How to Incorporate Exercise into your Daily Life
Another day has begun, and you feel like dragging your heels today. You feel unmotivated, a bit tired, and your mood swings are in full force. You look at your day planner and sigh – it has been two months since your last workout session. Well, there are simple ways you can incorporate exercise into your daily mom life.
Or it could be, you haven’t planned out your fitness routine. It’s possible you may be feeling lost and have no idea where to start.
Where do you start? What exercise should you pick? And for how many minutes a day and how often?
Too much information, and it’s overloading your brain – but you got to up your fitness game.
You try to make excuses and tell yourself, “Maybe, next time.” “I don’t have 30 minutes today.” “I have too much to do!”
Do those statements above sound quite familiar these past weeks?
Now, I’ve got two questions for you.
Are you overloading yourself with things that can wait instead of giving self-care a chance to revive you? Is it too much to carve out time for your self-care needs?
If you answered yes, then continue reading.
What I did and how I made it possible for me?
Back then, I was one to push back fitness time in the afternoon. However, I found it counterproductive to wait until the last minute, and I’d feel like it’s another thing “to do” on my day.
I would skip one day, and it’ll extend to more days, and eventually lost my motivation. I didn’t plan well, nor was I serious about it.
Working full time and being a mom, fitness was not a priority to me at that time. As a result, my overall health was declining; stress and anxiety were winning.
Something had to be done, for my sake. I’ve got to commit to my health and fitness.
But it was when I was most motivated years ago that I had a revelation – I would feel a sudden surge of energy mid-morning. So, I thought, why not use this as a push to exercise.
I don’t know why and I didn’t look for the reason.
Whether I was busy doing household chores or getting some quick reading done, I’d always felt like that was the perfect time for me to sweat it out.
And guess what? I gave it a shot.
It worked! I took that boost of mid-morning energy as my go-to motivator to get it done.
I would have my kids do something nearby, like playing with their toys or do some art. Then, I would get into my workout clothes (shirt and yoga pants) and give my best for the whole 20-30 minutes.
Mama, 20 minutes to recharge yourself is more than enough for a start. Grab that self-care time. Find that SURGE of energy within you.
Also, you may want to reflect on barriers to your self-care and see what you can do.
If you’re anything like my past self – procrastinating and unmotivated.
Well, look no further. This post will center around how you can fit exercise into your life, even with the kids around the house.
And these won’t take up too much of your busy time at home.
I am not a fitness expert. However, I share here the methods that have been effective in keeping myself active, even as a busy mom.
Make sure you always check with your healthcare provider first before starting any exercise routine.
Are you ready?
7 Simple Ways to Include Exercise into Your Daily Routine
Schedule Your Fitness Time for 30 minutes for 5 days a week.
Fitness coaches and experts always say start small. I agree with this statement 100%.
But as a beginner, you may need to ease into the regimen to give your body to adjust to the new routine. Do 30 minutes sessions 2-3 days a week.
If you’re coming back into fitness from a long pause for whatever reason, then start easy as well. Next, gradually increase your exercise routines’ intensity or duration.
So, starting.
When you sit down and layout your fitness plan, give yourself time to adjust.
Always start with warming up and stretching techniques. You can do a lot between 5-10 minutes of warm-up exercise. Then, give your all for 20 minutes, then followed by another 5 minutes cooldown.
You can fit in your exercise according to your daily plan if you need a one-page list – print this simple daily planner out to keep you on track with your daily schedule.
If you prefer not to exercise 5 times a week, you can do 45 minutes 3 times a week instead. But, if you can only give 20 minutes, that’s fine as well. So, pen it down in your planner – HIGHLIGHT it!
You are the boss when it comes to finding the perfect time and duration for your exercise regimen.
Find the exercise that you genuinely enjoy.
What I found interesting is that time and time again, I’d go back to dancing. Whether I lift or do a power walk or run – dancing is my go-to.
It could be that it has been a part of my life ever since I was young.
When I’m dancing, I don’t even keep track of the time. I’m enjoying myself while sweating it out. As long as I keep moving to a tune, I’m all good.
Then my grounding exercise is yoga. It’s an exercise not only for my body but for my soul and mind.
I can focus on myself and mindfulness once I begin my yoga practice, either early in the morning or before bed.
With these, I want you to find that spark, the exercise that doesn’t feel like a workout to you. Instead, choose the one that you can have fun with while burning calories.
Once you get that down pretty good, you can add on another type of exercise to your fitness routine, if schedule permits.
