It is so hard to be an active mum when you are running around after babies and/or toddlers. I only have one and find it hard to find the time. However, because I know how beneficial it is for me and how much better it makes me feel, I make the time.
Hopefully some of the tips below will help you to incorporate fitness into your busy schedule regardless of if you are completely new to fitness or are just struggling to find the time with a new addition to the family.
Keep up your routine before baby arrives
If you were active before you became pregnant then there is absolutely no reason why you have to stop. In fact, continuing exercise has proven to have many benefits for both mum and baby (see some of my other blogs for more information). This also keeps you in a regular routine of working out.
Similarly, if you haven’t exercised prior to being pregnant, again there is no harm in starting exercise whilst pregnant and developing a routine. That being said, make sure you take things slowly if you are not used to exercise. Gradually build up the volume, 10 minutes of activity may be enough initially.
Find time when it presents itself
After the arrival of your little one, you will initially be getting used to a different way of life. I know a lot of people say ‘get your workout in before the baby wakes up’. This is only realistic if you have a baby who sleeps in until 7/8am. I know my little one doesn’t. She has always been an early riser (5am) no matter what I have tried, that’s just her. Do I fancy getting up at 4am to workout? Not really especially when initially you are up every 3 hours in the night feeding.
After the first couple on months things do get easier and you settle into a routine. This is the time to figure out when you can get your exercise in.
How I fitted exercise in to my day
When my little one was a baby, I would get up at 5am, give her a feed and then put her on the playmat. Whilst she was having a little play I would get some weights out and do a workout or do my yoga/pilates/whatever I had planned in the back of my mind. I always kept it flexible so I didn’t have a rigid workout plan more that I just wanted to do something each day. I may have only got 10 minutes in before she needed me but it was something. Finding pockets like that in the day when they are little is key.
I also used to incorporate her into my routine if she started fussing. She loved doing squats with me or sitting on my knees whilst I did sit-ups. Similarly with chest press or if I was doing some standing stretches, I would lie her on the floor and tickle her. This was fun for both us.
2 years later, this is still my routine. We get up, I get her breakfast ready and then when she has finished breakfast, we go into the front room, get our workout mats out and do a workout. Now I generally get 30mins in, so a good solid workout. My little one joins me for a bit doing things but then goes off and does her own thing.
I get that working out at home isn’t for everyone but it is something to keep in mind as it can be an easy way to get some exercise done.
Running Pram
I absolutely love this. I use my pram even now 2-3 times a week. My little one loves coming out for a run with me in the pram and has since she was 6 months. Initially I started with just short runs so she would get used to it. Now, I tend to plan runs around parks. So I may run one way for 20mins to a park where she can then have a little play and then we run back. She loves it and gets us both out in the fresh air. I also have an 11km route which has 4 parks on it so if we want to be out for a good length of time in the morning, this is what we do.
Now, if you are a serious runner then obviously this may not work but this is such an easy fun way to get some exercise in especially if you don’t have any free time. For instance, my little one is still not in nursery at 2.5yrs and I don’t have any family nearby for childcare so I have very little ‘free’ time with my husband working full-time. I’m not back to running a regular 5km in 25mins which is what I was doing pre pregnancy. But when I do go out without the pram, I can do 5km in 27mins and this is without any serious training so I personally think this is a great way to keep fit.
These are not as expensive as you may think and with what you save on a gym membership, you can buy this instead. This can also double as your normal pram. Take lots of water and snacks and you can be out for ages. My little one always used to fall asleep. So sometimes I would plan my run around her nap time. Especially if I wanted to get a slightly longer, more uninterrupted run in. Now she doesn’t really nap any more so adding in the parks works!
Bike Seat
Similarly to the running pram, I use this all the time. I use this a lot to cycle to toddler classes or if we just want to go out for a good ride. Again, my little one has been in this since 6 months old and she loves it. Again, I started with just short rides initially. Now she will be quite happy to go for an hour before we have a little break and play somewhere.
This is a great low impact form of exercise which you can incorporate in to your day quite easily and fun for everyone. Just take plenty of snacks for the little one!
Classes
Getting back into classes can help you getting back into your routine. There are loads of classes now where you can exercise with your little one. Baby Yoga and Baby Sling Fit are big ones. So have a look at what is in your area.
Also, some gyms have creches so you can take your little one to the gym and drop them off for 30mins whilst you do your class. If this is something that might interest you, look for gyms with this service.
Do a childmind for a friend and vice-versa
If you have a friend who is also looking to get back into fitness, you could take turns looking after their little one and vice-versa. This means you are both keeping each other accountable for exercise and helping each other to achieve this.
Get family to watch your little one for an hour
If you have the advantage of having family nearby, see if you can work something out around their schedule that allows you to drop them off for a bit whilst you head for a workout.
Exercise in the evening
I am generally not an evening workout person but sometimes, if I haven’t got anything done in the day then I will do something for 30mins. I have a static bike setup and weights so do something along those lines. This works as my husband does shifts so sometimes I have the evening to myself. I find getting a workout in when it’s quite is relaxing and just some time for me!
This also helps if you all have dinner together. I have always done this so I am only doing one dinner. I have never liked the thought of doing my daughters dinner at 5pm and then my husbands and mine later. Also, I just feel it is too time consuming to do two meals. It also means my daughter eats what we eat so feel like it is setting her up for healthier eating habits in the future.
Eating at 5pm and then doing a workout at 7.30pm is great as you have the fuel for an effective workout. If you feel hungry after your workout, try to eat something light like berries and greek yoghurt. Or a handful of mixed nuts and seeds.
Make active dates
If you are meeting a friend for a catch-up, make it a walking catch-up. Grab a coffee to go and head out for a good walk. This is a great way to get some exercise in whilst still meeting friends. It also means you are more likely to stick to it as you have it in your diary.
Conclusion
Any type of activity counts as being active. Once you have settled into a routine after your little one has arrived, this is the time to figure out where there are gaps that mean you are able to get a workout in. Initially this may only be 10 minutes here or 10 minutes there but don’t under estimate that. The more you fit exercise in, the more routine it will become to do a little something each day.
Even if you are just walking daily, that is amazing and you should feel good about that. I found that when I went back to work, that was the hardest time for me to fit in activity. This is where I parked further away from work and either walked, ran or cycled in depending on the mood I was in that day. Then on my days not working, I would do my morning routine with weights or yoga. Failing that, I would do something after 7pm. This was easier to plan as I had already worked out my schedule.
Therefore, I really do believe if you get your routine sorted early on, you will stick it and find after a while, exercise just becomes part of your day.
I really hope some of the suggestions above have helped. More than anything, don’t stress about fitting in loads of really long workouts. Grab what you can where and enjoy it. It won’t be long before they are at school and you have some free time again.
