As a working mom, you may constantly have to juggle so many things at a go, which can be stressful. During those overwhelming moments, gaining weight is easier, especially if you’re not sleeping well and don’t find healthy ways to deal with the stress. Studies reveal that about 9.8 million working mothers in the US suffer from workplace burnout.
Adopting certain strategies is crucial to help you handle your routine efficiently without feeling burnt out, including making time to prioritize your health through activities such as exercising. Your loved ones need you alive, strong, and healthy, and you must take good care of your health. Here are some practical ways to fit exercise into your busy schedule for lasting results.
1. Create a workout location in your home
As you juggle your busy schedule, you may not have much spare time to visit the gym as often as you’d like. It would help if you created a little space in your home where you can dedicate yourself to exercise. You don’t need a whole room to yourself to serve as a place for exercising. You can start with the corner of your bedroom, and you’re good to go.
Doing this helps make exercise simple and faster as you don’t need to move a long distance. A great way to ensure that this exercise is effective is to avoid places that are easily accessible to your children and pets, as they may be a great distraction for you as you start.
2. Create a schedule
Exercising requires discipline, built over time by putting in measures to build consistency. As a mother, you must create a schedule for exercise because your time is occupied with many activities, including work. It might not be easy initially, so it would help if you started with little steps, setting realistic times even if it’s just a few minutes a day.
You can decide to apportion about 30 minutes daily for all your exercise. The key lies in being consistent, and you’ll yield tremendous results. As a motivating factor, remember that you’re doing this for yourself, first of all, and your family.
3. Invest in good equipment
Investing in good equipment helps you draw closer to your goal of keeping fit. Good equipment facilitates your exercise and also creates convenience for you always. Apart from that, investing in good equipment for your training is cost-effective rather than burdening your purse with extra costs as you visit the gym. You also get to save time since you wouldn’t have to wait for the gym to open before you can access the equipment. You can try simple but effective equipment such as a rope trainer, which isn’t difficult to handle.
4. Find a motivating factor
Considering the numerous activities you may have on your hands, it’s easy for you to feel discouraged sometimes. It’s therefore important to find a motivation to keep you going always. You can start by exercising with your husband or someone willing to do it with you. Doing this will increase your chances of sticking to your exercise plan and make it an exciting experience. You also get to share more memories and strengthen the intimacy between you, your partner, or your friend.
5. Make your exercise moderate yet targeted
As a working mother, you may not have all the time to exercise. However, the little exercise you can do should be moderate yet targeted. The goal is to ensure that the exercise becomes routine for you. When exercising becomes routine, chances of keeping in shape increase.
6. Try weekend exercise
Your weekday might be packed with work and your kids’ school schedule, leaving little time for exercising during weekdays. You can try exercising during the weekend for your overall health and well-being.
You can explore incorporating any exercise you love doing into your schedule, such as dancing, yoga, etc. You can take your children to the playground for a while during the weekends or allow them to visit their relatives so you can get some time to exercise. Also, if your kids sleep longer on weekends, you can hours before they wake up.
Overall
The goal of implementing the above is to reap all the health benefits of exercising. Think about the great changes these tips will do for you, from losing weight, having a night of better and quality sleep, and giving yourself that special self-care to refresh and energize your body. The beginning of this journey might not be easy, but being optimistic and consistent will take you far.
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