5 Quick Workouts for Stay-at-Home Moms!

It’s tough being a stay-at-home mom! Between kids, chores, errands, and everything else you need to do, it can be hard to find time to fit in workouts. Thankfully, though, you don’t have to spend hours at the gym to stay in shape – even stay-at-home moms can workout! Here are 5 quick and effective workouts you can do with limited equipment at home (and no more than 20 minutes of your time)!

1) Super quick workouts

As a stay-at-home mom, I know that it can be hard to find time to workout. But it’s so important to take care of yourself! Here are quick workouts that you can do at home, in between taking care of the kids. They’ll help your energy levels and get your heart rate up. Give them a try!
1) Yoga – Yoga is all about using your breath to control your body and mind, and it’s really calming. It doesn’t matter if you’re not flexible or don’t have much experience with yoga, there are plenty of great beginner tutorials on YouTube. You might even enjoy doing yoga with some music playing in the background (put on headphones).
2) Tabata intervals – Tabata intervals work best with any cardio activity: jump rope, running in place, jumping jacks etc. First go through the four rounds of 20 seconds high intensity interval training and 10 seconds rest then rest for one minute before repeating again. That equals one tabata set. The goal is to complete 8 sets total with as little rest as possible in between sets. If you feel like you need more time after completing 8 sets, take 30 seconds break before starting another round until you’ve completed 4 rounds total.

2) Circuit training exercises

Circuit training is a great way to get a quick, effective workout in a short amount of time. You can do circuit training exercises at home with just a few pieces of equipment, or even with no equipment at all. Plus, circuit training is a great way to get your heart rate up and burn some calories. Here are five quick circuit training workouts for stay-at-home moms
1) Pushups – 10 pushups, 10 lunges (alternating legs), 10 squats (with weights if you want)
2) Lunges – 20 lunges on each leg
3) Bicycle crunches – 15 bicycle crunches on each side
4) Jumping jacks – 25 jumping jacks
5) Plank holds – 1 minute plank hold on both sides.
6) Side planks – 1 minute side plank on both sides . Repeat the sequence two more times for a total of three circuits. If you’re really feeling ambitious, repeat the circuit four times for a total of four circuits!

3) Learn how to use your own body weight as resistance

One of the best things about working out at home is that you don’t need any fancy equipment or a lot of space. All you need is your own body weight to get a great workout. Here are five quick workouts you can do at home, using nothing but your own body weight as resistance.
1. squats – start with your feet shoulder-width apart, and lower yourself down as if you were going to sit in a chair. Be sure to keep your knees behind your toes, and don’t let them cave inwards.
2. lunges – start with one leg forward and one leg back, making sure both feet are firmly planted on the ground. Take a large step forward, keeping your hips level. Slowly step back, then repeat.
3. wall sits – stand facing away from the wall with your arms extended straight ahead of you
(A). Lower yourself towards the floor by bending your knees until they’re bent 90 degrees
(B). Slowly return to standing position by straightening your legs
(C). Repeat for time desired.
4. pushups – start in plank position, shoulders over wrists and hands beneath shoulders
(A). Bend elbows until head nearly touches the floor between hands
(B), then push up again to starting position

4) Why morning workouts are great

For many stay-at-home moms, mornings are the only time they have to themselves. And while it’s tempting to hit the snooze button, working out in the morning has some serious benefits. Morning workouts are great because they give you energy for the rest of the day, help you lose weight, and improve your mood. Plus, research shows that people who exercise first thing in the morning are more likely to stick with their routine. If you’re not a morning person (I’m not!), try getting up an hour earlier than usual so that you can fit a workout into your schedule. Try these exercises below – they can be done almost anywhere! All you need is space about 3 feet wide by 10 feet long and maybe a mat or towel. You don’t need any equipment, just some floor space and then follow the 5 easy exercises below:
*You could do this same sequence standing against a wall if there’s no room on the floor or if you want to make it harder.
*You should feel challenged but not exhausted after completing each circuit.
#1 The Stationary Lunge + Twist – Stand upright with your hands at your sides, shoulders back, chest lifted and abs engaged. With one leg, step forward, bending both knees until the front thigh is parallel to the ground. Then twist from side to side, pivoting from the hips as much as possible without rounding your back. Take 2 steps forward and repeat on other side before moving onto move 2.
#2 Front Plank Hold – Start in a low plank position with palms flat on the ground under your shoulders, facing down towards your toes.

5) Learn how to exercise even if you can’t leave the house

Being a stay-at-home mom doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your fitness! There are plenty of ways to get a quick workout in, even if you can’t leave the house. Here are four of our favorites
• Treadmill: Put on some music and set the treadmill to an incline so that you’re running uphill. Walk or jog at a moderate pace for 10 minutes, but don’t stop moving. Repeat 5 times!
• Stationary Bike: If there’s not enough room in your living room, or you want to watch TV while exercising, try cycling on an upright stationary bike instead of watching TV! Cycle at an easy pace and do intervals of high intensity pedaling (60 seconds) followed by low intensity pedaling (60 seconds). Repeat three times total.
• Chair Dips: Sit back on a chair with your feet flat on the floor and hands behind you on the edge of the seat. Place your fingers around the top edge of the chair back with palms facing away from you. Bend elbows straight down to lower body toward floor until arms are parallel to ground, then push up until arms are straight again. Repeat 15-20 times as fast as possible.
• Push Ups: The classic exercise is one we all know well! Try doing modified push ups – put your knees on the ground and place hands right below chest level (or use wall bars). Do 12 reps, 3 sets each time raising knees off ground halfway through set 2 and 3.