Workout Tips for Busy Moms

Family Life

Do you want to get fit this year? It took me years to figure out how to get motivated to work out consistently and finally see some gains, and what finally did the trick might surprise you. Here are the four things that worked for me, plus one bonus I didn’t even put on the list.

Quick disclaimer: I’m not a personal trainer or a health expert, and I’m not selling anything fitness related. This is just my own experience as a homeschool mom of four, so take it or leave it.

What you’ll get from this post

  • Why buying workout clothes changed my mindset, and where I find them cheap
  • The pre-workout drink I use, and how to start if you’ve never tried one
  • How to find a workout you actually enjoy, including my favorite free YouTube channels
  • How I schedule workouts every Sunday so they don’t get bumped
  • The bonus motivator that helped more than I expected

Watch on YouTube

1. Buy workout clothes

This sounds simple. In the beginning I always thought, why do I need workout clothes? I already had clothes that were comfortable enough to work out in.

But you know the saying, dress for the job you want. When I finally bought my first leggings and workout tank, it changed my whole mindset. Instead of “I’m just trying to work out,” it became “I’m a person who works out. Look at me, I’ve got the uniform.” And if you’ve ever gone to a real gym not in workout clothes, you know how out of place you can feel.

What to get:

  • A sports bra that’s comfortable and holds everything in snug
  • Something you feel comfortable in and also feel good about how you look in it
  • Tennis shoes you can work out in

It doesn’t have to be expensive. I really like Marshalls for workout clothes because they’re cheap and they carry a lot of random brands. Target is great too, and Walmart even has some good workout clothes.

My hack: if you know you want to work out that day, change into your workout clothes beforehand. I usually work out in the afternoon, so I might change at lunchtime, because I normally get tired in the afternoon. That way you’ve already won half the battle, and you’re less likely to come up with an excuse because you’re already dressed for it.

2. Try a pre-workout drink

Another disclaimer: I’m not a health expert, so do your own research and pick what’s best for you. But one thing that has really helped me stay consistent, even on days I feel too tired and run down, is a pre-workout drink. I take some, and all of a sudden I’m pumped and can do more than I normally could.

The one I like is called Mr. Hyde. My two favorite flavors are watermelon and blue razzberry, but there are a lot to choose from.

A few cautions from my experience:

  • Mr. Hyde has a lot of caffeine. If you’ve never taken pre-workout, start with half a scoop and see how it affects you, especially if you know you’re sensitive to caffeine.
  • Don’t take it every single day.
  • Don’t take it too late in the day.

Besides energy, it also improves vascularity, muscular strength, power and endurance, which lets you push yourself further. (And yes, I did take some before making this video.)

3. Figure out what type of workout you actually like

Yes, you can enjoy working out. The first week is usually pretty tough, and even the second week you’ll probably feel it. That’s why so many people quit. Even if it’s something you’ll enjoy later, the beginning is hard because your body isn’t used to moving like that.

But the more you practice, the easier it gets, and it can actually become something you enjoy. Your body releases endorphins when you work out, walk or run, and those are feel-good hormones.

Maybe what you tried before just wasn’t a good fit. Try different things:

  • Gym classes. A gym with in-person classes is a good way to try lots of workout types. When I went to a gym with classes, Zumba was so, so fun and a good way to get cardio.
  • Free YouTube workouts. I love Caroline Girvan for weight training. It’s all at-home workouts. When I went to a gym, I loved Whitney Simmons. She walks you through how to use different machines and gives you great workout sets.
  • Other styles. There’s HIIT, which I loathe. There’s barre, which I enjoy but it’s really hard. There’s step classes, Zumba and so many more.

What my workouts look like now

For the last two years I’ve worked out at home. I was going to a gym before, but when we weren’t allowed to go anymore, I had to figure out what to do at home.

Now I usually do a weightlifting program by following Caroline Girvan’s YouTube videos. She has new moves in every video, so it stays interesting, and everything is timed out, so it keeps me accountable instead of sitting around wasting time. I also really like core workouts, and I like to walk.

