Four Easy Ways To Fit Exercise Into A Busy Mum Schedule

Wake up, dress and feed the kids, get to work or get the kids off to school, run errands, hold meetings, do the shopping, make dinner, wrangle the kids to bed – with the myriad demands of a busy modern mum, where in the world can you make time for exercise?

This is the lamentation of so many of my mummy clients when they first start working with me, and my answer is always the same: you won’t magically “find” time for exercise, so you have to make time. There may not be an ideal time to exercise each and every day, but as long as you can pencil some movement into your busy days at least 3-4 times per week, you can make measurable progress. 

As a full-time working mum myself, here are my tried-and-true tips to squeeze exercise into even the busiest of schedules:

“Book” your workouts like meetings

If you’re a working mum, your calendar can fill up with meetings, calls, lunches, and commitments in the blink of an eye. Take control of your schedule by blocking off time to exercise, even if that’s as simple as a half hour to walk and pick up your lunch, 15 minutes between clients to do some bodyweight squats and push-ups in your office, or maintaining a firm 6pm boundary on work calls so you can attend a 6:30pm Zumba class. Treating yourself as your most important appointment of the day ensures that you won’t arrive at the end of the day overbooked and under-exercised.

Combine exercise with errands

A great tip for stay-at-home mums is to combine the necessary errands of the day with your movement goals.  Got a baby?  Pack ‘em up in the carrier or stroller and take a “weighted walk” to get your daily steps (and maybe soothe baby to nap while you do!).  Got bigger kids that go off to school?  Use public transit to do the school drop and walk back home, or find a gym close to the school that has a class or workout that would entice you to attend.  Most busy mummies I talk to report that the hour right after school dropoff is the easiest one to squeeze in a workout – so take advantage!

Streamline your exercise to save time

So many mummies I talk to assume they need a full hour to get a “good” workout – and I assure them that’s not true. In fact, if you’re being efficient, you don’t need to spend more than a half-hour strength training in the gym to see great results.  And to that point – strength training is actually the best “bang for your buck” when it comes to exercise, rather than hours and hours of cardio. Building muscle helps you burn more calories throughout the day, look leaner and better in clothes, and have more energy to go about your busy days (rather than being wiped out by intense cardio).

Work out at home for maximum convenience

My final tip is to skip the entire rigmarole of finding or getting to a gym by simply setting up a small area for exercise at home.  Whether it’s using an app, following a YouTube video, or performing a workout routine you’re familiar with, eliminating the commute and scheduling pressure of doing your workout outside the home can make it much more likely that you’ll actually do it – and for mamas with little ones, their nap time can often be the best window to make this happen.

When it comes to fitting exercise into your busy days, planning and scheduling can go a long way.  There is no need to stress over getting 60 minutes of movement, going to a gym, or overcomplicating your workouts – simply doing 15-20 minutes, finding a way to work out at home, or taking a walk can ensure that you start forming an exercise habit that sticks.  And remember, mamas – you can only take care of others after you start taking care of yourself.  

Amanda Lim is a certified fitness & nutrition coach, perinatal specialist, and mother of two.  American by birth but Singaporean at heart, she enjoys hot yoga & CrossFit – followed by a big bowl of laksa. You can find her at @coachamandalim and .