Photography by Jenn Pagnucco

Becoming a mom means your entire life and body undergo a lot of changes. Fitting in exercise during pregnancy, postpartum and beyond into motherhood will probably look different than any other phase of your life. Instead of feeling frustrated with the changes or giving up on your exercise routine all together, try these 5 tips to make exercising easier as a mom.

You don’t need a full hour to get a good workout in.

Finding time to exercise as a parent is not easy. Luckily, you don’t need a full hour (or even 30 minutes) to get a great workout in. At Core Love, we work with busy moms and parents so every workout we create can be adjusted to take between 5-45 minutes. Sometimes our members even break the workout up and complete it in 10 minute chunks throughout the day. Adjusting your expectations about how long workouts need to be is often the biggest game changer when it comes to fitting in workouts as a mom. (Want some short core workouts designed specifically for a mother’s body? Grab them free at www.corelove.ca/resources).

Keep your gear near.

You don’t need much to get a great workout at home. A few bands and weights or heavy household items can do the trick. Having a dedicated workout space in your home might work well but for many busy moms, keeping their exercise gear close makes it easier to get a workout done. Consider keeping some bands and weights in your kitchen or living room. Some squats while you wait for food to cook or glute bridges while you play on the floor with your baby are easy ways to get more movement in without taking much time.

Skip the workout clothes.

Changing into workout clothes and shoes takes valuable minutes that you might not have as a mom. The truth is, you don’t need special workout clothes or even shoes to workout! Working out in bare feet can actually be great for your body (and your pelvic floor!). Skip the extra step and just start moving in whatever you are wearing.

Fuel your exercise.

If you haven’t eaten enough food, you won’t have the energy to exercise. In those early months and years of motherhood, many moms get through the day on caffeine and maybe some kids leftovers. No wonder we don’t feel motivated to burn energy with exercise! Do your best to eat full meals with a mix of protein, carbs, fiber and some fat so that you actually have the energy to move your body.

Have a BAM (Bare A** Minimum)

At Core Love, we know you are busy and giving so much of yourself to care for your family. But we want to remind you that YOU and your care are important too. Everyone deserves a BAM (Bare A** minimum) level of self care. Whether that is 5 minutes a day or 2 workouts a week, think about what your BAM is for this season of life, and then do your best to make sure you get it.

6) **Bonus tip: Have a plan or a program to follow. Having a pre-planned program to follow means you aren’t wasting time on YouTube or Social Media searching for free workouts when you could actually be getting your exercise in! Pregnancy, birth and postpartum bring a lot of changes to your core, pelvic floor and hormonal system. Other changes like diastasis recti, prolapse, leaking and pelvic pain might mean that the workouts you did pre-pregnancy are not the best exercises for this new version of your body. Following a program designed specifically for mothers’ saves valuable brain space and gives you the confidence that the workout you are doing is safe and effective for your body as a mother.

Lastly, be kind to yourself. Know that this phase of life is one of the most demanding and challenging that you will go through. The better care you can give yourself during this phase, the better you will feel. And you deserve to feel amazing.

Kaye Burrows

Core Love Fitness

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