With the cold weather lately, I’ve been using the Oculus that Bud got last winter. There’s a game called Beat Saber where you hit blocks with lightsabers. Fun fact: I’m a drummer. I started playing drums in sixth grade, and while I haven’t played a set in a long time, I love it, so this game is so fun for me. I set it to a really hard mode so I have to move like crazy and get sweaty. That’s been my cardio recently.

4. Put workouts in your calendar

Schedule it out so the day doesn’t just happen to you. As moms, our to-do lists are miles long, and if you don’t really want to work out, it’s the first thing to go.

What finally helped me:

  1. Every Sunday, I look at the upcoming week and what’s already on the calendar.
  2. I pick the afternoons where I can absolutely fit a workout in. My goal is weights and walking three days a week.
  3. I put them all in the calendar, so that slot is reserved and I don’t do anything else then.

Of course things come up, and we need to be flexible. If you miss a workout, it’s not the end of the world.

A bonus of using your calendar: you can note what type of workout you did each day, so you know which areas you’ve worked (shoulders, back, arms, legs) and don’t do arms all week and forget your legs. Once it becomes a habit, you probably won’t need the calendar anymore.

Bonus: a cheerleader at home

One of the biggest things that helped, and I didn’t even put it on the list, was praise from my husband. Bud was such a great cheerleader as I got into working out, and he still is. He’ll say things like, “Wow, look at those guns, girl.”

If that isn’t natural for your husband, it’s okay to tell him what you need. Let him know it would help keep you motivated if he said some of those things.

Why this matters for homeschool moms

As homeschool moms, we need the energy to be around our kids all day, and they’re moving their bodies like crazy. Way back when, moms worked in the fields and did all kinds of things that required their muscles. Now we have machines that do so much for us.

I used to feel like working out was silly. But God created us to work the ground and use our bodies, and now life can be pretty sedentary, so it’s up to us to get that movement in. You can involve your kids too: play soccer, jump on the trampoline, shoot hoops or ride bikes with them. Taking care of your body now makes the later years of your life so much better.

Key takeaways

  • Workout clothes change your mindset. Marshalls, Target and Walmart have cheap options.
  • Change into workout clothes early so you’re already halfway there.
  • A pre-workout drink can help on tired days. Start with half a scoop and watch the caffeine.
  • Try different workouts until you find one you like.
  • Schedule workouts every Sunday and protect that time.
  • Ask for a cheerleader at home if you need one.

What viewers say

I love this video!! Thanks for all of the tips and sharing the YouTube channel you use!

@karidhowell on YouTube

Loveee Caroline!! I’m finishing up her Heat program now! These are such great tips 🫶🏼

@romanakers667 on YouTube

Things we mentioned

Want a workout buddy? Tag me on Instagram @sarahdianej when you work out and I’ll cheer you on. And come hang out with our crew on YouTube. Subscribe to The Johnson Crew on YouTube.

FAQ

How can a busy mom stick to a workout routine?

What worked for me: buy workout clothes, try a pre-workout on tired days, find a workout you enjoy, and schedule workouts in your calendar every Sunday.

What pre-workout do you use?

I use Mr. Hyde, usually watermelon or blue razzberry. It has a lot of caffeine, so start with half a scoop and don’t take it every day or late in the day.

What are good free workouts at home?

I follow Caroline Girvan on YouTube for weight training at home. Her videos are timed and have new moves each time.

When should I work out as a homeschool mom?

I like afternoons. I change into workout clothes at lunch and block the time on my calendar about three days a week.

More from our crew

Full transcript

Do you want to get fifth this year do you want to get toned it took me years to finally figure out how to get motivated to consistently work out and finally see some gains and it might surprise you what finally did the trick for me so I'm going to share with you the four things that finally worked for me to get toned so if one of your goals for 2023 is to start working out or work out more consistently than you found the right video just a quick disclaimer I'm not a personal trainer I'm not trying to sell anything Fitness related this is just my own personal experience that I felt like as a homeschool Mom other fellow homeschool moms would probably appreciate hearing

What finally worked for me so take it or leave it number one buy workout clothes this may sound simple and in the beginning I always felt like why do I need to buy workout clothes like I already had like you know clothes that I could work out in they were comfortable enough to work out and it was fine right but you know the saying like dress for the job that you want it's kind of a similar idea so when I finally bought my first leggings

