Aerobic Exercise for Moms with No Time: 4 Simple Strategies to “Get It In”

A mom with no time to exercise. That’s all of us, amiright? Since every mom is different in physical ability and time allotments, I’ve included simple suggestions for any mom to increase her aerobic exercise inside or outside of the gym.

If you’re looking for aerobic exercises on the internet, chances are you already know what it is and why it’s important. But for those who don’t —and for the sake of not getting super scientific in this post— there are tons of great resources out there that break down the science behind it and why it’s important.

Aerobic Exercise – aka “Cardio”

Before I started working in the fitness industry, whenever I heard the word “aerobic” my mind automatically went to my Mom’s “aerobics” class in the 80’s with legwarmers and onesie workout leotards. But as it turns out aerobic simply means “with oxygen” and has nothing to do with legwarmers.

During aerobic exercise, your cardiovascular system is working in overdrive which is why it’s also known as “cardio.” Ah, cardio! There’s a word that sounds more familiar.

If I could sum up what aerobic exercise/cardio does in the simplest form, I would say it turns the “go” switch on throughout your entire body. Your heart, lungs, muscles, circulatory system, and quite literally every cell in your body benefits from aerobic exercise.

Now that we’ve established what it is, let’s talk about why you probably started reading this in the first place.

How can busy moms squeeze in the recommended 150 minutes of aerobic exercise per week?

Well, I’m about to make your day because chances are, you’re already getting some of it in without even realizing it.

So much of what we do as moms is physical; carrying your baby/toddler around, picking up/setting down your baby/toddler, carrying in the groceries, cleaning the house, lugging around laundry baskets, playing with your kids, running them around to practices…and on and on.

But let’s talk about some easy ways to increase your minutes and intensity in aerobic activity.

1. Increase those steps — and your mood!

Whether you’re a stay-at-home working mom or an out-of-the-house working mom (because there’s no such thing as a mom who doesn’t work), take a mid-day break or use part of your lunch break to take a brisk walk.

When I worked in a corporate job, I would try to walk to lunch as often as possible. Not only did it help me get moving, but it’s a great mental lift. Sometimes it’s hard to believe that something as simple as walking can make an impact but I tell you with certainty, it does!

I know that weather and lunchtime allotments don’t always cooperate with our plans so I’ll suggest getting in extra steps any way you can. Park far away from the store you’re going in. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. If you’re at your kid’s sports practice, see if there’s an area available to walk. Those extra steps add up!

2. Create a game

Depending on how old your kiddos are, this suggestion will vary.

If you have a baby or toddler who is still being carried around, use them as your weight and make a fun game out of racing from one point to the next. There is something really exciting to babies and toddlers about going “fast” while being held and I love hearing my baby giggle as we “race”.

If you’re kids are older, take 30 minutes to play a game of tag, kick a ball around, or have a dance party. As silly as it might sound, moments like these can stick in a child’s memory forever.

This is something I’m working on getting better at myself with my older kids. It’s easy to think “I don’t have the time” but those 30 minutes spent goofing around with them are always so special.

3. Find a gym with childcare

Half of me wants to put this in bold and supersize the font because this strategy is what literally changed my life. Without giving you a long back story, I’ll say I was completely overwhelmed after my second child, was totally out of shape, and had some post-partum depression.

If I’m being honest, I signed up for the gym because my membership gave me one hour of childcare and I desperately needed the hour to decompress. Initially, I would check my kids in to childcare and walk on the treadmill. I never dreamed of taking a class or actually going into the weight room.

Long story short, after months of walking past a class that looked really fun, I sucked it up and gave it a try. That class ended up being the first format that I got certified to teach and the rest is history.

(In case you’re wondering what type of class could be so enticing, it’s Les Mills BodyPump and if you’ve tried it, you know what I’m talking about!)

So here’s the deal — if you have a gym in your area that offers childcare, take advantage of that hour or two. Even if it’s just to fast-walk on the treadmill for a bit and clear your mind. If you’re not super motivated to get the workout in, just think — no one is asking for snacks for a whole hour so that’s a win in itself.

4. Prioritize your time

This is the easiest one to say but probably the hardest one to do. Your time is precious Mama! And being a mom is a 24/7 job. I know your to-do list is never-ending and there’s no such thing as “free time” but where there’s a will, there’s a way.

Think of activities you commonly do throughout the day that aren’t necessary or can be switched up a bit. I’m going to suggest a couple of things that might be applicable that I am even working on myself.

• Wake up earlier or stay up a little later
• Limit (or eliminate) social media scrolling (we all know the rabbit holes are endless!)
• Ask your partner to help in any way they can (watch the kids, make dinner once a week, do bath time/bedtime)
• See if there’s another parent willing to carpool to school or sports
• Utilize some weekend time for family physical activities (hiking, swimming, golf, bike rides etc.)

If there is no chance of you getting 30 minutes uninterrupted, break it down into three 10-minute sessions of getting your heart rate up. You don’t need equipment, and you don’t need a gym membership — you just need the will to do it.

There are literally thousands of online programs available (and some are even free) if you need the guidance to help you get started. But here are some simple things you can do with just your body weight:

If you want to make things interesting, choose a couple of the exercises and create a circuit.

Here’s an example of a heart-pumping circuit. You can absolutely modify the number of reps to suit your fitness level. Take a rest in between and let your heart rate come down. Repeat a couple of times, or as many times as you can for the time you have available and for what your body is able to do.

Getting your 150 minutes of aerobic exercise in a week can feel daunting but with a little tweaking of things you as a busy mom are already doing, it’s absolutely achievable. If you’re new to working out altogether, start with baby steps.

Adding any amount of aerobic activity is better than doing none at all. Now go out there and get those endorphins flowing! Your mind and body will thank you for it.