Fitting in Fitness

I will admit one of my biggest roadblocks when it comes to working out is trying to fit it into my Mommy Schedule.  With 3 kids, a husband who works far more than 40 hours a week, and my own volunteer responsibilities, there is no way I can just escape to the gym whenever I want to.  Our day is on a tight schedule during the school year from the time our feet hit the ground in the morning until the girls get tucked into bed at night. And I know I am not the only one. So many  mothers, especially of more than 1 child, lead a life very similar to mine.
Right now we have activities 5 nights a week and on Saturdays.  We can't just drop our kids off at their activities- I am my oldest daughter's Brownie Leader, and my husband coaches her Lacrosse team.    On top of the activities, I also homeschool our oldest daughter during the day.
 So with all of this going on around me, when am I supposed to fit in fitness?
Luckily I found an online Boot Camp that fits into my life perfectly!  I don't have to get up at 5am to go work out.  I don't have to have an overpriced gym membership and pay a huge fee to a personal trainer.  My workouts come in my email and I can fit them into my day, changing up my workout schedule daily if I need to.  It's been amazing and has kept me on track so far.  Since my mornings are typically chaotic with trying to get the 3 kids ready for their days, early workouts aren't usually possible.  (and no, I am not willing to give up my precious sleep for exercise.  Both are equally important and I don't get enough sleep as it is).
Since I am usually home during the day, I try to do my workout around 10:30am or so.  By this point in the day the middle one is at preschool, the littlest one is occupied with some toys, and the oldest is working on some independent school assignments.  I don't have a fancy home gym or a ton of expensive equipment.  I roll out my yoga mat, grab my weights, (and my trusty laptop with the routines on it) and get to work.

Notice the Little People Castle in the background?:-)

The best part about working out at home during the day is my daughters can join me- and they often do.  They will try to do the lunges, planks, or crunches with me. (without weights of course!)

My Littlest One trying to do some crunches just like Mommy.

They see Mom working out and join in and  hopefully this is setting up a good foundation for them to do this in the future.  I am not trying to make my kids health fanatics, but an early love of exercise and fitness will hopefully help to improve their overall health as they get older.  

 

I don't always include my girls in my exercise though.  I have started running with another Mommy friend of mine a couple mornings a week.  We enjoy the time out and away from our busy lives for a little while.   And I do enjoy letting my husband take over the morning routine those couple mornings a week! 

With 3 kids and the insanely busy lifestyle that goes along with that, I am happy that I have figured out a way to make exercise a part of my day.  If I miss a day or two for some reason I don't beat myself up over it- life happens despite our best intentions.  There's no sense in feeling guilty over it.  If I have to shorten a workout because the little one gets bored or fussy, or because the oldest one needs some help with her schoolwork, then I do.  Working out at home is so flexible.  Any workout, even a shortened one, is better than no workout at all.  

Moms-How do you find time to fit in fitness into your day?