As an active sportsperson, before kids, I used to go to some kind of fitness activity every day after work: gym, body styling, body sculpt, tennis, rollerblading in the summer… those were the days!

Then the first pregnancy came; requiring bed rest from almost the first day! The doctor told me that I was my biggest enemy. For some time I exercised lightly until I almost finished in hospital and finally came to my senses. I spent the whole pregnancy lying of my left side (good for the blood stream) and lived for the day when everything would return to normal again. I went to the hospital with printed exercises that can be done immediately after delivery.

Sure… I couldn’t get up from bed for the first month after delivery…

With work and two kids, the days are hectic. But the feeling I get after exercise, and the stress release, are worth a lot to me. If you can fit fitness to your schedule twice a week and a little bit during weekend, that is enough. But it should be real exercise!

Here are some tips which work well for busy women:

Gym

If you want to exercise in the gym, great, but it doesn’t work for me. You need to go to the gym with the training plan and do a real training! And not go from machine to machine, just to finish it.

Despite years of exercising, I don’t have the time today to plan my training and execute it in the gym. I go to the treadmill and run 35-40 minutes; I can do that. So, if you have serious plans, you should consider investing in personal trainer, it can do miracles with you.

Group exercise

My first choice. The most efficient workout for me. I’m not a “dancing type” and don’t like choreographies that make me nervous and angry because I can’t repeat them. Training called “body styling”, “body sculpt”, and similar programmes  where you exercise with music and various tools focusing on all  parts of the body give me best results.

Every training is difficult for me and there is no chance I could work out like this alone. If you have trouble with fixed schedules, there are gyms where you can go to any class and are not specifically fixed to given days and times.

Before or after work

There is no exercise like morning exercise! I know, it’s extremely difficult to get up in the morning, I’ve slept over many… but when I got up and completed some training, those were the best days. Whatever happened on that day could not spoil it because I had already had an achievement.

I know, it’s complicated, you need to prepare clothes to carry with you to dress afterwards, but it’s worth it for me because I have managed to fit fitness to my schedule that week.

Travel

You travel a lot and paying monthly gym fee is not worth it? Ok, but in most gyms membership can be stopped if you will be away for some time. Additionally, when you are traveling, there is no husband or kids to fit into your schedule.  You have only work! What a luxury! All hotels have gyms; a few floors – stairs are great for running up and down. The hotel is usually near the place you work, you travel less; you have more time to get up early and finish a training.

Kids and fitness

When kids grow, it’s easy to go cycling or rollerblading with them. If they are still in stroller? I enjoyed strolling after work and at the same time doing squats. Ok, neighbours were looking at me strangely, but that is their problem.  If baby is older, Rollerblade with the stroller…

When you take them to their own various activities, if, they are in a gym – you won’t sit in the gym and wait for their training to finish, will you?

You can always fit in fitness to your schedule. When you become addicted it will be much easier!