Exercise Ideas for Moms of Young Kids

As a mother of three children under 6 years old, I know about being busy, exhausted and unable to get a spare second for myself. Being a mother is a full time job, and sometimes we end up neglecting ourselves. But we all know that we shouldn’t. Keeping ourselves physically and mentally healthy will help us to take better care of our children. Exercising daily is a great way to do that. We can stay in shape, have more energy, feel better, and be better role models for our children. I know having a child or 2, or three, with you all day can make it seem impossibe to fit in a workout, but it really isn’t. Here are some of my suggestions.

Join a gym that has childcare
If you have the extra money, and the time, this is wonderful. You can drop the kids off in the daycare for an hour, and exercise alone, or with a friend. This will help you clear your mind, you can workout in the gym or take a class, and have a small break from the kids. Some gyms have pools, hot tubs, or saunas to enjoy afterwards. This is a perfect way to relax. You can also shower there, so you can save time at home.

Take the children to a park
Many parents take their children to the park, but the key is making it a workout for you as well. If your park has a walking trail, a good idea is to walk the trail with the kids first. If they are small, use a stroller, and powerwalk. If the park has hills, even better. Afterwards let your kids play on the playground. If you are home with your kids a lot, try to make it to the park each day. Go to different parks sometimes, so you don’t get bored. This is great, because it will let you spend time with your kids, stay in shape, you can stay as long as you like, and its free!

Do exercises in your home
This one is great for a mother who has small children, and can’t always just get up and go so easily. Buy a yoga mat and some 5 pound weights, and so small workouts you make up yourself at home. You really can do a well rounded workout at home. There are plenty of moves for stretching, toning, and cardio that you can do in your home, even if you don’t own a single piece of equipment. Look online for ideas for new moves to try to mix it up.
Even 20 minutes a night will help, do it everyday, thats the important thing.

Fit it in here and there
If you are superbusy, and dont really see time for a block workout, you can do little things that add up throughout the day. 20 jumping jacks after you load the washer, running in place for 2 minutes while you wait for the microwave, stretching here and there. When you walk, take longer strides, walk a little faster, take the stairs. Do a few crunches or leglifts in your living room. Take a few minutes to do things here and there and it will add up to about a 20 minute workout anyway.

These are simple ideas, but they do really make a difference I do all of them at different times. When you have small children, everything can seem like a big production, especially working out, but it doesn’t have to be. Don’t let yourself fall by the wayside while you are trying to be a great mom. You deserve the best too.