Fitness Tips for Busy Women

Whether you’re a busy mom with a baby, the mom chasing toddlers around the house, the mom chauffeuring teenagers to and from activities, or the Nana, like me, trying to keep up with grandkids, you’re busy. In this era, women are immersed in careers, home and family life, self-development, and more. Of course, we all want to be healthy and physically fit so we can do all the things we want to do with our families and in our lives. But let’s face it, finding time and energy for regular exercise is often a challenge. It takes planning ahead and commitment. These fitness tips for busy women will provide guidance to create a healthier lifestyle.

Fitness is basically the state of being physically fit and healthy as a result of exercise and proper nutrition. In this guide, we will focus on movement for the body. How many times have you attempted to get in shape, or start an exercise routine, and at some point stopped? I know I’ve been there and done that in the past. Did you quit for lack of motivation, frustration, or time? Use these fitness tips to help you begin simple steps for moving your body in your new healthier lifestyle. Exercise because you want to feel good and take care of your body. Regular exercise along with healthy eating really can change your life!

Adopt a Healthy, Active Mindset

Exercise is one of those things we know we should do regularly, but sometimes it can be a struggle. Getting fit involves a shift in your way of thinking, as well as in diet and exercise. Finding the time, energy, and motivation are some of the prime stumbling blocks. I’ve had those obstacles myself and had to work to find the time and the energy to do it. And I do realize that not everyone enjoys exercise. These factors have led me to discover creative ways to exercise and move my body. It really starts with changing your exercise mindset and letting go of past failures or negative experiences with exercise.

If you can consistently get in the right frame of mind to exercise, you will reap wonderful benefits. Even if you are a person who loves exercise, there are days when you’re just not feeling like it. It takes a mindset shift, and sometimes a pep talk to yourself. Stop the negative talk in your head and replace it with positive, encouraging talk. Tell yourself how great you’re going to look and feel if you stick with it. Adopt a healthy, active mindset to get yourself motivated. Affirm to yourself that you are capable and worthy of making time for yourself. If you are feeling good about yourself, it will spill over to your family and friends!

What Are the Benefits of Exercise?

There are so many wonderful benefits to staying physically active. If you dread working out, find an activity that you do enjoy. The activity should require movement, and knitting and watching “Dancing with the Stars” doesn’t count. Play tennis, golf, swim, or take a dance class. Do something you enjoy that gets your body moving. There are a myriad of wonderful health benefits to regular exercise.

One general positive effect of regular exercise is that it will boost your self-esteem and keep you feeling young and healthy inside and out.

Regular physical exercise can improve your mental health, mood, and your overall sense of well-being. It increases your endorphins, or “feel good” hormones.

Regular exercise can improve your strength, mobility, flexibility, and endurance.

Regular exercise will improve your blood flow and heart health, decreasing your susceptibility to heart disease or stroke.

Physical exercise will build and maintain muscle mass, which helps in the body’s ability to burn calories and reduce body fat. You will develop lean muscle and increase bone density.

Regular exercise boosts your immune system and your overall health. It can help you live a longer life.

How to get started with Basic Fitness

Have you heard this lovely cliché, “no pain, no gain” before? It implies that exercise must be painful in order for it to work. That’s not really true. Believing it is a sure-fire way to make excuses to avoid exercise! Actually, exercise can and should be fun, and something you enjoy doing every day. Let’s face it, if you’re not doing something you enjoy, how likely are you to stick with it? And if it’s not something simple or enjoyable, how likely are you to find time to fit it into your day?

Basic movement is the real key. Our bodies are designed to move. In fact, many studies have found that moving your body frequently throughout the day could even be more beneficial than “working out”. When we work out we often only do so for thirty to sixty minutes, and then we go back to our desk or couch. If you adopt a lifestyle that supports moving your body frequently throughout the day, you’re going to see great results. And they’re results that will last. If you’re a mom at home with young kids, you probably are on the move often, but there are ways to be more intentional with it. Also, how do you move your body throughout the day if you’re at work and especially if you have a desk job?

Moving your body basically involves walking and just being physically active. It doesn’t mean an hour of spin class unless you enjoy the spin class. Regular exercise is great as long as it’s part of a daily habit of movement. Studies show that frequent movement throughout the day is just as important as regular exercise. For example, instead of just sitting at your desk all day, get up and take a five-minute walk each hour. Walk to the coffee shop, around the neighborhood, or park with your kids. These days busy women are juggling careers, home, and family, and it’s necessary to be creative in finding ways to be healthy and fit.

