Are you a stay-at-home mom who finds herself bogged down between nappy changes, and managing a home and an at-home job? We know how it can be for busy moms to get back on to the fitness track. There just doesn’t seem to be sufficient time to do anything, does there? However, here’s some food for thought. Exercise is the basis of good health – physical, mental, emotional and psychological. So, use our tips to get yourself into tip-top fighting-fit shape!
1. Buy Home Gym Equipment
For a stay-at-home mom, especially one with small children, attending a gym or going out for a run may be difficult. She will have to get a babysitter for the duration and pray she manages to get someone for the same time every day. So, if you can manage it, get a sprinting machine at home. It might be a good idea to invest in a gym ball and some other basic home gym equipment. A few minutes a day on the treadmill when the kiddies are sleeping and soon you’ll be back to your desirable shape.
2. Buy a Skipping Rope
Not a gymmer and don’t mind investing hundreds of dollars on home gym equipment? How about spending 10 dollars on it? Buy a good-quality skipping rope and get skipping on the porch or in your yard, if you have one. One hour of skipping tones your entire body, right from your neck and shoulders to your arms, back, abs, buttocks, gams, calves and feet. Skipping burns about 10 calories a minute. So skip for 10 minutes and you can lose 100 calories a day.
3. Hula Dancing
Hula dancing is one of the best ways to lose weight in your midsection and tone up the abs, especially after having a baby. It takes a little getting used to, but once you get the hang of it, you can hula dance your way to fitness pretty soon. Get your little ones a couple of baby hulas and let them do the hula along with you. It’ll be a family workout and so much fun! Buy hulas in pretty colors and maybe even get yourselves grass skirts to up the fun factor.
4. Get Biking
Kids at day school? It’s the best time to go shopping for groceries and hit the bank on the way back. Get yourself a nice sturdy backpack and fit your bike with a basket in the front and on the side for storing luggage and go biking on all your errands. Biking helps in shedding off those extra calories
5. Do Yoga
Yoga can be practiced at home without investing in any equipment. You don’t have to do your yoga workout at the same time every day. Just choose the time that works best for you. The important thing is to spend a few minutes centering yourself before you begin the exercises. Grab yourself a yoga mat and some flexible, stretchy yoga pants and a top. If you weigh 125 pounds, you’ll burn about 120 calories after a 30-minute yogic workout.
6. Do Pilates
Pilates is another workout that can be done peacefully at home when your baby is asleep or the little kids are away at school. Did you know that one hour of beginner Pilates workout for an average 5 feet 4 inches’ person weighing 150 pounds burns 255 calories? Pilates, just like yoga, will relax your muscles, leaving you feeling extremely flexible. You can learn to do Pilates by simply watching a Pilate’s video if you like.
7. Get Your Kids to Join in
If your kids are still toddlers, or perhaps within 10 years of age, it’ll be great fun to do your workouts with them. It’s just the thing to do if you find it really hard to find alone time. Embrace the time you work out with your kids and you’ll be happier for it. Kids love pushing themselves against things, so get some gym resistance bands at home. Bosu balls make great mini trampolines and kids love them. Turn workout time into solid bonding time and you’ll benefit as a whole family.
8. Play with Your Kids in the Park Jungle Gym
Who says moms shouldn’t play on the jungle gym in the local kids’ park? You take your kids to the playground every day, so do your workout there. Do your triceps dips off a bench, use the bench again for step-ups, do incline push-ups against the slide, and work your biceps by pulling on the monkey bars. Straight enough? One hour of this every day and you’ll be the fittest mommy at the park.
9. Steal Workout Time
Have you been taught that a workout is of no use unless you’ve been at it for an hour? That’s not correct. All that’s needed is a consistent workout throughout the day. Say, you put in a 10-minute walk in the morning, 15 minutes of skipping at noon, and 20 minutes on the jungle gym with kids in the evening. You’ve put in a total of 45 minutes of exercise. Get yourself a wearable fitness tracker and check the calories burned, your heart rate and other details during the day. You’ll be surprised.
Conclusion
Whatever you do, don’t forget to give yourself a good pat on the back. Being a mom is not easy. Being a stay-at-home mom, cooking, cleaning, managing the kids and maybe even a home-job can take a toll on your health and body. So when you have a good workout, congratulate yourself. Remember, too many women give up on exercise when they become moms. Be happy you’re doing something about it.