It’s often said that a mother’s work is never done. From packing lunches to dropping the kids off at various practices, there’s a lot to fit in. This can make it hard to find time for health and fitness, but with these tips, even the busiest Mom can squeeze in a little self-care.
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Schedule Your Workouts On The Calendar
Planning ahead is essential. Write your workouts on the calendar so you have time set aside for them in your busy week. If you’re a busy woman, don’t want for that to change, because it likely won’t. Plan ahead. Having your fitness classes in the calendar should also help the family to realize you’re not available then too, instead of available to deal with any of their demands.
Pack Your Lunch
More people are becoming aware of the dangers of a lot of processed food. Most parents are working on feeding their kids better, but what about yourself? Take care of yourself too. When you’re carefully packing a healthy lunch for kids, make one for yourself as well, to make things easier when you’re busy during the day. If you have something ready in the fridge, you’re more likely to eat it, rather than grab something fast and unhealthy because you’re pressed for time or too tired to cook.
Do Burst Training
This is one the most effective methods of training, especially when you’re busy. Even a stripped down workout can burn a lot of calories in a short amount of time when you workout like this. This is exactly what busy people need. Burst training is a form of internal training, that is very effective for weight loss. It works by quickly elevating the heart rate for a short period of time before it returns to normal.
Set Your Push-Up PR
Your PR is your personal record. Start off on your knees or your toes, and do as many consecutive repetitions of a push-up as you can without stopping. When your muscles have given out, and you can’t physically manage another pushup, write down that number. You will need to put the maximum amount of effort that you can into this, as it will only take a few minutes to complete. When you’re busy and short on time, the intensity of this exercise can make up for it. When you’ve found your PR, work on beating it. This is really motivating and a good way to track your progress.
Get Plenty Of Sleep
Try as best as you can get enough sleep at night. Six to eight hours of sleep every night is very important for physical, mental, and emotional health. A lot of moms accidentally stay up late after the kids are in bed to catch up on TV, or just get some alone time, but try not to do this. Instead, head to bed at a sensible time and get some sleep. If you’re sleeping better, you have more energy, which will help you to be more productive with your time.
Tell Your Friends Your Plans
When you tell people what you are going to do for your fitness routine, you set yourself up for success. If you’ve told someone, you will feel embarrassed to admit that you didn’t get it done, so it can be a good way to keep yourself motivated and on track.
Use An Online Workout
The good thing about using an online exercise program is that they are usually super cheap, if not free, and it can save you a lot of time and effort. There are lots of options, depending on your ability, amount of free time, and the style of exercise you enjoy.
Set Your Plank-A-Day PR
A plank is a wonderful core exercise. Do one plank every day and see how strong your core muscles can become. Just like the push-up PR goal, this doesn’t have to take you very long. Always aim to beat your time from the previous day by pushing yourself to last for at least one second longer than you did the day before. Soon, you’ll be amazed by how long you can manage to go.
Drink Water In The Morning
Did you know that drinking your body weight in ounces of water can help to speed up your metabolism by up to 30%? Studies show that having heightened metabolic activity is directly linked to your hydration levels, so make sure you’re staying well-hydrated. Drinking water first thing in the morning, before you’ve even had your morning coffee, will rehydrate you after the night, and boost your fat-burning potential for the day.
