I already know Moms have a hard enough time managing to fit eating an actual meal or drinking their coffee while it’s still warm into their busy schedule, let alone trying to get to the gym on a routine basis. Not all gyms include childcare so that could also be a reason for not getting there.
I started to realize I needed a backup plan for when I didn’t have enough time in my day to make it into my actual gym but still wanted to be sure to get my body moving. Google is of course always a great resource. It can get overwhelming though if you don’t know specifically what to look up and not everything you find is worth considering.
Creating a Plan
When I was trying to map out an at-home workout plan that mimics my gym workout I just compared what I found for at-home workouts to what I used in the gym. I always assumed I needed a bunch of weights at home to even get remotely close to the type of workout I was used to getting. I was wrong! Truthfully all it takes the majority of the time is a sturdy chair, a little space, maybe a step stool, and a resistance band isn’t a bad idea either.
Home Workout Goals
My goal when I’m trying to be active at home is simply to keep moving and keep my heart rate higher while doing so. It doesn’t have to be complicated or anything too difficult. You start to figure out what works best for you once you try a few different things and stay with it.
Think back to high school Phys. ed class; I know I know we all hated it. Had I known that the key to a good at-home-workout was what we used during warm-ups in the unwanted, ugly gym uniform wearing gym class I think I would have griped about it a bit less and focused a little more. Who am I kidding, no I wouldn’t have; after all, I didn’t want to sweat too much. High-knees, jumping jacks, lunges, air squats, and the dreaded burpees.
After searching through multiple google searches that were the basics of every “at home workout” I found a basic home workout plan. Add in a few others like 1 minute of tricep dips, planks, and leg raises and there you have it. It doesn’t seem like much but once you’ve done it, without stopping until your timer is up or until you’ve completed your set amount of rounds, you realize that it just kicked your booty more than you thought.
My At-Home Routine:
I go thirty minutes straight and take only 15-second breaks in between each exercise:
- 50 High knees
- 25 jumping jacks
- 25 leg raises
- 25 crunches
- 25 jump lunges
- 45-sec plank
- 25 tricep dips
- 50 high knees
- 25 burpees
- 50 mountain climbers
- 25 jumping jacks
- 25 air squats
- 1 min plank.
If you finish it under the thirty minutes, then you can restart or I like to plank for the remainder. Everything is interchangeable as well. As I said, you’ll find what works for you. If something doesn’t feel right or hurts then, by all means, don’t do it. This is just what has worked for me. Thirty minutes is all you need, use that nap time, or have the kids have “quiet time”, heck workout in your hallway while the kids are in the bathtub playing with bubbles if you can.
I’m a girl that has always enjoyed lifting heavy weights, I always thought that was the only way for me. After using at-home-workouts for just a time crunch necessity, I now enjoy doing them enough to use them as a weekly workout that I use at least once; sometimes more depending on if I can or cannot get into the gym. Now don’t get me wrong, everyone is different and just because something works for one person doesn’t mean it will you, as is in most situations.
This is about you! So if you’re feeling guilty about not making it to the gym or if you don’t feel like loading the kids up to go here’s your alternative. My 7-year-old now likes to join in. She only lasts a few minutes but it’s entertaining while it does. No time for the actual gym, no problem.
