5 ways to fit exercise into busy mum life – Mummascribbles

Exercise. It’s a pretty important thing really. Whether we like it or not, there is no doubt that exercise is good for our bodies, good for our health and good for our minds. But finding ways to fit exercise into busy Mum life can be incredibly hard. Up until last week, I was relying on the school run for my daily exercise, along with the odd weekend run or workout. And then I had a brainwave and I have managed to fit regular workouts into my week – and I intend on continuing because it is making me feel so much better about myself.

If you are struggling to fit some much wanted exercise into your busy Mum life, here are a few ways that you could manage it.

Get up before the rest of the house

This is something I wish I could do myself. If I was getting a full night sleep and not waking up in my son’s bed every morning, I would be getting up to do a workout. It’s that quiet time when the kids are asleep and you can do absolutely anything you want in peace. A quick half an hour workout before anyone arises, and you then don’t have to think about it for the rest of the day. And I know a morning workout leaves me feeling energised for the day ahead.

Unfortunately, if Oscar decides to have a rare lay in and I sneak out of bed, he seems to realise I’ve gone and I probably wouldn’t have even managed to get my workout gear on!

Do it at dinner time

Ok, so this is my new trick. We eat at separate times on four out of five days of the week (not including weekends). Before last week, when the boys were busy eating their dinner, I would be pottering about tidying up or sitting with them doing not a lot. Then I realised that it was time I could be doing a quick workout. And so I signed myself back up to Results With Lucy (something I did years ago and then stopped), and now I exercise when they are eating.

It’s not all perfect. I try to do a half hour workout, but they only tend to take about twenty minutes eating. I may spend the last ten minutes trying to avoid accidentally hitting them with weights, or having them trying to join in or crawl all over me – but I am exercising and for me in the week, this really is the only time I can do it (I daren’t do it at night for fear of waking Oscar up!).

Do it at bedtime

The kids bedtime that is!

Could you let the other half do bedtime alone a couple of nights a week, so that you can stay downstairs and do a workout, go for a run or go to the gym? Then do!

This is another dream of mine because right now (and for the past two and a bit years), Oscar needs me to put him to bed. One day though, when he lets his Daddy do it and is guaranteed to wake up not needing me to re-settle him, I will be heading out to the gym as soon as the other half walks through the door!

Focus on the weekend

If you really can’t find time during the week, then make sure you squeeze it in at the weekend. Sometimes I pop out for a run and leave the boys at home with their Dad, and sometimes I sneak upstairs and do a workout there. Every little helps, so even if you are doing a lot of walking during the week, and then a couple of big workouts at the weekend, you will still start to see a difference.

Do it with them

Most definitely not the best solution, but if you really can’t find any alone time to do a workout, just let them join in. It might not be quite as intense as you would like it to be, but any exercise is better than no exercise – so if you have to get the kids involved then do. It’s good for them to see you trying to improve your fitness and well-being, and good for them if they get a bit of exercise out of it too 🙂

How do you manage to find ways to fit exercise into busy Mum life? Or do you find it a big struggle?