You wake up, maybe take 2 sips of your coffee, then you’re hitting the ground running all day, every day.
Being a Mom, no matter if you’re working, staying at home, or working from home, is TOUGH.
You manage so much. The laundry. The dishes. The kid’s school assignments. Schedules. Lunches. Dinners. Bedtime stories. Trips to the ER. Appointments. And let’s not forget just good old fashion quality time with the kids.
There’s a lot to be done in one day when you’re a Mom, and the last thing that tends to get the attention is exercise and rejuvenation.
Being a Mom with 4 kids, I can certainly attest to putting my needs, both physical and mental, last on the list. Because by the end of the day, it can seem like I just don’t have it in me to do much more. But somewhere along the way after having my 4th baby, I realized that I NEEDED to put myself first so I can be a better Mom.
So I focused more on me, for once.
This included more down time. More long-lost hobbies I’d forgotten. More healthy & delicious meals. More time to fit in exercise.
And once I started to focus more on me, I could focus more on my kids.
I had better balance in life, I was more productive, I felt more fulfilled, I was happier, and my body was changing and getting stronger!
Over time, making time to workout in my busy schedule led to an automated part of my life. Nowadays, if I take off even a few days to rest my muscles, I am chomping at the bit to get back to it because it makes me feel so great!
But, I get it. You’re a Mom and you’re busy – so you just don’t have the time.
Nobody used to believe this lie more than myself, and that’s why I am sharing this today – because I am a true testament that you can be crazy busy and do all the things AND still make time for yourself!
And what I am about to share are simple ways to get into the groove of changing your lifestyle, even when life seems hectic.
These are all home workout routines that I have personal experience with while being a Mom with limited time on my hands. They have all helped me become stronger and improve my health in many aspects of my life.
And if I can do it, then why not you?
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Body by you
I don’t like to sound dramatic, but this book is basically the ultimate workout for stay-at-home Moms who have a hard time fitting in workouts and/or don’t have access to a gym. Without having to use ANY equipment, you can get amazing results from home in just 30 minutes a day!
When we didn’t have our own home gym, I would do my workouts while simultaneously homeschooling my kids or making dinner – it was so simple to fit it into my busy, stay-at-home life with little ones.
Not to mention, I gained a TON of strength, lost the baby weight, and bounced back (and then some) within just a few short months.
7 weeks to 100 pushups
Another simple, straightforward program that you can do from home WITHOUT any equipment and the results follow the hard work.
Pushups are arguably one of the best exercises you can do for your body. They strengthen your entire core, arms, back, glutes, chest, shoulders, and even your legs. The best thing about this program is that it’s so simple to get started – even if you can’t even do a single pushup (yet!).
I’ve had incredible results with this program and worked all the way up to easily nailing 60+ pushups at a single time. Now that I’ve moved on to weight training, I haven’t incorporated this rigid of a pushup routine, but it’s helped me gain the initial strength I needed to move forward with bettering my body.
And if you have older kids, they can join in with you! Currently, my 9 & 11 year old boys are working through the program and they can easily hit 20 pushups without breaking a sweat.
7 weeks to 50 pull-ups
Just like the pushup routine, this program is designed to help you build upper body & core strength over the course of 7 weeks.
If you’re ready to get in the best shape of your life and show off how many pull ups you can handle in front of a bunch of men, then all you need is a pull-up bar, this book, and the mindset to finish the 7 weeks strong!
Beachbody Barre Blend
This one comes highly recommended by my sister-in-law after just having her 2nd baby just 3 months ago! Being a Mom of two under 2, I’m sure you can imagine just how tricky it can be to squeeze in a workout, but this program makes it possible – here’s what she has to say:
“My favorite workout is the “Barre Blend” because it’s low impact and high intensity. Great for my lose joints after having a baby, and still gets my heart rate up & sweating”
If you’re interested in signing up, just send her a DM on Instagram to get started!
Starting Strength
This is such a great intro into weightlifting, specifically barbell training, that will CHANGE YOUR LIFE.
Did that sound dramatic enough?
Well, I’ll say it again: IT WILL CHANGE YOUR LIFE!!!!
I’ve done countless programs including the ones above, strung-together Pinterest workouts, Beachbody routines, etc., but none have compared in the slightest to the simple, logical, and practical approach to strength training found in this book.
No amount of body weight exercises and cardio have ever amounted to how I feel barbell training with HEAVY weights. Being nearly in my mid-30’s and after 4 kids, I no longer have ANY back pain, hip pain, achy joints, or depleted energy. This routine, along with this handy phone app, has given me so much strength and health, even being a busy work-from-home-homeschooling-breastfeeding- Mom.
Yes, you will need to set aside a few hours a week to train, and gym membership (or a home gym), but what you gain in return outweighs any annoyance to your schedule or lifestyle.
I’m okay sacrificing a few hours a week in order to feel amazing, be stronger than ever, and not having the dire need of visiting my chiropractor every week.
What about you???
Thinner, Leaner, Stronger
If you are interested in weight training and building the best body that you can, you have some options.
You can either can dip your toes with the basic compound lifts (squat, bench press, overhead press, deadlifts, and barbell rows) that are in Starting Strength, or dive in to an even more robust program designed for women like this.
After 9 months of making serious weightlifting gains using the method in the book above, I am following this program and also invested in the spiral-bound 1-year challenge book – where all the workouts and meal plan guidance are nestled into one place, the perfect record book of keeping track of my workouts.
I am also adding in 2 short HIIT cardio workouts per week on the stationary bike (this is a great, low-cost bike that I use & it works great for small spaces). These short, but intense, workouts only take about 15 minutes and leave me feeling great and burn extra calories during my recovery days.
So if you’re wanting to get into building a strong body without spending hours at the gym, both of these programs are insanely effective.