Too busy to work out as a busy mom? Here are 10 new ways to incorporate exercise into your daily life without the fuss.
Would you classify yourself as a busy mom? I do…
I have been a busy mama my entire 10 years of being a mom. I don’t know if it’s just the simple fact that I feel lazy when I sit and rest. Or maybe I just like to be productive and get things accomplished all the time.
Checking things off my mental to-do list gives me a dopamine boost, and I feel so empowered in that moment. I just love to get stuff done, and I like to keep my brain stimulated.
But with that busyness comes some consequences. I feel like I don’t have time to get a full workout in. I’m talking about 45 min to 60 min workouts. When I work out for that long I feel like I’m missing out on something important I am supposed to be doing. Whether that’s taking care of my baby, or taking care of my house, or doing work- related tasks.
And as a mom in general we rarely can get a 45 min time block fully devoted to working out because our babies and our kids need us. So with that busyness and that high demand for mommy comes little time for working out.
The Solution To Fitting In A Workout When You Are A Busy Mom
I don’t want you to resort to saying this same thing on repeat: “I’m too busy, and I can’t work out.”
You can and you will have time to work out because I have a solution for you. Habit stacking!
But first, you need to commit to identifying yourself as a fit mom. The more you say it, the more you will become it.
Now let’s dive deep into the 10 exercises I love to use for habit stacking.
I’m sharing 10 ways you can incorporate fitness into your daily routine by habit stacking these workout moves with the habits and routines you already have in place. You’re going to love this. Let’s get started.
#1 Pee Squats
Have you ever heard of these before – pee squats? When you are done going to the bathroom, you flush and you wash your hands, right?!
Well, I want you to get right into squats after that. I want you to do 10 squats the moment you are done. And so every time you go to the bathroom throughout the day, you’re getting your 10 squats in.
And I don’t want you to just do a little squats. I want you to do really deep, good squats. Make them count! I want a burn by the time you’re at number ten.
And I want you to feel like you got your heart rate up a little bit when it’s all said and done.
#2 Brushing Teeth Calf Raises
Every time you brush your teeth, which is hopefully two times a day, some might do it three times a day, I want you to do calf raises.
I have an electric toothbrush and it has a timer for two minutes. So I like to do calf raises for the entire two minutes when I’m brushing my teeth.
Now you might not have time to brush your teeth for two minutes, and that’s ok. No matter how long you’re brushing your teeth for, I just want you to stare at yourself in the mirror, brush your teeth and go up and down doing these calf raises.
I start with just the two foot calf raises where you’re going up on both of your feet at the same time. But as you get really good at them, you can do what I like to do, which is one legged calf raises.
And if my balance is really off and I’m really wobbly, I will just put one or two fingers on the countertop to balance myself so I can get really steady and have more control with my calf raises.
Split it up into 30 seconds on one foot and 30 seconds on another foot. But do what’s most comfortable for you.
#3 Waiting In Line Abdominal Bracing
We all wait in line, whether we’re at the pharmacy, in line at the cashier, or you’re trying to do an Amazon return. Whatever it is, when you’re waiting in line and you’re just bored, you might automatically grab your phone and start scrolling social media.
I don’t want you doing that. Instead I want you to do abdominal bracing.
Just stand there, look around and observe the environment. Get off of your phone and focus on doing abdominal bracing. I have a lot of information on my blog about abdominal bracing.
I also have this video you can watch if you are unsure if you are doing it properly.
But basically you are tightening your core muscles and drawing in your belly button. And you’re going to hold that contraction for about 8 to 10 seconds while you’re standing there.
And the great thing is…no one knows you’re doing it! You’ll definitely be getting some strong abs when you’re waiting in line.
You might only get 10 seconds in and then you’re next in line and you have to stop. Or you might be waiting there to five minutes and you’re going to get a really good abdominal bracing workout in for the day.
This is my favorite thing to do when I’m waiting in line.
#4 Red Light Kegels
We all get a little impatient while sitting in our car waiting at a red light. You want to kill the time with something, so let’s try to focus on doing some kegels.
Kegels are the pelvic floor muscles that we’re trying to focus on with this exercise.
You’re going to be tightening your deep inner pelvic floor muscles as if you’re trying to stop the flow of urine from coming out. Think of it this way – if you are on your way to the bathroom and you are holding your pee in, you are using your pelvic floor muscles to prevent the urine from coming out.. That’s the same kind of contraction that you’re going to be doing for a kegel exercise.
With the kegel, you’re going to do it similarly to the abdominal bracing where you’re going to hold it for eight to ten seconds and then take a break and then do it again. However long the red light is, it doesn’t matter. Just get as many reps in as you can.
