If you’re a mom or busy woman, you know that fitting in exercise isn’t always easy! Things can easily get in the way, like a sick kid up all night. late hours at work, school schedules, etc. etc. Many times, we’ve spent so much time taking care of everyone else, we’re just too exhausted to take time to take care of ourselves, and honestly, sometimes we just feel guilty!
I know all about it! I’m a “mompreneur” and my life can be pretty crazy-busy most the time. One thing that I am sure to make time for is taking care of me! I can’t effectively care for everyone in my family if I’m not healthy and fit! It’s like pouring from a glass 1/2 full. . . it just doesn’t cut it for very long. Taking care of our bodies is essential to living an energetic and healthy life. That means eating right and finding time to exercise!
After becoming a mom 6 years ago, I realized that I no longer had time to exercise more than an hour a day, nor did I want to! I wanted to spend more time with kids, and honestly, after being up all night or exhausted from kid activities, I didn’t have the energy or time to do long workouts. This is when I dug deep into research to find all the science on could on A BETTER WAY TO DO FIT!
Shorter, more intense bouts of exercise are where it’s at! I can honestly say I love my body more than ever after 3 kids! YES!!!!!! I know it sounds crazy, but loose skin and all, my body is more fit and muscular today than it was 10 years ago! Here’s why. . . pre-kids all I did was exercise, so naturally I was hungrier. Add onto this the fact that I spent most of my exercise time running and not lifting a lot of weights. I did lift weights, but nothing significant. If I had time to exercise, I always prioritized running or cardio before anything else!
Fast-forward to now. . . I cannot even tell you the last time I did steady-state cardio and my workouts are almost ALWAYS less than an hour and include high-intensity weight training/metabolic-style training. These workouts only take me 20-40 minutes and I enjoy leisure walks to combat stress and high cortisol levels. I no longer over-train, therefore I have a decreased appetite and more importantly, more time to spend with my family!
We all have time for exercise, it really comes down to priorities! You may not have an hour a day, but we can all carve out 20 minutes! Here are my tips on Fitting it In:
- Focus on 20 minute Metabolic Conditioning workouts.
- Stop moderate intensity, steady-state cardio.
- Start doing short sprint sessions that last 10-20 minutes.
- Enjoy more movement activities, such as playing with kids, walking, hiking, etc.
Exercise doesn’t have to consume your life, nor should it! I guarantee you’ll get better, longer-lasting results if you do LESS! If you want to learn even more about how you can implement my L.E.S.S. is MORE approach to fixing your metabolism, download my FREE Metabolic Makeover Guide HERE!
Do you struggle with mom guilt or fitting your exercise time in? Are you stuck in the cardio trap? I’d love to hear from you! Leave me a note in the comments below!
I truly enjoyed reading your blog. I am now working out-walking, weights, strength training and hiking. It is important to take care of yourself at any age. I never thought I would be hiking at age 70+. I’m not the fastest walker/hiker, but slow and steady always gets me to the finish line. Looking forward to reading more of your blog.
Sue, thanks! I love to hear how active you’re staying!!!!!!! You are amazing! Keep at it. . . Fit at Any Age!!!!
Great post! Took your advice and started to fit in a 20 min at home workout with dumbbells and burpees. You’d be surprised at how entertained a 5 month old is when watching someone do burpees 🙂 Thanks for the post and keeping us all motivated!
Francesca- haha! I love it! I can’t tell you how many times I would use my kids as added weight for lunges and squats! I’m so happy you’re getting that time in for YOU! It’s so important, and that’s truly all it takes. . . 20 minutes of a kick-butt workout and you’re golden!