Squeezing in a Workout

Getting workouts in can be a challenge, I get it! It’s difficult with the different schedules and things on us to keep up with to find time to squeeze in a workout. I’ve had to make things work and done a few different things in order to still get some form of movement in. It wasn’t always what I wanted, but the key was getting that consistency.

One of the ways I started getting back into movement most days was I started using a portion of my lunch break to talk a walk outside. At this time, I was REALLY guilty of not using my lunch break and eating my lunch at my desk while working. I wanted to get back into movement because had just been feeling really off and low energy. I wasn’t ready to commit to working out after work yet- that sounded unpleasant. Instead, I started walking for 20-30 minutes most days. The world didn’t fall apart when I took a lunch, I still got my work done, and I started to feel better. Book yourself that time and use your breaks!

Another way I would squeeze in some movement was while I was cooking dinner, I would start doing lunges, squats, planks- if I had time to wash my hands before touching the food, push-ups using the counter as a modification, and plenty of others. It may not be the traditional workout, but at least I was doing some movement and breaking it up. You can do tiny sets of work throughout the day. Stand up and take a 10 minute movement break a few times a day and you’ve gotten 30 minutes! Put some music on and get some work in!

Our kids are busy, just as much as us and we’re running from one activity to the next. I found that a lot of the parks my kids played at had areas to walk. I would often walk around while they were warming up. You can also do a mini bodyweight session. I never really felt like I needed to watch the warm up as much, but I always wanted to be situated as the game started. Most warm-up periods are at least 30 minutes, which is a great time to squeeze some mama movement in!

This will probably be the least popular option, but I wake up before everyone else is up and going and book a solid 45 minutes of time- because you need a warm-up and cool down ideally. This works a little better when you’re not in the early stages of sleep deprivation with a newborn or baby who isn’t sleeping through the night. My little ones loved to go out in the stroller. They often fell asleep as I walked around. I found hills and made it a point to hit those throughout my walk.

There are ways to make fitness fit in your life, sometimes it just takes some creativity and commitment. Ask for help when you need it. Daily movement is important to our health and well being. Sparkle Up Buttercup!