Fitness Friday: For the Busy Stay-at-Home Moms

Hey gals! It's that time again, time to reevaluate our lazy buts and think about what we did (or didn't do) this week in terms of our health and fitness.  Yeah, I know...I didn't do so well either.

Anyway, this week I have had the pleasure of working with Nancy to bring you another guest post!  Yay!

Easy Workouts Busy Moms Can Do At Home

Finding time to drive to the gym every day isn’t always feasible, especially for busy moms who are always on the go. As good as your intentions may be, working out is usually the first thing to get dropped from the to-do list. Luckily you don’t have to have a gym membership to stay in shape, and you can easily get in a great workout from the comfort of your own home. All you need is a little determination to make your workout happen and 20-30 minutes of time for these seven different workouts:

1.      Bodyweight exercises – You don’t have to hit up the weight room to get toned, sleek muscles; all you need is your own bodyweight and some tried and true exercise moves. When you’re trying to get a lean, muscular frame rely on standard moves such as push-ups, squats, lunges, tricep dips, crunches, burpees, and planks to achieve a toned body.  There’s a good reason that bodyweight exercises are always finding their way into workout rotations: they work.

2.      Cardio without the equipment – Sure, slaving away on the elliptical or the treadmill might be the two most common forms of cardio, but you don’t have to use these cardio machines, or even the gym, to get your heart rate up. Instead you can use explosive moves such as jumping jacks, jump rope (you don’t even need an actual jump rope!), butt kicks, high knees, and jogging in place to get in a high intensity cardio session in your living room.

3.      Fitness DVDs – Fitness DVDs may have gotten their claim to fame during the step aerobics high of the 80’s, but they are still a great way to get in shape today. Most DVD’s are 20-30 minutes long and require little to no equipment. For those that do call for equipment you usually only need a couple different hand weights and a mat. Workout DVD’s span the entirety of fitness, and focus on everything from strength training to yoga, so picking up a few different DVD’s will allow you to get a full body workout every day.

4.      Running, biking, and swimming – Try taking your workout outdoors sometimes and run or bike around your neighborhood or visit the neighborhood pool to swim some laps. You can even bring the kids along with you and do these different sports together, which can help encourage them to start leading an active life at an early age.

5.      Commercial workouts – What do you normally do during a commercial break? If your answer is nothing then use that time to fit in a mini workout. Do crunches during the first commercial, jumping jacks during the next, and lunges during the one after that. Throughout the duration of on TV show you can end up fitting in a great little workout.

6.      Walking to nearby establishments – Instead of driving your car to nearby restaurants, libraries, or convenience stores, walk to them instead. This little bit of extra cardio can add up quickly over time, and getting out and enjoying the fresh air will be a nice change of pace from your normal car rides.

7.      Nightly walks with the family – Every night before or after dinner take a walk around the neighborhood with your family. This helps break up the regular routine of sitting in front of the TV, allows you to spend some time together and catch up on the happenings of your everyday lives, and gives you a little extra exercise that you would have missed out on otherwise. 

The secret to staying in shape isn’t having an expensive gym membership; it’s making your schedule work for you and fitting in exercise where you can. You can get in a great workout every day from the comfort of your own home if you simply make the time. 

Author Bio

Nancy Parker was a professional nanny and she loves to write about wide range of subjects like health, Parenting, Child Care, Babysitting, nanny, http://www.enannysource.com/ etc. You can reach her @ nancy.parker015 @ gmail.com.

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You know the drill, copy + paste, fill in your answers and link back to us!

  This week I (ex: ran a mile everyday, did days 3-7 of the Bodyrock challenge, started a diet, hiked, biked, danced, etc.).

The hardest part was (ex: when my legs started to give up on me, doing all those burpees, resisting the temptation to order a Big Mac).

My greatest accomplishment this week was (ex: I lost an inch in my waist, I ran 3 miles nonstop, I tried a new routine and loved it, etc.).

Okay, I felt guilty because (ex: I ate a whole pack of Oreos, I was skipped on Wednesday, I didn't push myself hard enough because I was busy staring at the hot guy next to me, etc.).

Next week I'm gonna try (ex: to cut down on junk food, a new routine, to drink more water, etc.)

♥ Duckie.