Your BBB guide to exercising from home (when you’re juggling mothering and at-home madness)
There are a lot of things we love about staying home. The short commute from bed to desk? Big yes. The well-stocked fridge within walking distance? Abso-fricken-lutely. The craziness of having all your worlds combined and clashing under one roof? Ye-wait. No. No, we aren’t as fond of that part of staying home.
Which is probably why your commitment to working out consistently maaaay have fallen off the wagon wheel. No judgment. You’re in good company. And, trust me, we’ve all been there. Whether it’s finding the motivation to work out when you’ve got a baby on the way or struggling to find time for fitness when you’d have had the added surprise of at-home schooling added to your plate, these are weird times.
Which is why we’ve collected four of the most common problems – and our solutions – for mothers thinking, doing and dreaming of working out during lockdown.
TROUBLESHOOTING YOUR LOCKDOWN FITNESS
Problem: “BBB, I can’t find time to workout from home.”
Solution: Set a schedule and stick to it.
Hands up if you secretly thought being in lockdown meant you’d finally get the chance to indulge all of your neglected hobbies, interests and passions? Uh-huh, us too. But it’s been over a year of Covid-19, and we still haven’t become the pro watercolour artists/YouTubers/Macrame-makers/culinary connoisseurs that we dreamt of being.
Instead, we – like most other mums – have found that we have even less time than ever before. How the heck?! From entertaining bored kids through to keeping the kitchen clean (seriously, how does it get so dirty?!), it can seem like every waking moment has been accounted for … before we’ve even opened our eyes.
But here’s the secret truth nobody is talking about: As mothers, we’ve always been time poor and responsibility rich. And even though we have no doubt you really are struggling to find a second to spare, it’s up to you to fight for your health and wellness. After all, we can’t take care of others if we haven’t taken care of ourselves first.
Which means … you’ve gotta find the time to workout, Wonder Woman. That might mean waking up an hour earlier (I know, I know, we dread the idea too), asking your partner to mind the kids while you work out after work or swapping your Netflix lunchbreak for a workout and Uber-ordered salad instead.
If you can commit to a schedule – even if you identify a few ‘pockets’ of opportunity that are flexible – you will be well on your way to cultivating consistency again.
And, remember, it doesn’t have to be a huge chunk of time. Our BBB at-home workouts have been designed to be short and sweet and fit into just 20 minutes of your day. That’s an episode of Brooklyn-99 (which you can totally watch while you’re working out, by the way.)
Problem: “BBB, I can’t summon up the energy/enthusiasm/motivation to workout right now.”
Solution: Take it slow and prioritise your self-care.
CBF (Can’t Be Fudged) to workout? We get it. We really, really do. But you are strong, lovely. And even though working out might feel like the world’s hardest chore right now, we promise it’ll be worth it.
Why? Because taking care of yourself doesn’t just mean bubble baths and chocolates. Truly prioritising your self-care is about understanding what you and your body really need right now. And, trust us, a couch marathon of your fave TV show isn’t it. Or, at least, it isn’t always it.
By moving your body – especially if you’re pregnant or postpartum – you’ll support your physical and mental health so that you’re better able to face the day. You know this already, but exercise releases a flood of endorphins and feel-good hormones. So once you’ve ticked your 20-minute workout off your to-do list, you’ll be feeling better than ever.
And if you get stuck, why not ask your community for support? Whether it’s tapping into our awesome mothers here at BBB (in our programs or on Instagram and Facebook) or phoning a friend to act as your Motivation Buddy, being in lockdown doesn’t have to mean feeling alone.
Are you struggling with your mental health? You’re not alone. Get help and let’s get through these tough times together.
Problem: “BBB, I keep getting interrupted mid-workout”
Solution: Set boundaries. (… And close the door.)
If we had a penny for every time our workouts have been interrupted by a well-meaning toddler, pet or partner (“Muuuum, I’m hungry. What’s for dinner?” And to be clear, that’s our husbands yelling that), we’d never need to buy a lottery ticket ever again.
Which is to say … Interruptions are normal. But they don’t have to be.
Make it clear to your children, partner and family members that working out is important to you and that they should respect this time.
This might mean closing the door – and even locking it. Or it might mean asking your children to pretend Mummy has gone outside for 20 minutes – even if you’re just inside the spare room/office/dining room/backyard. Feel free to get as creative as you want to when you’re articulating your boundaries. But make it clear that for 20 minutes a day, you aren’t to be bothered.
Then be prepared to protect, defend and remind everyone of your boundaries. Yep, it sucks. But you deserve this time alone. Remind yourself – and them – of that.
Problem: “BBB, I’m not sure what to do.”
Solution: Explore at-home friendly workouts.
With gyms no-go zones and outdoor areas limited during lockdown, it can be tough figuring out a way to stay fit within the limits of your own home.
The good news? You can easily workout from your living room (without investing thousands of bucks in expensive exercise gear).
A good place to start is to explore mat-based Pilates workouts (*cough cough* If you weren’t aware, our pregnancy and postnatal programs are Pilates-based, by the way! Come check them out here.)
If Pilates isn’t your style, there are a load of at-home online programs you can do with no or minimal equipment.
Just remember to tailor your workouts to your personal journey. If you’re pregnant, you’ll want exercises that are pregnancy friendly. Same goes if you’re postnatal.
Want a stress-free fitness program made for mothers?
We’ve got you. Our Pilates-based programs have been created by a women’s health physio to complement your wellness no matter where you’re at in your journey.
