A lot of moms I’m friends with or talk to mention how fitting in workouts feels hard- if not impossible- during the week. While my exercise routine is far from perfect, I thought I’d share some tips with you that help me fit in at least five workouts a week (even while juggling work and raising a toddler).

Find Your Why.

The biggest tip for you is to really dig deep about why exercising is important to you. For me, it’s that moving my body in some way most days makes me feel better mentally. Without a good motivation, it can be really difficult to prioritize workouts. Everyone has the same amount of time during the day, but each of us prioritizes that time differently. To make workouts happen they need to feel important to you.

Time Management.

Following the first tip, I try to use my time wisely. I work out during my lunch break the 3 days I work, and work out during naptime the days I am home with G. There are a million things I could do during those times, but again it is all about prioritizing. I don’t get distracted with other tasks- the moment I put G down for a nap I go to my workout space and within five minutes am started on my workout.

Set a goal.

I aim to get 30 minutes of exercise on days I workout. If I get more in that’s great, but this is not my season of life for 10 mile long runs or 75 minute boot camp. Set a goal that feels good for you.

Schedule It.

I generally follow the same workout plan every week. I do cardio (cycling or running) M/W/F. On Tuesdays I do upper body strength training and on Thursdays I do lower body strength training. On the weekend I’ll go into my Peloton app and bookmark the classes I want to do for the week so I don’t have to waste any time searching for a class.

Use an App.

Even with a ton of knowledge about exercise programming, I still choose to use an app (Pelton app) for my workouts. They have a great selection for all types of classes and it makes it so easy to find a workout for each day of the week. By using this app I don’t have to waste any of my 30 minutes trying to decide what to do next.

Just walk.

On days I feel REALLY unmotivated or I’m under the weather l I just walk. It still is moving my body but is less taxing physically and mentally.