Why Moms Should Workout At Home
After the workout that is BIRTH most mamas couldn’t give a rats ass about working out (and they shouldn’t). However, somewhere down the line it creeps into your mind. The thought that you should be starting some sort of activity again (click here to learn to find time for fitness!). You want to be active. You want to do something for yourself and you want to look and feel good.
But making it to the gym is a officially an event.
Not only do you need to find someone to put on baby duty. You need to find time that works possibly between feedings and others work schedules. Unfortunately, that “time” is normally later at night when you’re exhausted after having been a mom all day,
I hear yah.
And to top it off, you’ve no idea what you’re doing, you need a program and factoring in travel and change time makes going to the gym a goddamn crazy outing… multiple times per week.
Sigh. Off to the back burner it gets pushed.
Far too often I hear the above issues crop up. And truthfully, they’re valid.
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So when people ask me how I do it, how I fit in five+ workouts each week consistently, I tell them two things:
The first is that I enjoy working out. Seriously. I love being in the gym and smashing a workout isn’t a “task” for me. Which is why it gets done five times per week (god I wished I loved cleaning as much HA). You don’t need to work out a lot I just like to.
But the second thing I tell them is even more important. Because it eliminates a lot of the above obstacles… I work out at home.
Given, I have a full studio at home complete with a squat rack, free weights, bars and all sorts o jazz… but you don’t need it. A couple of dumbbells, or good resistance bands or a trx will do the trick (check out my post on my top four pieces of at home workout equipment!).
Honestly, working out at home is the best possible thing you can do to regain some of your fitness back. There are literally hundreds of workouts you can do with minimal equipment. And if you need something specific, ASK. A qualified trainer can easily help program something for you. But truly, as a mom at home workouts are the way to go and below are my five reasons why:
Reason #1
You can workout at any time of the day – this means that if your workouts get split up, it’s ok because there’s no travel necessary
Reason #2
You can work out with the baby thus eliminating any child care issues. Plus having the babe watch you is great for them to learn too (click here to read why I love working out with my babe!)
Reason #3
You can plan around feedings, naps and other to-dos’
Reason #4
You save an insane amount of time. A gym outing that would take you 1.5-2 hours just became a 45min quickie
Reason #5
It’s far easier to stay consistent because it’s easier to jump into a workout than get all ready for it. Thus you see better results.
Honestly I love working out at home (even with a toddler!). It’s simple, easy and effective. My babe has come to love the studio and I love that I can stay true to my fitness loving ways. It’s a win-win for us all.
Even if you’re an avid gym goer it’s handy to have a plan and a bit of equipment at home as a backup (my favorites are here). All mamas knows that plans change, this way you still get your fix.
Here’s a fun twenty minute early morning routine you can do using only a red and green resistance band!
Don’t forget to pin this simple, effective secret to being consistent with your workouts!
If you want to really rock your workouts and stay consistent with your fitness level, for mamas working out at home is genius.
What about you, are you yay or nay at home workouts? Questions? Comments? Thoughts?
If you’re looking to boost your at home workout routine check out my favorite bodyweight exercises as well as resistance band exercises you should be doing!
I love this. I have a 3 year old and 1 year old twins, and have YET to exercise ONCE since my twins were born. This is coming from someone who used to workout 5-6 times a week regularly. I’m looking forward to following your blog and getting more tips and inspiration to get back into working on my fitness! Thank you 🙂
Caitlin
http://www.rogerspartyof5.com
Hey Caitlin! I’m pretty sure twins are a whole different BALLGAME haha. My best friend has twins and I give you kudos! It’s definitely hard to adjust going from loving workouts to not having time for them but you’ll get back into it 🙂 The hardest part (I think) is finding a system! So any small stuff you can do at home, even if it’s only 1-2 exercises at a time is still a huge stepping stone! Besides, I bet all the kids keep you on your feet plenty 😉
i love this, i used to workout in the gym but after having my daughter last year i wasn’t able to find that time to commit to driving to the gym before or after work. So now i workout at home plus like you said i get to involve her in it somedays and its really fun!!!
Making a trip to the gym on a regular basis is HARD. It just seems to always get pushed to the back of the to-do list. It’s definitely fun watching them try to mimic your workouts (my daughter comes up with crazy things some days!) and it’s awesome because you still get the workouts in, laughter and all. It makes life simpler (to me anyways!)
Hi! I saw your blog link on mommy bloggers club. Nice website! I really could use work out tips. I make a lot of excuses to work out, but now I’m trying to do something – anything – to get into shape by May! I’ll have to check out your home exercise equipment recommendations. I need to stop being lazy. That’s my biggest hurdle. LOL Thanks for the tips!
Hey Mary! Glad you stopped by! I think everyone has to overcome the lazy hurdle haha until you get to be a nerd like me 😛 The easiest way is two fold: just start (anywhere!) & make it easy on yourself. Don’t commit to anything crazy and make it easy to workout (which is why home workouts kind of rock). But the hardest part is getting started- you can do it!
This is such a great idea, and really good reasons! I’m not a mom, but I can imagine how difficult it would be finding time to go to the gym.
It’s definitely a bit more difficutl when trying to coordinate toddlers!
These are really great tips! I actually dropped my gym membership after having Little because I learned that I was so much more able to work out at home rather than having to pack everything up and hope he did ok in the childcare at the gym.
It’s sooo much easier to work out at home! Getting to the gym with a little one (while nice) is an EVENT. Working out at home makes you stay consistent and adaptable 🙂
I love your dedication. With everything that we do…it’s so important that we change our perspective…the results we want will follow. I have 3 little ones…although it was difficult at times…I always made it my business to take care of myself. I started with eating habits which was easier ..then I joined a gym with childcare. It was the best thing for me. I personally prefer to workout in a new place and have my children at the care . This is a great read for my friends who prefer to workout at home!
I love this! First off- congrats on staying consistent with self care (nutrition/maintenance) that alone is amazing with three little ones. But I agree, part of it is just definitely what we prioritize! There are definitely perks to working out sans kids (mainly sanity) but for moms where that’s not an option at home gives them a shot at being consistent. The trick either way I think is just to find what works for YOU and YOUR schedule/routine and rock it! Thanks for stopping by and dropping a comment!
Very helpful for new mums.
Great post! I will share with my sister-in-law, although she has 3 kiddos 4 years-old and under, so it may take some epic skill to keep them all occupied while she works out at home. haha. Keep on being awesome!
Haha yes the more kids the more chasing becomes the workout…. 😉 But the biggest thing is that ANYTHING counts. it doesn’t have to be a full workout or overly intense- just something 🙂