Tips for How to Move Your Body and Love It

Find Your Passion

The honest truth is that if you dislike exercise, you just haven’t found the right type of exercise for you, There are many kinds of activities and programs you can participate in that you’ll love. The trick is finding the right thing for you. You may think that unless you’re sweating and experiencing soreness afterward, you’re not exercising right. Just find something you enjoy. Here are just a few options to help you brainstorm ideas.

Walking
Jogging
Swimming
Dancing
Tennis
Stretching/Yoga
Bike riding
Fitness Classes (ex. Pilates, Zumba, Aerobics)

2. Set Goals for Exercise

When you set a goal for yourself it’s easier to get and stay motivated. Your goal can be anything you want it to be, and write it down. Do whatever motivates you. For example, you could set a walking goal of how many steps or miles you want to walk each day. You could also set an endurance or strength goal depending on your fitness program. If weight loss, or toning and firming up is your goal, you could take measurements and weigh in weekly. If you take up yoga, you might set a goal to achieve a complicated pose. Once you find something you will enjoy, set a goal and stick with it.

3. Change Your Daily Habits

Find a movement or an exercise regime you enjoy and add it to your daily routine. You’ll feel better knowing you’re doing something fun and rewarding for your body. Keep a fitness journal and write down your daily movement activities and how you’re feeling. The more you move your body and get comfortable with it, the more you’ll want to move and your body will love it. You may find yourself going from walking a mile each day to walking a 5 K or half marathon in no time. Making exercise a daily habit makes it much easier to embrace it permanently.

4. Exercise in Your Home

I know not everyone has the space or the budget to add a home gym. However, you don’t need a lot of space. A fitness exercise ball is great and can help you accomplish a lot. You could purchase a fold-up treadmill. A mini trampoline is always a fun and great way to exercise. Also, you can do a lot on a simple yoga mat and with some fitness bands. Or consider simply purchasing a few fitness DVDs. You can plug one in and work out at home at a time that’s convenient for you. You can accomplish your daily fitness goals whenever and however it works best for you.

5. Find Creative Ways to Move

If you have a job that requires you to sit at a desk most of the day, get up from your desk every thirty to sixty minutes and move. Stretch your body, your arms, and legs. Do some waist bends and arm twirls. Stand at your desk at times. Ride your bike to work if you can. Join a group of friends and walk 15 minutes at lunch. Take the stairs instead of the elevator or escalator. Try walking a mile in the morning, a mile at lunchtime, and a mile after work. That’s three miles and each mile will only take around fifteen minutes to walk.

If you’re a mom at home with young kids, find some fun movement activities to do with them. Lay out a couple of exercise mats, one for you and one for them. Let them join you in doing some exercises and make it fun. Or have a few special toys you bring out during that time to keep them entertained while you exercise. Put on some music and have a dance party. A mini trampoline for jumping is always fun, and great exercise for you and them! Bounce on a fitness ball with your baby or toddler on your lap, or even just sit on it while watching TV. These balls are great for strengthening your core and legs. Get out in the yard with your kids and throw a frisbee around or kick a soccer ball with them. Get creative and just move!

6. Schedule Exercise Time

Find small amounts of time in your day to schedule in some exercise. Busy women have to be creative and planning is important. Try to get in 15-20 minutes in the morning before your kids get up, and/or after they go to bed. The best way to make fitness a habit is to approach it realistically. Make it work with your daily activities. Put on some music while cleaning and dance. Do lunges, squats, or arm pushups against your cabinet in the kitchen while cooking. If you’ve signed up for a fitness class, then work that class into your schedule once or twice a week. On the other days, exercise for ten or fifteen minutesat home at a time that works for you.

7. Join a Gym or Fitness Club

It’s always great to join a gym or fitness club if you are able. When you join a club you have access to much more fitness equipment and opportunities. That alone can be motivating. You’ll be able to try new things and perhaps meet new people. There will be classes you can sign up for and be exercising in fun, motivating groups. Many gyms offer special deals throughout the year, and some have childcare options. And if you can find one near your home or work, that’s even better.

8. Celebrate Your Success

Sometimes it’s easier to stick with a plan if you do something to celebrate. For example, after a week of successfully working out each day, you might reward yourself at the end of the week. Find a reward that’s motivating and still supports your overall fitness goals. For example, you can get a massage or manicure at the end of the week. You might purchase a new fitness outfit. Also, consider tracking your success in a fitness journal. When you can see what you’ve accomplished, it can be very motivating. You’ll be able to see the progress you’ve made and feel excited about it!

Tips for Outdoor Fitness Activities

Have you ever thought it would be nice if you could get in shape without doing actual exercises? What if you could achieve all of the benefits of a fitness program without signing up for a gym membership or putting on an exercise video? You actually can. There are some really fun activities that tone your body and you don’t need to wear spandex to do any of them! When the sun is out and the air is warm, there’s no reason to stay inside. These activities are fun ways to spend your fall, spring, and summer days, and they’ll get you in shape fast.