Here are some exercises from SELF you can check out that are quick to do for a busy mom like you. For example, the 20 Minute Cardio Workout
or 20 Minute Strength Workout you can do at home.
Be realistic of your expectations.
Setting goals and expectations keep you accountable.
Write them down and keep them visible. Let it drive your motivation.
Let exercise become a focal point. Then, as you go, let it become part of your habit of living a healthy life.
I understand that you’re also a busy mom. Plus, your kids and house demand plenty. I get it. Maybe you also work 40 hours a week.
You know some days can be a bit harder than others – it’s okay to skip. But don’t let anything be an excuse not to exercise. Instead, try to get back to your routine as soon as you can.
When you set your fitness goals, be honest and realistic about them. Don’t write an unattainable length of time or pounds set in stone.
Be prepared for some fitness bumps along the way. Putting too much pressure on getting your sweat on can lead to burnout.
Learn how to be flexible, especially when kids require most of your attention and time most days. For example, your baby may come down with an illness, or your kindergartner is having a hard time adjusting to school.
Increase your daily steps when you can
Walking to the grocery counts. Taking the stairs at work counts. Parking away to walk to church also counts.
Every little step counts, even at home when you’re doing house cleaning or tidying.
One of the things that I cherish, we do nature walks as a family. We find a walking trail or state park, and we explore it together.
Getting to spend time with the family – is sacred to me. So everyone can enjoy nature, and we all burn calories while having fun.
I call that a win-win for mom!
You can do a power walk with a slight incline if you have a treadmill at home, then you’re good to go. While you’re walking on the treadmill, go ahead and catch up with your favorite show.
Suppose you’re taking your walking session outside. You can also listen to your favorite motherhood podcast while you walk in the neighborhood in the afternoon.
The bottom line, get those steps at the end of the day.
Add it to your morning routine.
Wouldn’t you know, mornings are sacred to moms? It’s the most tranquil point of the day.
Make use of these rare quiet moments when no one is tugging at your clothes or calling your name multiple times a day.
Raise your hand, no matter how you want to sleep in; your body automatically wakes you up to begin your day.
Guilty as charged here.
If you’re an early bird, then grab this opportunity to get your sweat on before everyone gets up during your early morning routine.
When you commit to this morning session time, you will feel accomplished, and it’ll keep the ball of productivity going.
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Invite your spouse or children to join your exercise sessions.
Activity done together is fun!
Exercising as a family makes for a good bonding time. In addition, it allows you to connect with your spouse and kids.
Do a dance party for everyone, or an afternoon quiet yoga session.
If you’re all into hiking, grab those water bottles and sunscreen, then head on outside to the walking trail.
Getting the family together for any exercise routine is a way to keep the whole family healthy.
It can also motivate your kids to take extra good care of themselves through exercise and staying healthy.
Track yourself: Fitness Journal plus an Activity Tracker App (Samsung Galaxy Fit 2, Fitbit, Apple Watch)
- Why is tracking your progress important?
It shows your starting point, including your initial goals – even short-term ones. Then, going through your fitness routine – you’ll see progress and improvement. But, of course, you may even see setbacks, too, and that’s alright.
One great motivator is seeing your recorded fitness journey.
Let it fuel you and keep you accountable too. Doing a side-by-side fitness photo of yourself before and after – can also motivate you plenty.
- How to effectively track your fitness progress?
- Write down your fitness goals and vision.
- Plan ahead with the exercises and equipment you’re going to use.
- Use a fitness journal or a simple fitness log.
- Purchase a tape measure, weighing scale, and food scale.
- Take pictures of yourself, including your body (before and after)
- Make use of the fitness activity app mentioned above.
- Record your exercise regimen daily/weekly, including your stats.
Commit to exercise even when you’re busy
There you have it—the seven simple ways to incorporate exercise regimens into your daily life with little time on your hands.
Create a fitness space for you and pick your perfect time. Choose the fitness activity that you love. Set your expectations and fitness goals accordingly.
Please don’t discount the power of daily steps; involve others to make it fun. Remember to keep tracking your progress and celebrate your fitness wins!
I’m hoping you’ll apply one or two of these tips as you gear up to jumpstart your fitness journey despite your busy mom schedule.
All information included in this post is purely for general information use only. It’s not a substitute for medical or other professional advice related to fitness and exercise.
If you need a little bit of nudge in creating a Self-Care Plan – check out this simple planner to get you started (including a self-care tracker page).
Do you have any other tips that helped you incorporate any exercise routine in your daily life? I’d love to hear about your experience. Thanks for stopping by!