Remember, you’re going kegel for eight seconds, release, and then kegel again until the red light is over. And then you can continue driving.
#5 Stair Skips
I’m not talking about skipping up the stairs. I’m talking about skipping one step as you go up the steps.
This is not meant for you to do while you go down the steps, but just for going up the steps.
I primarily do this when I’m at home. But you can do this at the office, too.
So wherever you are, go ahead and skip a step every time you’re going up.
This will be more of a lunging type of exercise. You’re going to feel it in your quads, your glutes and your hamstrings. It also helps you build power in your leg muscles.
Steps are hard in general for some people, but if you are ready to take it up a notch try skipping steps.
You’ll get more of a cardio workout also.
#6 Potty Training Wall Sits
I don’t know if you’re in the stage right now of potty training, but if you are, I want you to focus on doing some wall sits while you’re waiting for your little one to go to the bathroom.
It can be tedious, somewhat boring, and hard to just wait around for your little one to go to the bathroom in a little potty chair. And while you’re waiting, yes, you could be reading a book, you could be entertaining your little, but you could also be doing some wall sits.
So find a blank wall in the bathroom or maybe the door. You can shut the door and go ahead and squat down with your back leaning up against the wall.
You’re going to get into a deep squat and lean up against the wall with a flat back and your feet out in front of you. Hold that wall sit for as long as you can until your legs give out.
Rather than counting, I just want you to go until fatigue. That’s a really great goal. After you get out of the wall sit, I’d like you to try two or three sets of those wall sits.
#7 Washing Face Countertop Push Ups
My favorite place to do push ups is at the countertop at the bathroom sink because that sink is not moving anywhere and I’m going to be pushing it pretty hard. It is as stable as can be.
I also love feeling like I’m getting a really deep push up while going through the full range of motion when it’s at an incline like that at the countertop rather than on the floor.
I feel like I can get a good 20 repetitions in without a struggle and do it with really good form.
Do your push-ups after you’re done with your nighttime routine- washing your face or getting ready for bed. Or you can squeeze some in in the morning after you wash your face.
A good goal for you is to get 20 push ups in at the countertop, and then eventually you’ll be really good at doing push ups on the floor as well.
#8 Shower Butt Squeezes
While you’re washing your hair in the shower, you can be squeezing your butt at the same time! Yes, you can. While standing there, I want you to squeeze your butt cheeks together.
Hold it for about two seconds and then release it. And you can do it the entire time you’re in the shower, if you have good enough endurance.
Just keep squeezing until you are fatigued.
#9 Commercial Marching
While you are watching TV, I want you to get up off the couch when there’s a commercial.
Stop scrolling your phone during commercial breaks. Instead stand up and start marching.
I want you to march the whole time that commercial is going. This is guaranteed to get your heart rate up. You’re going to get those knees high to the sky, and you’re going to really work on those hip flexor muscles.
You’ll get a really good workout during that commercial break. Just keep on going until the commercial is over and then you can sit back down to watch your show.
#10 The Mommy Squats
Every time your kid says “mom” or “mommy” or “mama”, anything along those lines, you go ahead and do a squat right away.
So if your kid is saying mom 100 times a day, you’re going to have 100 squats under your belt for that day. Get ready for it, because your legs are going to be on fire by the end of the day.
Best Exercises To Incorporate Into Your Busy Day
I can’t wait for you to start trying some of these habit stacking routines and incorporate these exercises that fit seamlessly into your daily routine.
I know that you’re busy. So this is supposed to make it a lot easier for you to get some calories burned and some muscle definition in the midst of the chaos of your motherhood journey. You CAN work out while you’re taking care of your little ones. Moms can work out! And now’s the time for you start.
All right, so let’s review my 10 best ways of stacking in a workout with another habit in your day so that you can save time with your workouts.
#1 Pee squats
#2 Brushing teeth calf raises
#3 Waiting in line abdominal bracing
#4 Red light Kegels
#5 Stair skips
#6 Potty training wall sits
#7 Washing face countertop push ups
#8 Shower butt squeezes
#9 Commercial marching
#10 Mommy squats
So pick out your favorite from these ten to incorporate exercise into your daily life. And then share it with us in our Facebook community of motivated fitness-focused momas. I’d love to chat with you and see what everybody loves to do the best to incorporate exercise into daily life.
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only. Always consult with a qualified healthcare professional before starting any new exercise or treatment regimen. This is not medical advice and Jena Bradley, LLC is not responsible or liable for your actions.
This post contains affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosures here.
*It is important to always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program and get medical clearance. Always warm up thoroughly and stretch after all workouts. LiveCoreStrong.com and Jena Bradley will be not be responsible or liable for any injury sustained while exercising at home, gym or elsewhere. Perform exercises at your own risk.