And workout tank it changed my whole mindset instead of like I'm just trying to work out it was all of a sudden like I'm a person who works out look at me I've got the uniform I must be a person who works out anyways it just does something to your mindset yeah I'm one of those people who works out especially if you've ever tried going to a real gym not in workout clothes you could feel really out of place and then that makes you feel like you aren't a person who works out you're just kind of there trying to

So getting some workout clothes change the game for me Sports brawl that's comfortable you know hold your girls in tight and snug something that you're going to feel good in comfortable but also feel good about how you look in it that that's all really important and some tennis shoes that you can work out in so all of these things together really made me feel the part I really really like going to Marshalls to find workout clothes because they're really cheap there and they have a lot of random Brands you can find some nice stuff in there that's cheap also really like Target Walmart even has some good workout clothes

So it doesn't have to be expensive stuff you can find it pretty cheap and one hack that goes along with that is if you know you want to work out that day maybe go ahead and change into your workout clothes beforehand that way you're already halfway there you've already taken on half the battle so a lot of times I like to work out in the afternoon so I might change into my workout clothes at lunch time because I normally get tired in the afternoon and

So that way I'm already like oh yeah okay I'm in that mindset I'm gonna work out and that way you're less likely to come up with an excuse because you're already dressed for it on that note number two is pre-workout if you haven't heard of it before or have never tried it before Oh a magical drink another disclaimer for you I'm not a health expert but one thing that has really helped me to stay consistent is even on days when I feel too tired and run down to work out is I take some pre-workout drink

And all of a sudden I'm ready to work out and I am pumped and I can do more than I normally would be able to do now there are different versions of pre-workout drinks do your own research whatever you feel like is going to be best for you what I'm taking does have a lot of caffeine in it now don't do this every single day and you might think that I took some before making this video but I did the Pre-Workout that I really like is called Mr Hyde I'll leave a link to it below there are two flavors that I've really enjoyed

And I'll drop those below as well I have a lot of different flavors that you could choose from so if you've never taken a pre-workout before um at least the Mr Hyde it does have a lot of caffeine in it so you may want to start with like a half a scoop and see how that affects you especially if you know that you're sensitive to caffeine right and you know not do it too late in the day but in addition to giving you energy it also improves vascularity muscular strength power

And endurance which allows you to push yourself further which is just really awesome number three figuring out what type of workout you actually like yes you can enjoy working out now I will say usually when people first start working out you know the first week can be pretty tough even the second week you're probably like and that's why so many people quit right they want to do it and then they get into it they're like Ugh and even if it is something you enjoy or like later would enjoy the beginning of it might be hard just because you're not used to moving your body like that

And it takes work it does but once you start doing it more you're getting more practiced at it it becomes a little bit easier and actually something that you can enjoy it's crazy I know but your body does release endorphins when you're doing all kinds of working out or walking and running so all those things are are good feeling hormones so but maybe it's just that something you've tried in the past just really isn't a good fit for you so maybe try some different things if you want to join a gym

And have like a real in-person class you could probably try out a lot of different things and that would be a good way to expose yourself to some different types of workouts YouTube obviously has a whole host of workouts for free that you can check out I love Caroline girvin for weight training she is awesome it's all at home workouts I'll leave a link to her Channel below when I was going to a gym I loved Whitney Simmons hers was all in the gym like how do you use these different machines

And she would walk you through it and give you these great workout sets so she's awesome I'll leave a link to her Channel below but there's all kinds of different things there's hit which I loathe by the way there's bar I do enjoy that but it is really hard step classes Zumba I'm kind of blinking at the moment but there's so many different kinds of workouts out there that you could do and so you just need to maybe try some different ones and you might surprise yourself what you like to do I'll tell you what my favorites are when I was going to a gym that had classes they had Zumba

And that was so so fun so a good way to to do some cardio I did but for the last two years I've been working out at home you know I was working out at the gym before that but then when we were not allowed to go anymore I had to figure out what to do at home so now that I'm working out at home I usually do a weightlifting program with just YouTube videos uh Caroline Gervin and it's really nice to just be able to follow her videos it keeps it interesting she has new moves in every video

