Inside: It is hard to stay fit after kids. But with just 16 minutes a day, mamas can stay healthy, strong, and confident. Here is how:
I laced up my shoes, even though everything in me wanted to stay on the couch. The hormones helping protect and care for the baby brewing in my belly hadn’t been kind to my body. The never ending nausea had been downright cruel! But I was determined to continue to be a runner. I always assumed I would run throughout my pregnancy. I assumed that my round belly would stretch out all of my favorite running t-shirts. I pictured the slow waddle that my run might transform into as the baby grew.
“Running and exercise will help the nausea go away,” YouTube videos, friends, and blogs told me.
LIARS. All of them. I could barely get off the couch. Once I did, running only made the nausea worse. On the days I ran at the gym where my husband worked, I would spend 20 minutes sitting in the car post run waiting for the pangs of nausea to slowly relax enough so that I could drive home.
“What is going on with me???” Pregnancy was not looking like I thought it would (can anyone relate???).
And then baby #1 arrived, followed by baby #2 two years later. Running, and being a runner, slowly faded to the background as new adventures in life appeared.
At first I grieved it - I thought I would always be a “runner”! Then I was resolved to do something about it. Because becoming a mother means we sacrifice some things - yes. But it also gives us the opportunity to learn new things, change up routines, and create new rhythms.
My Secret To Staying Fit After Kids
So even though my running routine started to get overshadowed by other things in life, I knew staying fit after kids was important to me. So I experimented and tried new things until I finally found my workout sweet spot.
Before I let you in on the secret, though, I want to be clear about what “staying fit” means to me. I don’t have a six pack, I’m not climbing Mt. Everest anytime soon, I’m not the same size I was in high school, and I am definitely not as good of a runner as I once was. But I feel strong, energetic, healthy, and confident. For me, staying fit has more to do with how you feel and how your body functions rather than how you look. I hope it does for you, too.
So what is my secret to staying fit after kids? The Tabata. And it is wonderful. If you haven’t heard of it, I’ll explain what it is.
A Tabata is a 4 minute workout that is made up of:
- 20 seconds of hard exercise
- 10 seconds of rest
- Repeat eight times
And that’s it! It really is that simple.
I like to do 4 Tabatas in one setting, for a total of 16 minutes. But there is no power in doing 4 sets, that is just what works for me.
Why are Tabata Workouts So Effective?
In 1996 Dr. Izumi Tabata conducted an experiment to see how effective interval training was for competitive athletes. Two groups of volunteers were monitored: the first group was asked to workout for 1hr 5 days per week at moderate intensity (for a total of 1,800 minutes over a 6 week period). The second group was asked to use the Tabata method to workout 5 days per week (for a total of 120 minutes over the same 6 week period). I’ll join group 2, please.
The results? Even though group 1 exercised fifteen times longer than group 2 (the Tabata group), it was group 2 that drastically improved both their anaerobic and aerobic fitness.
Yowza!
The good news for us mamas is this: the key to effective Tabata workouts is the intensity, not the duration. And as moms we can’t always change how much time we get to spend working out. We do, however, have a choice in how hard we work during a workout routine.
(By the way, did you know that “Yowza” is in the Webster Dictionary? I just gave you a new scrabble word 🙂 You’re welcome.)
Exercises To Include In Your Tabata Workout
Are you in? Hooray! Remember, a Tabata is this:
- 20 seconds on (intensity is high!)
- 10 seconds of
- Repeat 8 times (while I like to do 4 Tabata sets at one time for a total of 16 minutes, start with just one 4 minute set and see how that feels for you).
Here are a few exercises that you can rotate through for your Tabata workout (I won’t go through what all of these are here, but Google them if you aren’t sure. You’ll find tons of videos and examples to guide you).
- Squats
- Mountain climbers
- Skaters
- Pushups
- Burpees
- Forward/backward lunges
- Jumping Jacks
- Planks
- Jump squats
- Side plank
- Spiderman plank
Or, better yet, here are a few YouTube Tabata workouts that you can just follow along with (these are the ones I first discovered - when I fell in love with the Tabata). Plus, these all have prenatal modifications!
When To Find The Time To Stay Fit After Kids
If staying fit matters to you, you will figure out how to fit in the 16 minutes. It might not be an ideal 16 minutes, but it can be done. Here are some ideas for when to carve out the time:
- During your morning routine, before the kids wake up
- While the kids eat breakfast
- During the morning while the kids play/read books
- During naptime
- Right after the kids go down for bed (I know you are dying to sit down by then, but don’t! You won’t get back up...so head straight to your workout area of choice and get going - it’s just 16 minutes!)
Just to prove to yourself that you have 16 minutes, grab your phone right now and check your screen time for the day. I’m guessing it’s more than 16 minutes (mine is). And I’m also guessing that not all of that time was spent texting your husband about who is going to pick up the kids and telling him how much you love him 🙂
Ashley Keller from Glow Body PT was on the blog a few months ago giving us some great ideas for how to fit in a workout with kids at home. For more of her tips head over here!
16 Minutes Is All It Takes To Stay Fit After Kids
Maybe, like me, you were a runner before kids but now can’t figure out how to fit it into your schedule. Or maybe you used to head to the gym for an hour after work every day, but now with kids that is out of the question.
Trying to stay fit after kids is like trying to eat spaghetti out of a spoon. But if you chop that spaghetti into small, bite sized chunks, the spoon becomes much easier to use. A 16 minute (or less!) Tabata workout is like that chopped up spaghetti. It just fits into the day of a stay at home mom’s routine a little bit better than an hour at the gym or a 3 mile run.
Maybe, like me, you were a runner before kids but now can’t figure out how to fit it into your schedule. Or maybe you used to head to the gym for an hour after work every day, but now with kids that is out of the question.
Don’t give up. You can, with just 16 minutes, make your body stronger, more resilient, and more confident. The great thing about the Tabata is that you can really build your own routine, depending on your level of fitness right now.
But if you prefer to follow a plan, remember those Youtube videos I showed you earlier-- here, here, and here. They are tough! But it is just 16 minutes, mama. And I know you’ll be proud of yourself once you finish.
I’m rooting for you.
