How a busy working mum got started with exercise and how you can too!

As a mum it can feel like you’re on the go 24/7 with no time to look after yourself.

I often speak to mums who are busy, tired and feel like they can barely keep their eyes open, let alone think about the idea of exercising. After all, how are you meant to find time to workout when you can’t even go to the toilet without being interrupted by your little one?

I had a chat with one of our Pram Fitness mum’s – Fiona, to find out about her experience with finding a way to fit exercise into her already busy life. Before becoming a mum, Fiona worked in a very busy and stressful legal job as a lawyer. She juggled working long hours with trying to have a social life, spending time with her husband,  and of course her family. Then came along her first bundle of joy, a beautiful baby boy followed very quickly (within 7 months) she was pregnant again with number 2, her super cute little girl. When she thought she was busy before having a baby, having 2 in very close succession meant that she now had to be a ninja with her time management skills.

Between being a mother to 2 young kids, returning to the workplace, running errands, doctors appointments, cooking, cleaning etc… there was little time left to take care of herself, but somehow she found a way to fit it in.  I asked Fiona to kindly share her best tips for how she manages to fit in exercise and take care of her own health and body as a priority.

Here are Fiona’s top tips for fitting in exercise…

1: Find something that works for you

When my second child was 4 months old, I felt totally blah, was not proud of the way I looked and I was exhausted. I knew that I had to do something to make me feel better about myself, get my health back on track, and give me more energy. I had been a member of a gym before having my babies, but putting a 4 month old in a creche was not appealing to me, for two reasons: 1) I was concerned that my 4 month old might get knocked about by the older kids, and 2) both of my children were so young (my eldest was only 20 months at the time) that I knew there would be separation anxiety and I probably wasn’t going to get a planned workout in a lot of the time.  

Enter Pram Fitness… A  couple of my friends from my Mother’s Group had trained with Karen from Pram Fitness and recommended her, so I emailed her to and asked if I could come along for a trial. And as they say, the rest is history! My youngest is now nearly 18 months, so I have been training for 14 months now and I love it!. My children love coming to class and playing with the other kids, they get some outdoor play time, I get to chat and have a laugh with other adults, and I get to workout with my kids right next to me. Win, Win I think.

2: Block out your time

Think about it like you are at work and you set a meeting in your calendar. Treat it as an appointment that you have to meet. If you have it blocked out the time, then you are more than likely to actually make it happen. My workdays are structured and busy, not that my days at home with two toddlers are not equally as demanding…

I am now back at work three days a week, so I can only get to Pram Fitness on Mondays and Tuesdays. I have made getting to those classes at 9:15am and 8:15am a priority on my “days off”. Nothing else is allowed to take priority-swimming lessons will not be booked at those times, I can’t do coffee at those times with friends…Make training a priority like you would treat a regular commitment.

3: Have a plan of what you are going to do

Blocking out time to work out is great but it’s also important to think about what you are going to do with your time. For me, I just have to get myself and my kids dressed and out the door (which I think is hard enough) and the trainer takes care of the plan. If you are going to workout on your own make sure you think about what you are going to do so you don’t waste your time. Maybe it’s going to the gym or using an app; whatever it is just make it work for you.

4: Don’t even worry about what your “Active Wear” looks like

To be honest, if I get myself out the door without being spectacularly doused in vomit or snot that has been so helpfully transferred from one of my lovely tots’ noses to my top, then it’s a good day. I do have a whole heap of workout clothes that I rotate because I train outdoors so they do get dirty easily.

Personally I love Bonds Activewear-it’s reasonably priced and fun-I love wearing 80s fluoro and and a mismatch of animal prints. It’s a style choice that I’m not sure is working, but I like it, I’m comfortable and I’m training, so who cares!

5: Workout with the kids at home

I very rarely get any alone time, actually I can’t remember the last time I was at home without two kids hanging off me and demanding my attention every second of the day. (That’s why work is actually a bit of a break for me…) Sometimes, when I’m not planning on going to a Pram Fitness class I take the kids outside with some toys and food. I keep them entertained by interacting with them (chatting, singing songs etc) while I am doing simple circuits that Karen gave to me, like this:

10 x Squats (usually holding a baby and a toddler grabbing one of my legs)
10 x Pushups
10 x Walking Lunges
5 x Burpees and
1 Min Plank

I would keep rolling through this circuit for as long as I can keep the kids happy but even if it’s a complete disaster and we have meltdowns. I think that fitting something in is better than doing nothing.

6: Play with your kids at the playground

When my kids are happily playing at the park I often have a look around to see what there is that I can make use of. Some of my best hot tips are doing things like tricep dips off a park bench, step ups or squats. Just be creative, run around with your kids, have fun and act like a big kid yourself.

6: Walk instead of drive

Luckily here in Australia, even when it’s Winter and cold, it doesn’t really stop us from doing anything. I try to be mindful to not jump in the car when it’s possible to get around with the pram. Trust me, pushing two kids in the pram is no easy task. That in itself if a workout so I try to incorporate walking where I can.

7: Be honest about “not having time”

People who fit in regular exercise don’t find time, they make time. If we are really honest with ourselves most of us do waste time scrolling through Facebook, dreaming of a new kitchen and pinning on Pinterest, checking emails and even cleaning takes up a huge chunk of time. Don’t get me wrong, while I know cleaning needs to be done, to me a quick clean and fitting in a workout is much more important than everything around the house being absolutely spick and span. So if I’ve wasted 20mins on Facebook, I’d much prefer to use that time to do a quick workout.

8: Don’t be hard on yourself, raising children is hard!

The thing is, life happens and having kids means that you can never have a rigid plan that you will be able to stick to. Flexibility is key, and rolling with the punches.. I’ve just missed my last 2 training sessions because my whole household is full of sickness with the winter germs going around.

There are days when my planned workout doesn’t happen and I’m ok with that. It just means that if I have an opportunity to fit it in somewhere else I will. Don’t stress and don’t compare yourself to any mum that is making fitness with kids look easy on Instagram – they just have really good filters, or have an au pair hanging in the background that has been told to stay out of the shot☺

9: Create your own support team

Juggling the demands of being a busy working mum can often feel overwhelming, always remember that you’re not alone. Pretty much every other mum around you is in the same boat. Find a mum friend that lives nearby and share the responsibility of looking after each others’ kids so that you can workout.

Sometimes just having someone to talk to makes all the difference when you are feeling tired and lacking energy – says Fiona. Make sure you ask for help when you need it and don’t say no if someone offers to help!

10: Make it worth while

When you think about it, spending time with your family is always the most important thing. Working part-time in a busy job means less time with my family. One of the things that always runs through my head when I am working out is “Make it worthwhile” says Fiona. I have such limited time to exercise so when I do I am going to make it count.

Fitting in fitness into a busy schedule with 2 young kids is hard and for most people exercise is often the first thing to go. But with a little bit of planning I promise you it’s do-able. The great thing I have learnt from training with Pram Fitness is that thinking about my health is not just something that is optional anymore. Being a fit, healthy and strong mum is not only great for me, it means I am being a great role model for my children and if they grow up understanding how important it is it live an active lifestyle then I am happy!

A big thankyou to Fiona, one of our very special Pram Fitness mummies for sharing her top ten tips with us. As a busy working mum we thought she was the perfect person to share her experience and let you know there is light at the end of the tunnel – you just have to want to make it happen.

If you would like to know more about Pram Fitness please check out or website: www.pramfitness.com.au