Many mums who are focused on losing pregnancy weight will tell you that it can be tough to fit a workout into your already busy day.
Firstly because there isn’t a lot of time left in the day after all the washing, playing, working, changing, cleaning, cooking, travelling, mediating and the trillion other jobs that need to be done day to day.
But also because when you have such a busy life it can make you feel so very tired and unmotivated to exercise. The couch calls out to you and tells you to put your feet up and rest.
So today we have some tips for how you can squeeze in some time for exercise, so that you can reach your pregnancy weight loss goals.
Get up before they do
Sometimes fitting in a workout means getting up before your kids and trying to do it then.
If this is the only time in your day that you can exercise, it worth setting your alarm to go for a walk while your partner is home to watch the kids.
This option is particularly relevant if you have older kids that don’t have nap time (or much down time at all!) throughout the day.
Naturally, if your kids are already waking at 5am this is not an option!
Break it down into 15 minute blocks
Let’s face it, 15 minutes to yourself is much more likely than 60 minutes to yourself.
So why not look for these blocks of time to pop on the Healthy Mummy Exercise DVD which is broken down into 10 and 15 minute chunks (you can tell it was made by mums!) that you can do in any order, when you can – plus it burns 450 – 550 calories an hour – you can preview the DVD below too.
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Haven’t got the DVD? Try one of our other simple workouts from our website, such as:
- The 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 workout
- The Lounge Room Leg Workout
- Squats, lunges, dips, push ups and planks
- Playground exercises
Arrive early to your appointments
If you are busy with play group, ballet, work, school drop offs, errands and play dates why not commit to arriving for all of your appointments 20 minutes early.
That way you can do a few laps of the block or the nearby park and you’ve just managed to burn some calories that you would have otherwise missed out on.
Start a new habit
Use everyday tasks as a reminder to do a particular exercise. For instance:
- Waiting for the kettle to boil: do as many lunges in the kitchen as you can before it whistles
- Hanging out the washing: do some squats as you bend down to pick up each item
- Spoon feeding a child: stand up instead of sitting down and march on the spot
- Breastfeeding a baby: do some pelvic floor exercises
- Waiting for the microwave to beep: drop to the floor and do 10 push ups
Leave the car at home when you can
This can be a hard habit to break, but if you are going somewhere that doesn’t require you to lug numerous children, bags and shopping then consider ditching the car and walking instead.
Sure you might have to leave home much earlier than you would if you drove, but if it means you get to fit in some exercise then it is definitely worth scheduling in the extra time.
How do you manage to squeeze in a workout? We’d love to hear your tips in the comments box below, or jump on our Facebook page to share your ideas.
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