Between a busy and ever-changing schedule as well as work and family commitments, getting fit as a mom feels like an impossible goal. But it isn’t!
The secret to getting fit as a mom and staying on track can be broken down into three categories: be realistic, get support, and take your time. 
Let’s discuss how to go about fitness as a mom, and how to stay on track without losing time or your sanity. This is a partnered post.
1. Set Realistic Goals
We’ve all been there. It’s late at night and you suddenly get the urge to turn your life around. You create checklists and workout plans that go hard straight from the get-go. Only, as soon as you start working out, do you realize you can’t and don’t want to go to the gym 7 days a week.
If your goal is to incorporate fitness into your lifestyle, then you need to first set realistic goals.
Start small and research on fitness and nutrition on hubs like Actiiive Pursuit. Then use the SMART method to set specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals. The SMART method is great for realistic but challenging goals, and long-term success.
Once you know what you want to achieve and have actionable steps to get there, it’s much easier to get started and build momentum.
2. Create a Flexible Schedule
From kids to school to being a modern woman, your day-to-day schedule likely changes more often than not. You’re bound to miss workouts, which will negatively affect your motivation.
So, create a workout schedule that works on a weekly and not daily schedule. For example, two days of weight training and one day of cardio a week.
This way, you don’t have to establish dedicated timeslots for working out. Instead, you can work out when you have time. You’re much more likely to achieve your weekly goal if you let your fitness routine adjust to your schedule.
3. Involve Your Family
Prioritize health and well-being and make it a family activity. It’s much easier to stay on course and make long-term changes if you have someone to do it with you. Prioritizing fitness also sets a great example for your children.
Not sure what to do? Don’t stress! Look around your neighborhood for hiking spots, parks, and nature trails. These make for great weekend executions. During the week, make outdoor play with your kids a priority. There’s a surprising amount of fitness involved in play, a benefit for both you and your little ones.
So, whether your spouse acts as your accountability buddy or you decide to incorporate more family walks into your routine, get your family involved in your fitness journey.
4. Find a Support System
As we mentioned above, getting fit is so much easier when you have people to do it with. Your support system can provide that extra push to continue when you feel like giving up.
As for finding your support system, look for other fitness moms in your area. Local bulletin boards and social media pages are a great way to find local groups. If you see fitness moms out and about, don’t hesitate to approach them.
If you can’t find any in your area, then start your own fitness group. There are bound to be mommies in the area who’d like to join.
5. Make Workouts Enjoyable
We humans are simple creatures. If something makes us feel bad, we don’t want to do it. If it makes us feel good, we want to do it again. Unfortunately, most traditional workouts are quite monotonous and boring.
Counteract this monotony by joining local clubs and fitness groups. Most offer free sample classes, so you can see if you like the experience or not. Once you’ve found classes you like, don’t settle. Continue to look for more fun workout options.
If you can’t afford classes or just don’t feel like joining them, make workouts more engaging with music and fitness challenges. Music is a great motivator and there are thousands of exciting workouts, like dance parties, available online.
6. Track Your Progress
Tracking your progress is a must for motivation. Sometimes, it’s hard to gauge if there have been any changes in your body, even after weeks of consistent fitness. It’s for this exact reason that you should keep track of your progress.
Once you see the change on paper, you’ll find yourself much more motivated than before.
When tracking, use more reliable methods like measurements and photos. Measuring your weight is also okay, but keep in mind that it doesn’t account for fat loss and muscle gain. You might look smaller but weight the same as your body replaces fat with muscle.
7. Prioritize Self-Care
Fitness is about more than just working out. It’s also about incorporating self-care into your routine to help your body recover.
Fix your sleep and make sure you get sufficient rest. Rest is critical when working out because sleep is when your body repairs the strain caused by working out. Reducing your stress levels is another major priority. Make time to stretch your body, calm your mind, and enjoy a moment of silence.
This is, of course, really difficult when you have children. But even five minutes of deep breathing with a hydrating sheet mask before bed will help you achieve better fitness results.
8. Stay Positive and Patient
Lastly, always keep in mind that fitness takes time. Don’t beat yourself up for starting small or skipping a day because of circumstances out of your control. Practice self-compassion, keep your head up high, take a moment to reflect on what you have already achieved, and then get up and try again.