The busy mum’s guide to working out

This is a sponsored post.

Nadine Hill, blogger at JuggleMum and BritMums’ Blog Editor shares her tips for juggling exercise with a busy life.

Did you start January with good intentions about your diet or exercise? As the “new year, new you” month, many of us made a pledge to increase our fitness, but busy parents know finding time to exercise can be tricky.

I joined my local Nuffield Health gym at the start of January as part of a project with BritMums, excited about all the exercise classes that they offer and also about going swimming in their pool. So after receiving my new member pack and with their timetable in hand, I immediately set about carving out some sessions in my diary to ensure I get there every week. In this post, I’m not going to tell you how to work out — more how to find the time!

Photo Credit: Nadine Hill @JuggleMumBlog

My first tip: Make the time
Rather than having a vague promise to myself that I would get to the gym more, then trying to fit it in after all my jobs were done and the house was clean, I put myself first. I cherrypicked the classes that I liked the sound of and put them into my diary for the month ahead, allowing myself a rest day in between. Once it’s in the diary — it happens!

During January, my work has fitted in around my fitness – an approach I’ve not tried before. But somehow I got to the gym at least 4 times a week AND managed to get all my work done. Just because everything was in the diary.

Tip 2: Vary it
The enemy of finding time to exercise is, in my experience, boredom. The solution is to keep things new and interesting until these gym sessions become a habit. If it feels like a hard slog, it will be. I have worked really hard this month — testing muscles I have allowed to become lazy, and I haven’t once been bored. The concentration I’ve had to apply to learning the steps in Dance Aerobics and pumping along to the music in the cycle studio have meant that the classes have whizzed by before I realised it!

Tip 3: Go like you mean it
If you are squeezing in a gym session before you have to rush back to collect the children from school, every second counts. So make your gym session a speedy one by going in your workout gear to save time in changing, and don’t wear any make-up. Nuffield also run express classes which are 15-30 minute high intensity interval training (HIIT) classes and give you a solid workout in less time!

Tip 4: Be prepared
I have started to keep my gym bag ready packed at all times, to make it quicker to grab and go. Once when I wasn’t prepared in advance, I forgot to take my shampoo and conditioner so I went home with horrible chlorine ridden hair — never again!

Have a look at my “on the go” video where I share my morning routine before a gym workout:

Here are some easy time swaps to get your exercise routine off to a great start:

• Use your workout to socialise. Instead of catching up with a friend over coffee, go for a side-by-side treadmill session, go for a power walk or take a class together instead.
• Go before work. Don’t shower and get ready for work at home. Roll out of bed, get your leggings on, squeeze in a quick gym session then have your morning shower at the gym.
• Watch TV…at the gym! The cardio machines at Nuffield Health are lined up in front of a row of TV monitors and you can watch your soaps or the day’s news from the gym instead of the sofa.
• Involve the family. On a weekend, spend time with the kids by getting active. Go swimming, run around the park or have a game of football together to get your exercise in.
• Smart cooking. Rather than slaving over the family dinner in the evening, use devices like a slow cooker to get the food cooking nicely all day whilst you are at work and then the gym. You will walk in after your workout to a freshly cooked meal.

Take a step now to get fit for 2016

This post is part of the Nuffield Health’s sponsored campaign with BritMums, about breaking down barriers that stop people going to the gym to help them get fit and healthy for 2016. Nuffield Health believes it’s important that parents take time out to look after themselves and improve their health. There are times when it seems impossible, but Nuffield Health is on hand to help guide even the busiest of parents! Find out about gyms near you and how they can help you get fit plus claim a free trial. 

About Nadine Hill

Nadine is a marketer, digital creator and ex BritMums Editor who started blogging in the mid 2000's whilst working from home around her young family. Her blog JuggleMum won an award for video and covered many lifestyle subjects from fashion to food to entrepreneurship whilst also inspiring content creation for her YouTube channel @MrsNadineHill. Nadine loves hanging out with her teenage children who keep her (mostly) current - although apparently no-one says 'hanging out' any more! When she's not with her family she's at the gym or in a coffee house in Yorkshire somewhere (she's been to most of them!) - photographing her cappuccino for the grid. You can find Nadine on Twitter and Instagram as @IAmNadineHill

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