Amongst the biggest challenges for many working moms is making time for exercise. There are always too many reasons and excuses to fall back on, such as a hectic schedule of juggling work and kids that demands so much of your time and energy. And the less time you get for working out, the more guilty you feel. It’s a vicious cycle. Am I right? Yep, I’ve been there and I don’t like it one bit. So I came up with a simple solution that works well for me. Start small. I decided to take a piecemeal approach to exercise. While making time to have an hour long workout may seem daunting, a short “bite-sized" workout (as I like to call it) always seems so much more doable. Ask yourself, can I make time for 20 minutes of exercise in my busy day? The answer is yes! 

Aaptiv is an app that I’ve found super conducive to my “working mom workout” needs! It’s an audio fitness app which offers various types of workout programs. What I like about it is that it includes the voice of well-known, professional trainers directing your workout and motivating you against the backdrop of high-energy beats. So whether it’s a cardio workout, a deep stretch, yoga, marathon training, or strength training that you’re looking for, Aaptiv has it all. I got attracted to it for its prenatal and postnatal workouts led by pregnancy guru and founder of FitBump, Kira Kohrherr. Aaptiv has these stroller workouts which you can do anywhere – your home, outside, or in the gym. They are all about 20-30 minutes long. To ensure that I lose as little time as possible, I quickly change into my gym clothes, roll out my yoga mat, put my baby Arjun on the bouncy chair in front of me, and get started one of the stroller workouts in my own living room. Super easy set-up and no time lost in commuting to the gym. This is how I’ve been getting my bite-sized workouts with the voice of a trainer that keeps me going. I honestly find it so effective and easy to fit into my day. As moms, we all know how you can’t always plan everything out. So whenever I see an opportunity to squeeze in a short workout, I do it. Sometimes it’s in the morning before work, other times in the evening. I aim to do these short workouts 3-4 times a week and while I may not always succeed, I feel glad knowing that I’m incorporating at least some level of fitness activity in my life! Postpartum fitness is a long journey and we all have to start somewhere. 

So what are you waiting for? Give my “bite-sized workout” idea a try and see if it works for you! Start off, start small. If you’re keen to try Aaptiv, download the app on your phone and use code BURPEES for a free 30-day trial (the app already gives new users a 7-day free trial). Good luck, busy mamas!

*We all know that everyone's pregnancy and post-pregnancy conditions are different. So for the maternity workouts, please be sure to consult your doctor first! 

"Aaah! I wish I could make more time for exercise."

"I wish I could be more motivated to work out!"

"Dammit, it's so hard to stay consistent with my exercise routine. I'll never get back in shape!"

Are these thoughts that you've had at one point or another? Do they sound familiar to you? Well, just know that you're not alone. Most of us out there can't skip out of bed for a run on a regular, consistent basis. Staying in shape and exercising regularly takes commitment, discipline and motivation. But even to the best of us, life comes in the way. Fatigue or laziness creeps in. Heck, even raising kids is a great excuse to throw out there! But in my opinion, the only way to make regular exercise sustainable is to make it realistically fit into our everyday lives.

After having my second baby recently, my core has taken a beating and my body is out of shape. I am determined to whip myself back into shape. But I know that juggling two kids and going back to work will present me with quite a challenge in making time for exercise. This is why I'm starting out with short workouts which I can realistically squeeze into my day, for at least a few times a week. Here's how I plan to do it:

Step 1: Measure my waist and record my weight on day 1.

Step 2: Take on a 30-day squat-lunge-plank challenge! Every day, I will follow the schedule shown here. Please refer to my video below for doing a series of squat-lunge-plank exercises (rest days are included) and also this previous post on the appropriate technique for doing them. These exercises in themselves will not make me lose weight but they will certainly help to tone my abdominal area and lower body. I will be supplementing these exercises with 20-30 mins of running and ab crunches 2-4 times a week, depending on my time. If your fitness level allows you to do more than that, go ahead! (Diet will also play a key role in helping with the weight loss but that's a separate issue for another day!)

Step 3: Measure my waist and record my weight on day 30. At the end of the month-long challenge, my goal is to see whether or not these exercises made a difference.

Many of you saw my posting on Instastories about this challenge and asked about it. I'd like to share this with all of you and ask if anyone is interested to join. Follow me on Instagram (@urbanmantra1) and my Instastories to stay updated and to connect with me using the #SLPChallenge. We can do it together!