Exercise? Your days are busy from the moment you wake up. Between getting the kids set for the day, running your household, and managing your career, you’ve got a lot on your plate. And if you can’t find time to work out in the middle of it all, you are definitely not alone.
We all know exercise is critical for maintaining a strong body, decreasing the risk of chronic disease, and safeguarding mental health.
Still, it can be tough to fit in a workout on busy days.
We know exactly how hard finding time to exercise as a working mom can be. Many women in this situation are professionals, executives, and all-around boss ladies with jam-packed schedules.
Fortunately, we can tell you that it is possible to find time to exercise, even with the busy lifestyle of a working parent.
In this post, we’ll share a few tips for prioritizing your fitness and carving out some time each day for you, your health, and your goals.
Let’s dive in.
How Can Working Moms Find Time to Exercise?
If you’re raising small kids or struggling with finding time to exercise when working an irregular schedule or traveling a lot, you might feel frustrated when it comes to exercise.
You want to find time for fitness, and you know it’s important to your overall health and wellbeing, but you’re finding it difficult to create a schedule.
Fortunately, all you need is a plan.
Here are a few of the top strategies recommended for working moms:
1. Make an appointment with yourself
You’d never dream of missing that big presentation or client meeting, and you honor your daily calendar like it’s a legally binding contract. Because of this, we always recommend that women juggling a busy lifestyle prioritize their fitness by putting it on a calendar, just like you would any other important appointment.
And, here’s the deal:
Once it’s on your calendar, it’s non-negotiable. This appointment with yourself is exactly as important as a meeting with any client or partner.
Write your class times in your day planner, have your assistant block off your weekly workouts in your meeting book, or enter your workout windows in your Google Calendar.
This keeps things organized and helps you get proactive about protecting your exercise time. It’s a simple trick, but it can go a long way toward helping yourself stay accountable.
2. Clarify your “why”
When you don’t have a clear motivation to work out, it’s easy to compromise your fitness goals. To prevent that, I recommend visualizing the “why” that keeps you motivated.
Take a moment to think about why you exercise, and why fitness is important to you.
It could be…
- To stay fit and avoid health problems
- To feel good in your clothes and body
- To stay strong and active so you can keep up with your kids as they grow
- To set a good example for your children
- To reclaim your body after having a baby
- To pursue an audacious goal, like running a marathon or participating in a fitness competition
No matter what your motivation is, finding a way to keep it top of mind is critical.
If you’re a highly visual person, I recommend writing a “mission statement” (example: “I work out to keep my mind and body strong so I can set an excellent example for my children and be an effective head of my household”) and keeping it someplace you’ll see it every day.
Next time you feel like skipping the gym, your mission statement will help you dig deep and find your motivation.
3. Pre-book a session with a personal trainer
We tend to be more committed to things we’ve already invested in, or things that someone is counting on us to do (this is especially true for women).
That’s exactly why personal training tends to be so effective:
When you pay a trainer and book a session you know they’ll be waiting for you to show up to, you’re much less likely to decide that you just don’t have the energy to hit the gym.
Why? Simple: you have someone keeping you accountable to yourself.
With this in mind, find ways to commit (in advance) to your weekly workouts. Sign up for classes online, pre-pay for your workouts, or leverage one of our online fitness courses.
Online classes allow you to schedule classes whenever you have time while also tapping into a virtual fitness community that will hold you accountable to reach your goals. Because they’re so convenient, I think online classes are the best workout for busy professionals.
4. Make it a group activity
Again, accountability matters when it comes to staying fit. And exercise is just more fun when you have someone to do it with.
If you’re usually a solo exerciser, I recommend finding ways to involve your friends and loved ones in your fitness goals.
Here are a few ideas:
Enlist a girlfriend as a running buddy, set a lunchtime gym date with a coworker, plan active outings with your kids and family, or sign up for group fitness classes.
When it comes to meeting your long-term fitness goals, encouragement from others can make all the difference.
5. Maximize small chunks of time
Here’s a hard truth:
There’s always time to work out. You have the same number of hours in the day as anyone else – it’s how you use them that matters.
Even the busiest schedules offer opportunities for a workout. While you might have to get a little creative with it, there are ways to carve out time.
Here are a few suggestions:
- Utilize your lunch break. Meal prep for the week to ensure you have a healthy lunch at the office with you — or, even better, sign up for our healthy meal delivery service. This frees you up to head to the gym before it’s time to get back to work. If you’re still working from home, lunchtime is an excellent time to squeeze in a walk for some steps and fresh air.
- Wake up early. One of the easiest ways to make time for exercise is to get up earlier than normal. Early mornings are an excellent time for working moms to find some peace and quiet. While your kids and partner are still asleep, you can take a run, do some at-home cardio, or join one of your favorite online fitness classes.
- Add more activity to the things you already do. Look for ways to combine workouts with something you already need to do. For example, consider combining your workout and your commute by biking to work, or walk to the store instead of driving. Alternately, fit in a quick workout on the way home from the office (make it easier by keeping a gym bag full of fresh workout clothes in your car at all times). Even simple things – like riding a stationary bike while you watch your favorite shows – can go a long way toward helping you maximize your time and crush your fitness goals.
6. Work out at work
Working moms are the queens of multitasking, so why not get your daily dose of exercise even when you’re stuck in the office all day?
From sitting on a balance ball instead of an office chair (excellent for your core and stabilizing muscles) to squeezing in a few reps of dumbbell curls, there are dozens of genius ways to work out while you’re at work.
Any time you have a few extra minutes, lock the door, forward your calls, and join me in the online studio.
7. Gift yourself a membership
Finding time to exercise each day is mostly about making it a priority. And, for smart, strong, driven women like my clients, one of the best ways to do that is to invest in the process.
In addition to weekly touchpoints designed to hold you accountable, buying yourself a membership to work with me provides dozens of benefits that support your health goals:
- Get monthly meal plans and nutritional counseling tailored to your needs and goals
- Access our convenient app where you’ll receive customized habits coaching and a cardio plan designed to get you to your goals.
- Enjoy a private Facebook members page where you can meet like-minded ladies
- Secure priority scheduling – because your time matters.
If you’re working remotely or you have small kids, I also offer in-home training services.
Our mobile trainer will either come to your home with all the necessary equipment for a great workout, or you can hop onto Zoom for an effective, tailored session designed for you.
This is an excellent way to get a great workout between digital calls or meetings.
Manage Your Fitness Goals Like the Executive you are
Life as a working mom means wearing lots of hats. You play a critical role in the lives of your kids, partner, coworkers, and clients, and taking care of them requires you to take excellent care of yourself, first.
When you prioritize your fitness, you get proactive about creating and maintaining the best version of yourself and insisting on a healthy and well-balanced life – for you and everyone who loves and counts on you.
While finding time to work out during a hectic day can be challenging, the secret is just getting serious about making time. The tips in this post will help you find the space, and I’ll help you find the perfect workout to fill it with.
Ready to focus on your fitness?