Ride your bike. You don’t need to put on a pair of biker shorts and ride the Tour de France to get great legs or glutes. Riding your bike casually around the neighborhood or down the road is an excellent and very healthy activity. Next time you want to get some fresh air, jump on your bike. Ride to the store or mailbox if it’s down the road. You’ll get a great workout and enjoy yourself too. Don’t forget to wear a helmet!
Play Tennis. Tennis is actually great for the abdominals, back, shoulder, and arm muscles. And if you’re playing someone with a great serve, you’re going to get some legwork in too. Tennis is fun, inexpensive, and it’s a great social exercise. You could play with a friend and both get a great workout in.
Walking or Hiking. If you are working during the day, add in walking as much as possible. Walk to work if that’s an option. Park at the far end of the parking lot and get some steps in. Take the stairs. Get out and walk around your neighborhood in the morning or evening. Many parks have fitness trails for walkers, and you can enjoy the beautiful scenery too!
Or if you have a chance to get to an outdoor hiking area, follow some trails and get some steps and climbing in. This is great for strength and endurance, as well as building leg muscles. A great way to count your steps or track miles is to get a pedometer. I use a Fitbit and I love it! If you want a walking goal, aim for 10,000 steps a day!
Swimming. Swimming is an all-around body shaper. It’s a great way to stay physically fit and gives you great tone from head to toe. And during the warm summer months it’s also a fun way to cool off. Additionally, swimming is a wonderful aerobic exercise that strengthens your heart and lungs.

I hope these outdoor activities are inspiring you right now, and you can truly use these fitness tips for busy women to get yourself moving!

Common Questions About Fitness Tips

How do I get started if I’ve never exercised before?

Begin by creating small habits. Move your body just a little bit more each day. Make a point to get up and walk around the house or down the hall at work every 30 minutes to an hour. Find a physical activity you would enjoy and get started with it. Begin with a few simple exercises each day, such as some wall pushups, or hold onto the back of a chair and doing some leg kicks, high knees. If you’ve lived a fairly sedentary life, adding a bit more movement each and every day will give positive results. By increasing your activity level just a little bit each day or each week, you’re firing up your metabolism. You’re creating great habits, you’re gaining strength, building muscle, and burning fat and calories.

How and why do I monitor progress with a Fitness and Diet Log?

Fitness and health experts proclaim there are great benefits of tracking progress. There are good reasons for keeping a log. You can lose weight with the help of a fitness and diet log. Documenting where you started and the physical progress you’ve made with movement is very helpful. Keep track of the workouts you’ve accomplished. Track the weight and inches you’ve lost. Also consider tracking your feelings about each workout too. For example, was it easy or hard, and how did you feel during the workout or the next day? How is the exercise affecting your mood? When you can see how your workouts are helping and which activities are more effective, you can make adjustments to your lifestyle. And you will find yourself more and more motivated!

Tracking is easy in this day and time. Because of technology, there are more tracking applications and tools than you can imagine. There are fantastic applications for Smartphones and good programs for your computer. And if you like basic journaling, there is an easy printable journal that you can grab for free in this post. Also, there are simple fitness journals that can be purchased. With this type of tracking system, you simply write down what you’ve eaten, your fluid intake, and your daily exercise. Some apps and journals also help calculate your calories. As you track this information daily, you can begin to make changes to achieve your fitness goals.

One Last Thing About Fitness for Busy Women

As a fellow mom who has juggled kids from babies on up to grown teenagers, school, home life, and career, I know how busy and chaotic life can get at times. I’ve struggled with mom guilt when I’ve taken time for myself. I’ve also come to realize just how important making time for self-care and following a healthy lifestyle are. Living life exhausted and stressed out is not what’s best for ourselves, or our families. Really, fitness can be the best gift you ever give yourself. And the positive effects of your well-being overflows to those around you.

Developing a realistic fitness plan is about having realistic expectations for yourself. It’s about finding something you enjoy and are willing to stick with. Creating a habit of regular exercise will help you feel better physically, mentally, and emotionally. Acknowledge that every day may not be perfect or successful, but over time you can and will succeed. You are making positive changes for yourself. I hope you’ve found these fitness tips for busy women to be helpful for your fitness journey. Celebrate your success!

Be sure to grab the Free Fitness Journal Printable! Add feel free to share this post or comment if you found it helpful!

Hugs & Blessings!

Chris

Here’s another great post with some great tips.

https://chrisparramore.com20-tips-for-living-happy-healthy/