Being a mum is a tough gig – it seems almost impossible to get any me-time, let alone exercise. But these US-based fi tness pros have managed to still make working out a priority. Here are their best tips.
PARTNER YOGA “You’ll be surprised how much fun you’ll have together on your mats,” Laura says. “But obviously, you should be able to hold this crow pose steadily before attempting it with a child.”
PLAY DOUBLES
“Find ways to include your children in your workout, and it will increase the odds of getting it done – plus, as they grow up, it’s just as vital to get them moving too. You can start very early to lead by example. My daughter, who’s eight now, has been doing yoga with me since she was about two and a half. I’ve taught her a bunch of poses, and now she enjoys doing the routines I do.”
– LAURA KASPERZAK (above), Acrovinyasa instructor in New Jersey
HAVE A PLAN A, B, AND C
“Life with kids is unpredictable – I’ve got two of them – so give yourself options. If you miss your class, be up for trying something new. If you can’t make it out the door, have a HIIT routine memorised so you can break a sweat in 20 minutes fl at while they nap. If all else fails, I do the 100-burpee challenge. Love them or hate them, burpees are calorie-torching total- body exercise, especially 100 of them!
– HEATHER MAY, master trainer at Burn 60 studio in Los Angeles
CUE YOUR GO-TO VIDEOS
“As a mother of four – the youngest is seven months – I can’t always exercise at the gym. On-demand workouts, like Burn Live, that I can do in the living room have saved me time and again. I start with a 20-minute target, and if the kids are happy and the baby is sleeping, I go for an hour. As tempting as it is to fi nish laundry or do dishes, I prioritise myself, because I know everyone will benefi t from me being a healthy mom. Also, taking walks around the neighborhood helps the kids get their wiggles out and gets my blood pumping, especially racing the big kids up the hills.”
– LANA TITUS, master trainer at Burn 60 studio in Los Angeles
PEN IT IN
“My husband and I share a calendar, and we use it to schedule our workouts. I make sure he or our babysitter can watch our one-year-old during my slots. When I get off schedule, I use resistance bands at home to do a quick workout alternating upper-body exercises (push-ups, rows, presses) with squats and lunges.”
– AMANDA BUTLER (above), instructor at Fhitting Room in New York City
KNOW YOUR GOAL
“Set how many work-outs a week you’re aiming for. Since I have two kids, my number is three. If I can’t hit the gym, I create a circuit on my stoop: fi ve moves – I do core and arms, run stairs with a plyo exercise at the top, then do lower body and a wild card – for one minute each, three rounds. Rest 30 seconds after rounds.”
– MARY ONYANGO (above), group fi tness manager at Equinox, New York
MIX IT UP
“I’ve got two boys, ages seven and four, and I’m pregnant with my third child. So my go-tos are swimming, which I can do with the kids, and body-weight exercises that I can do throughout the day. My favorites are stationary lunges (start with your back knee on the fl oor, raise up to a split stance, then lower), rhomboid push- ups (start on all fours, bring shoulder blades in toward each other, then press the ground away), single-leg bridges (lying faceup on the fl oor, one leg bent with foot fl at and the other leg up, lift and lower hips), and bird dogs (from all fours, alternately extend opposite arm and leg).
– NICOLE RADZISZEWSKI, trainer in Illinois and founder of fi tness website Mama’s Gotta Move
TEXT MARY ANDERSON
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