Here Are 6 Simple Ways to Make Fitness a Part of Your Daily Routine

After having been through so many different body changes, milestones and life phases over the past few years (pregnancy, breastfeeding, working, studying, pandemic, you name it!), it's been difficult to find a way to stay fit in a way that's exciting enough to stay motivated, yet sustainable and manageable to fit around my busy schedule.

One of my main goals this year is to focus on my wellness, which for me means increasing my strength, eating balanced, nutritious foods, and feeling healthy (both physically and mentally).

I often used to go through peaks and troughs with my fitness goals - I'd be super motivated for a few weeks, working out 4-5 times a week at the gym, and then burn out when work got too busy or if I had a long day with the kids.

Last year, I learnt about the life changing magic of habit building, and figured out exactly why I was finding it so hard to stay focused on my fitness goals over a long period of time- because I was relying on motivation. See, the secret is this: It's not about the motivation, it's about the consistency. It's about building a habit that will soon become such a concrete part of your daily routine, that you don't even need to convince yourself to do it each time.

In this post, I'm going to share with you 6 of the most simple and practical tips which have helped me to make exercise and wellness a part of my daily routine:

1. Start small

There's a reason why it's called 'building' a habit- because you have to start small and then build on a strong foundation.

Studies have shown that small amounts of frequent exercise are far better for building muscle strength and memory than intense, less frequent workouts. In my opinion, the most manageable place to start for busy mums is 5 minutes a day, everyday. Here's the thing- the more often you do something, the easier it is to make it a consistent habit. By incorporating fitness into every single day, you'll learn to set aside time for it regardless of what the day brings. After all, how hard can it be to find 5 spare minutes in 24 hours?

Start with something totally achievable- just set a timer and tell yourself that's all you have to do, then you can stop and go back to what you were doing.
Here are some examples of things you can do in 5 minutes:

• Do some squats and lunges while you're waiting for dinner to cook
• Run around the garden with the kids
• Go for a quick walk during your lunch break
• Get down on the floor to do some planks and crunches while watching TV

A few minutes a day is all it takes to start building a healthy habit- you may even end up surprising yourself and keep going for longer once you've started! Once you feel comfortable doing this every day for a few weeks, build it up, but only if you feel confident that it won't make it less manageable.

P.S. If you're interested in the truly fascinating science behind habits, this is one of my favourite books on the topic- I'd highly recommend it to anyone looking to start building healthy habits (or breaking bad ones).

2. Define what exercise means to you

Let's be clear on one thing- fitness is not a hobby. So many people have a rigid view of exercise consisting of hardcore gym workouts or team sports, but that's far from true. Exercise can come in so many different forms, and it doesn't have to be defined by the number of calories burned or the weights lifted. Whether you're choosing to spend your workout time stretching your body, training your muscles, or going for a run, the main thing is that you're intentionally setting aside time to move your body.

We've all been blessed with healthy bodies which have miraculously housed, birthed and provided nutrition for our children. The least we can do is to maintain and look after them, and teach our children the importance of physical exercise and movement.

3. Plan, plan, plan!

When I say plan, I really mean it- down to every last detail. Schedule it in your diary as if it's an important meeting, set aside your clothes the night before and decide in advance what kind of exercise you'll do. Is it going to be a walk outside with a friend after school drop off? How about a Pilates class at the gym? Or maybe a 3km run on the treadmill? Whatever you decide, visualise it in your mind and make it a real, tangible part of your upcoming day or week. This will allow you to hold yourself accountable, and make it even harder to not show up.

For example, if I'm going for a run, I'll put it in my diary, check the weather, plan out my exact route and distance, and download a podcast to listen to. Building up the anticipation like this helps me to be more mindful and conscious of the exercise I do, and also helps me to feel excited and motivated for the workout ahead. Which brings me on to tip number 4...

4. Make it exciting

Although excitement eventually may wear off, it's still very important to make the habit as pleasurable and fun as you can, particularly at the start of your fitness journey when you're trying to build the habit.

Choose exercises that you enjoy, and which you look forward to. If competition and social interaction is what drives you, you may want to look into joining a few gym classes or start playing a team sport. If some moments of solitude and silence are what's needed to fill your cup after a busy day, you can go for a walk by yourself, or do some relaxing yoga moves to relieve your stress.

Another way to make your workouts exciting is to create a space that you enjoy being in- it could just be a corner of your house with some simple equipment, a speaker to listen to some fun music or a podcast, and a motivational print to help you get into the zone.

5. Start the day in your workout clothes

This is the most practical tip which has always helped me to prioritise getting exercise into my routine. If you don't start the day in your fitness gear, it's just one more obstacle getting in the way between you and the workout.

If it helps, invest in some new clothes which make you feel and look good. The simple act of getting dressed and being ready in your clothes is half the battle already done- every time you look at yourself in the mirror, you'll remind yourself that you need to fit your workout in. The idea is to eliminate any barriers that may stop you from working out, and to make it as easy as possible to achieve your new habit, especially at the start.

Personally, if I start the day wearing a nice outfit and a face of makeup, it's highly unlikely that I'll want to change into my workout clothes and take my makeup off in the middle of the day. It's much easier to start in what you're going to exercise in, and then change into your usual clothes once you're done. Not to mention, it'll save you some time getting ready in the morning for the school run! If you're like me, you can even be lazy and live in athleisure all day long- lucky for us it's a whole fashion trend and it looks like it's here to stay!

6. Be flexible

To become truly consistent with a habit, you need to make it a non negotiable part of your day. That means, on a day when things just aren't going your way, have a Plan B. And a Plan C, D, E and so on until you finally get it done (in any shape or form).

Here's an example:

Plan A: You've planned to do a 45 minute YouTube HIIT workout at home while your toddler has his afternoon nap. Your toddler doesn't feel like sleeping today and it doesn't look like you'll get time to do a proper workout by yourself.

Plan B: You decide to get ready to go for a buggy walk and get some fresh air instead. It starts raining, and you don't want to get your toddler sick taking him out in the cold.

Plan C: Accept that the HIIT workout isn't going to happen in peace and quiet as intended. When your toddler is having his afternoon snack in the highchair or watching TV later, spend 5-10 minutes doing some cardio and core exercises in the living room. He may want to join in, which is fine- it'll give you a bonus weight lifting session in the process!

By adopting a 'go with the flow' attitude and always having a contingency plan in place, you'll cut out 90% of your usual excuses to not show up for a workout. It shows that you're putting your wellness first, and that you refuse to end the day until you've found a way to fit it in, no matter what. Even if it boils down to simply stretching your body for 5 minutes before bed, at least you'll know that you set aside time to intentionally do something for your body and stayed consistent with your new habit.

I hope these tips were helpful - I'd love to know how you find time for fitness as a busy mum, let me know in the comments below!