Sheltering at home with your children while also working, homeschooling, parenting, trying to squeeze in self-care, and keeping up with your fitness routine is a unique and trying challenge. If you’re a parent, you might have previously had the luxury of taking some time to yourself on a regular basis to head to the gym and focus on your workouts. However, with everyone home from school, the office moved into the house, and all of the gyms closed, it might feel nearly impossible to keep up with your fitness regimen.
I have been a personal trainer for new mothers and a work-from-home mom for years. Through the journey, I have discovered several strategies that can help you stay on track with your fitness routine while your whole family is home 24/7.
1. Make it a priority.
In my opinion, this is hands down the most important step to making sure you get in a workout. Make your daily workouts a must. This means you are committed to getting in your workouts no matter what. You may have to do your workout under less than perfect circumstances or sacrifice another part of your schedule in order to get them in.
2. Ask a partner to dedicate time to child care during your workouts.
While not always possible, this is a great way to make sure you are still getting in some ‘me-time,’ even while everyone is sheltered under one roof. Create a schedule with your partner to identify which times are yours to spend alone working out and find a quiet space where you can exercise sans family.
3. Get in workouts during nap times or school times.
Depending on the age of your children, you might be able to schedule in a dedicated workout time during their regular scheduled nap or digital school activities. Again, this may mean sacrificing some other activities that you need quiet time for. Children’s schedules tend to fluctuate a lot in the early years, so be open to changing things around every so often.
4. Restructure your workouts.
You may not be able to find time these days to get in a full hour of working out alone, but I bet you can find 20 minutes, or even two 10 minute periods. Consider doing shorter, higher intensity workouts to make sure you get them in.
5. Get your kids involved in your workout.
If you can’t find time to workout alone, make it a group activity! When my daughter was a baby, she loved being a part of my exercise routine. Now that she’s older, she’ll join me for my workouts by basically using me as her own personal jungle gym or following along with what I’m doing.
6. Compromise.
If you are trying to work out with your child in tow and they don’t seem to want to let you get creative. Last night, I ate lego “pizzas” in-between weight lifting sets. It took quite a bit longer than usual, but I was still able to get in my full workout while playing with my daughter.
7. Find an accountability buddy.
Digital accountability buddies work too! Committing to working out with one of your local trainers or teaming up with a friend to do an online workout can help you stay committed to showing up for your workout, no matter what.
This is undoubtedly a tough time for trying to keep up with everything in your life. While everyone’s situation is different, I would argue that self-care through fitness is especially important during difficult times. Though it may be challenging, doing what you can to keep up with your workouts may be more important now than ever.
