Practical Tips for Moms to Prioritize Health and Fitness
Being a mom is a full-time job, with never-ending responsibilities, schedules to juggle, and little people depending on you every moment of the day. With all that, prioritizing your own health and fitness can feel impossible. However, taking care of your physical and mental well-being isn’t just a luxury—it’s essential for your overall energy, happiness, and ability to care for your family. Here’s how you can carve out time to prioritize health and fitness amidst the chaos of motherhood: Practical Tips for a Balance Life.
1. Embrace Small, Consistent Steps
The key to sustainable fitness is not long, grueling workouts but consistency. Don’t pressure yourself to find an hour a day—start small. Incorporate short 10-15 minute exercise sessions, such as bodyweight exercises, yoga, or even a brisk walk, throughout the day. Over time, these small bursts of movement add up and make a big impact on your health.
Tip: Try stacking exercise onto existing activities, like doing squats while folding laundry or stretches during playtime.
As a mother of 3, its hard to find time to do for a 30-minute walk (that is the recommended timeframe) but a doctor I follow on instagram says that squats are a great substitute. A simple and minimal time-invasive way to prioritize health and fitness.
2. Schedule It Like an Appointment
Moms know the power of a schedule. You manage playdates, school runs, and meal times like a pro—why not your workouts? Treat exercise as a non-negotiable appointment, blocking time in your calendar. Even if it’s just a 20-minute morning run or a lunchtime yoga session, putting it on your calendar makes it a priority.
Tip: Early mornings or late evenings are often ideal times to fit in solo workouts, especially when the house is quiet.
3. Get the Family Involved
You don’t have to choose between family time and exercise. Find ways to integrate physical activity into family life. Bike rides, hikes, or playing tag in the backyard are great ways to bond with your kids while staying active. You’ll not only be benefiting your own fitness but also setting a positive example for your children.
Tip: Create a family challenge where everyone participates in a daily or weekly physical activity goal. This can be a fun way to keep everyone moving together.
Health specialists have said that a mother’s health and fitness is what is modelled for their children. The health habits of mom really paves the groundwork for your little ones health too.
4. Prioritize Efficient Workouts
When you’re short on time, aim for workouts that give you the most bang for your buck. High-intensity interval training (HIIT) or circuit training can be done in 20-30 minutes and provide an effective cardio and strength workout. These workouts are designed to maximize your time, helping you burn calories and build strength in a short period.
Tip: Look for apps or YouTube channels that offer quick, guided HIIT or strength training workouts you can do from home.
5. Create a Home Gym Space
Getting to a gym can be a logistical challenge for moms. Set up a simple home gym with essentials like dumbbells, resistance bands, and a yoga mat. Having a dedicated workout space at home makes it easier to squeeze in workouts, even when you only have a few minutes.
Tip: Consider working out during your kids’ nap times or while they’re occupied with independent play.
A friend of mine got herself a bench, a set of dumbbells, and made a small space in her garage for workouts at home. To give you an idea of how small of a space, she parks both cars in her double garage. Her husband has a car wash station with all his supplies and they store all their gear like bikes etc in their garage. You don’t need a lot of space to prioritize health and fitness.
6. Incorporate Movement Into Daily Routines
Not every workout has to be formal. You can increase your daily movement by adding small bursts of activity into your regular routine. Take the stairs instead of the elevator, park farther from the store, or walk while talking on the phone. These little actions can significantly increase your daily physical activity without needing extra time.
Tip: Wear a fitness tracker to stay motivated and challenge yourself to hit daily movement goals.
My husband and I have always set up a diaper changing station in the nursery. So, no matter where we were in the house, if baby needed a diaper change we went there. For almost all 3 of ours kids it has been upstairs. It wasn’t much but a small way to add movement (often) to our daily routine. An easy way to prioritize health and fitness.
7. Make Nutrition a Priority
Exercise is only one part of the health equation—nutrition is equally important. Moms often focus on feeding their families while neglecting their own meals. Planning simple, nutritious meals for yourself ensures that you’re fuelling your body for energy, strength, and health.
Tip: Prep easy-to-grab snacks like sliced veggies, hard-boiled eggs, or nuts to avoid reaching for less nutritious options when you’re short on time.
This is a hard one. I found that I wanted my children to eat whole and nutritious foods (I mean what parents doesn’t want that, right?) but what my husband and I prioritized was eating together and naturally we ended up eating a lot of the same foods. So, as my children eat wholesome foods, so did I.
8. Get Support from Other Moms
There’s strength in numbers! Connecting with other moms who are also prioritizing health and fitness can provide encouragement and accountability. Whether it’s joining a local stroller workout group, an online fitness community, or organizing park meetups where both moms and kids can stay active, having a support system makes a big difference.
Tip: Share workout routines, meal ideas, or even swap childcare duties with other moms so each of you gets dedicated workout time.
The support system is so helpful! A few of my friends, our kids go to the same school or are usually in the area, so recently as the weather in Vancouver is gotten so warm and beautiful, we have bene going to our kid’s school and walking the track there. We go maybe an hour or so before pick up time and walk the track with babies in strollers and we do 3-4 laps around the track. It has been wonderfully life-giving to spend time with my amazing friends and also to walk.
9. Practice Self-Compassion
Motherhood is demanding, and some days your best efforts might not go as planned. It’s important to be kind to yourself on those days. Fitness is a journey, not a race, and some weeks will look different from others. Give yourself grace, knowing that you’re doing your best to balance everything.
Tip: Celebrate small victories. Did you get in a 10-minute walk today? That’s a win!
It really is so important to celebrate all the wins. Motherhood can have its great days, good days, and okay days. Making time to prioritize health and fitness might not win on your list of to do’s some days and that’s okay. Do what you can when you can and most importantly, be consistent.
10. Focus on the Long-Term Benefits
Lastly, remember that taking time for your health isn’t selfish—it’s one of the best things you can do for your family. A healthier, happier mom means more energy to play with your kids, more patience during stressful moments, and a better overall quality of life.
Tip: Remind yourself regularly of the positive benefits you experience when you take care of your health, from better sleep to improved mood and more stamina for family activities.
Conclusion
Finding time for fitness as a busy mom may seem overwhelming, but with the right strategies and mindset, it’s absolutely possible. By prioritizing small, manageable workouts, integrating family into your fitness routine, and giving yourself grace along the way, you’ll soon feel stronger, healthier, and more energized to handle all that motherhood throws your way.
By focusing on consistency and flexibility, you can create a healthy lifestyle that fits seamlessly into your busy schedule—no matter how hectic life gets!
For extra tips on how to get started check out my blog post “Beginners Guide to Mom Fitness“
