they are great for me when I’m at home and need to sweat and get some good cardio in all while the little one naps!
5. DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP: Let’s face it, some days do not go as planned which usually results in you not exercising that day. Don’t worry about it! Get up and try again the next day. You can’t put a price on your health which means don’t let one bad day bring you down. Accept the time you DO have to workout as a mom and make the most of it. That’s what I’ve learned as a mom. After having each of my babies, I didn’t get back into the swing of things for a good 6 months. That was the best I could do, and then I started to run a mile or two twice a week, and then slowly I built my stamina and muscle to exercise 3 days a week. As your baby grows, so will you in your exercise routine. Never give up on you!

‘Till next time!

Ann

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