Many moms have a hard time staying fit with young children around. Kids under 5 years old have a mind, and personality of their own. They do what they want, when they want, how they want. Often not caring about how it directly affects you. It’s not malicious (I think). They just don’t have any concept of personal space and selflessness. They also love mama and can’t keep their hands off you! (Yay US!).

This makes keeping a regular workout route extremely difficult.

They become super needy at the very thought of not having your undivided attention. They can sometimes crash your workout party (standing in front of the TV, laying across your mat, climbing your back).

With all of this distraction going on, how is a mama supposed to get in shape? I had all of these issues and more after having my son in 2017. I went from exercising 3-4 times a week to sporadic sessions throughout the month because of work, school, and being a newly single mom. That left little “me” time. I didn’t feel like myself. It took me MONTHS to get back to my regular pre-baby workout routine. This happened after I stopped stressing about working out!

That might sound confusing, but let me explain. We all know life changes after having a baby.

Right???

RIGHT.

But brains somehow trick us into still wanting things to be exactly the same soon after. These expectations lead to disappointment and frustration. After feeling crappy about myself for a few months, I finally decided to just go with the flow and changed my mentality when it came to my fitness routine. I started to tell myself:

Don’t wait for the perfect time because it may never come: You’ll always have a long list of chores. Your toddler might not sleep through your workout. So do what you can with him around.

Commit to shorter exercise sessions: 15-30 minutes of exercise is way more do-able than a full hour session. You are more likely to get a quick 15-minute workout early in the morning or between nap times.

You may not be actively exercising for all parts of your workout: Prepare to exercise around your toddler and their neediness. It’s ok to stop, get milk, swat them away, or all of the above.

Your workout time can be their playtime: Try to get your toddler to participate. Even for short periods of time. You will be starting them on a healthy path.

Give yourself some credit: Don’t forget chasing them around the house IS cardio. Give yourself a pat on the back and use that as motivation to plan another session.

Curve your expectations: Progress may be slooooowww if you aren’t getting multiple workout sessions every week. And that’s perfectly OK! Something is better than nothing mama!

Last but not least, tune out social media: Use social media for inspiration but not as a rubric for your progress. Social media allows us to connect with others but also opens doors for comparison. You don’t know what resources others have to make the “magic” happen. Look at your resources and circumstances and make the best of them.

Mamas please remember things will get better. As time passes your little one will become more independent. That will be your opportunity to kick it up a notch.

Until then, be kind to yourself.You are raising amazing, smart, funny, and caring little humans. That is what the world needs.

Hey Mama! Stop stressing about exercise!