Exercises for busy moms
TIME is a luxury that most moms don’t have – in fact, most times their schedules become so tight that they are forced to sacrifice personal engagements such as gym time to facilitate other family activities.
But even if hitting the gym is impossible when juggling work and your family, fitness trainer Gisel Harrow says there are exercises you can complete at home or when you are on the go that will help you to relieve stress from the day and meet your fitness goals. Below she shares a few:
Spot jogging
All this requires is that you jog on the spot for 30 seconds to one minute, which means that you can get this done while you monitor the pots in the kitchen or in-between sets of laundry, or while the kids are doing their homework. Repeat five sets of this as it gets your heart rate up.
Body weight squats (use a chair for beginners)
Stand with legs shoulder-width apart, lower yourself as if sitting on a chair (keep knees behind toes), then return to start and squeeze the glutes. Do three sets of 15 to 20 repetitions. If you have a dumb-bell you can add this to the routine and grab a pair of resistance bands to add resistance.
Modified push-ups
Start in high plank with your shoulders above your wrists and your spine long, then place your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Now drop to your knees, rolling to the top of your knees to protect your kneecaps, then bend your elbows and lower your chest to the ground. Push through the palms of your hands to straighten your arms, and return to start position. Do three sets of 10 to 12 repetitions.
Bicycle crunches
Lie flat on the floor with your lower back pressed to the ground and pull your navel in – this will target your deep abs. Now put your hands behind your head and bring your knees in towards your chest and lift your shoulder blades off the ground, but be sure not to pull on your neck. Straighten your right leg out to about a 45-degree angle to the ground while turning your upper body to the left, bringing your right elbow towards the left knee. Make sure your rib cage is moving and not just your elbows. Now switch sides and do the same motion on the other side to complete one repetition. Do three sets of 20 repetitions.
Squat jacks
Start with your feet together, then squat down into a chair pose with your back straight and hips back. Now stay low, jump with your feet out into a squat position, then return to chair pose. Do these three sets of these for 20 repetitions each.
Harrow said tha these techniques are very effective and can be done in 15 to 20 minutes during circuit training. She said when at home moms can also be more intentional when doing chores.
“Many chores at home help moms with working out – from sweeping and vacuuming to lifting and moving things around. So, there are a lot of fitness benefits to be had from completing household work,” Harrow said.
