Don’t have time for exercise? I get it. I am home with my 3 kiddos this year and am homeschooling 2 of them. We don’t have childcare due to the pandemic.
Prior to this year, I was working part-time running my business and my older 2 kids were in preschool. I’m a lawyer, not a teacher, by trade. Moving into an almost exclusive SAHM/ homeschooling mom role (I’m still working a bit) has been exhausting. I didn’t sign-up for this!
So, where could exercise possibly fit?? I don’t have it in me to start my day any earlier than I have to in order to get my workout in. I can’t tell you how many times I nobly set my alarm for 6:00am with all the best intentions, only to silence my alarm, go back to sleep, and then feel like I failed for not getting up early. I want to be that morning workout person, I really do, but I’m not.
Nap times aren’t it either. When I was exercising when my youngest 2 were napping this year, I dreaded knowing I had to workout during that precious time. I felt like I was on the hamster wheel, just going, going, going and exercise was another thing, piling on all the other things.
Nighttime workouts aren’t the answer. By the time those little angels are in bed for the night, I’m DONEZO. Well, if I’m being honest, I’m DONEZO by like 4:00 in the afternoon, but I limp to the finish line from there.
The reality is that we make time for priorities. Exercising matters to me, sure, but not more than my sleep and down time. It just doesn’t, at least not in my present circumstances. But that doesn’t mean I can’t fit it in. I can.
I absolutely love multitasking time blocks. It almost becomes a game to me– how many things can I get done at once? It also feels like winning, like I’m gaining time back in my day by doubling up. This is how I figured out how to willingly make time for exercise this year.
My school kids have a lot of free play time during our day, including during school hours. Imaginative play at their ages, 3 and 5, is one of the most important things they need to be doing each day. When I get my baby down for her morning nap, I bring them down to our basement for 30 minutes of play. This is when I workout.
What I love about doubling up their free play time with my workout time is we’re all getting something we need. If I let our day unwind naturally, they’d be engaged in imaginative play for most of the day, whether inside or out. When I wasn’t working out during school hours, they often got into good plays during breaks from instruction. They would jump up from the table at break time and grab a toy. In other words, they’d be doing this anyhow.
I also love that my kids are seeing me exercise. I’m leading by example and modeling a healthy lifestyle. My 3-year-old loves trying yoga positions and will often grab an extra mat and set it up next to mine. My 5-year-old did a few minutes of 3-pound weights with me this morning.
The key is not to let them go down into the basement until workout time. Then, the basement playroom is new and fresh for the day. If they’ve already been down there that day, there’s a good chance they won’t be interested in staying down there very long.
The other key is to be prepared in advance. Don’t waste a minute! I get dressed in my workout clothes when I get dressed in the morning. I already have my YouTube line-up ready the night before, so I know what my routine will be for the day and what gear I’ll need. As soon as we’re down there, it’s go time.
I also keep my workouts quick. 30 minutes is stretching it. By the end, a fight has broken out or someone is trying to wander back upstairs. Efficiency is so important.
Mindset is also crucial. I don’t stress about the possibility of not finishing. Sometimes the baby wakes early or all hell breaks loose. I remind myself that even 1 minute of exercising is better than 0. So, however long it goes is just fine. I just get started with no expectations. Most days I get to finish.
Keep your content fresh! There are so many 15-20 minute free exercise videos out there. Today, I did 15 minutes of light weights with cardio. I finished with a 10-minute deep stretch body flow. 25 minutes later, as the first fight broke out, I was done.
Another way I get exercise in during the day is to wear an old-fashioned, clip-on pedometer. Research shows that we’re more likely to be active when we’re tracking our steps. I find myself a lot less irritated when I have to take extra trips up and down stairs when I think of them in terms of extra steps (literally). I’m more motivated to suggest an after dinner walk or to do some extra cleaning at night when I’ve been light on steps that day. Point is, tracking your steps is an easy way to get fitness in throughout the day.
Our circumstances may be completely different, but my guess is that if you put some thought to it, you could find a way to willingly make time to exercise too. Try it until something clicks. I figured this current system out after months of trial and error. I frequently joke that I’ll have this year figured out by June. But that’s okay!! Enjoy the journey.
Honey and Ghee 