And it's just a good way to like keep me accountable you know she has it timed out and so that I'm not just like sitting up here and wasting my time um and so I do that I really like core workouts and I also like to walk recently with the cold weather my husband got the Oculus last winter and it's pretty fun and there is a game called beat saber where you've got these lightsabers and you're hitting these blocks fun fact I am a drummer

And I started playing drums when I was in sixth grade now I haven't played a set in a long time but I love it and so this game is super fun for me so I'll set it to like a really hard mode so I'm like having to move like crazy and I get sweaty so I I've been kind of using that as my cardio recently it has been really fun number four last but not least is to put workouts in your calendar so actually schedule it out in the week

So that it's not like the day just sort of happened to you and you're like oh ran out of time because that's always going to happen to us moms we always have a to-do list miles and miles long and especially if you don't really want to work out that's going to be the first thing to go from the list right we're like oh shoot I ran out of time to do that and so what really helped me is I finally sat down every Sunday I look at the upcoming week what do we already have in the calendar

And like okay these are the afternoons I can absolutely fit it in I'm going to try to do my weights and walking three days a week I'm gonna put it all in there and that way I should have less of an excuse to not get it done because it's scheduled it's in the schedule now of course also as moms things come up we need to be flexible if we can't get our workout in it needs to not be the end of the the world but this really really helped me to finally say this afternoon is reserved for this workout

And I'm not going to do anything else during this slot of time I'm gonna commit to it what's also nice about that is that you could keep track of like what types of workouts you're doing each day in your calendar so that you know what areas of your body you've worked on instead of forgetting and like you've just done arms all week long and ignored your legs I don't know so that for me is kind of nice too to be able to be like okay what did I do each day your shoulders back arms legs whatever

So that's pretty helpful and then once it becomes more of a habit you probably won't need to put it in your calendar anymore because you're just you're used to this routine that you've set up for yourself but until it becomes a routine this can be a really helpful way to make yourself more consistent so those are the four things that finally got me to be consistent and working out finally I was able to see results I was getting toned and feeling better feeling healthier feeling more fit

And it was great and I will say probably one of the biggest things that I didn't put in this list now that I'm thinking about it was the praise from my husband he was such a great cheerleader as I was getting into working out and he still is and will always be like oh wow look at those guns girl and just say nice things so hopefully you will get similar feedback at home and that cheerleading and maybe you need to tell your husband that you need that that's

Okay you can tell them what you need if that's like not a natural thing for him to do maybe just let him know that it would help keep you motivated if he you know said some of those things hopefully you'll get a cheerleader and that'll keep you motivated to keep being consistent and if you want to keep each other accountable you can find me on Instagram I'll leave my handle here and tag me if you're working out one day tag me I will be your cheerleader girl I will cheer you on I'm excited keep me accountable let's do this together it's

So good for us us moms have to do so much and if you're a homeschool mom you have to have the energy to be around your kids all day and so if we're not moving our bodies oh they're moving their bodies like crazy right we had to be able to keep up with that and you know back in the day way way back when moms had to move their bodies different ways you know and work in the fields and do all kinds of things that require their muscles

And now we have so many machines that automate these things for us so we really don't have to do that much with our muscles and so I used to feel like oh this is like so silly to spend my time working out but when you think about it like that God created us to be able to work the ground and do all these things with our bodies and now we've kind of come to a pretty sedentary place in Life or we we could be sedentary

And so it's kind of up to us to figure out how to get that movement in our day so whatever it is that you choose to do to get that movement in your day maybe it's just going outside and playing soccer with your kids jumping on the trampoline playing basketball with your kids riding your bike with your kids you can involve your kids in this hopefully it will help bring you vitality and just be rejuvenating and it will be so so good for your health you know that you are adding on yours to your life

And you're going to be making the end years of your life so much better because you're taking care of your body now so I'm here for you let's do this together 2023 this is your year right let's do it if you're new here my name is Sarah and I am a homeschool mom to four kids from the ages of ten to three and if homeschool content interests you that's is my normal content this is sort of a random video but go ahead and click that subscribe button hang out with me here

And I'd love to have you so thanks so much for joining me today and I'll catch you in the next video Happy New Year

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