Motherhood can make exercise feel like something that belongs to another version of your life — one with more time, fewer interruptions and a much shorter to-do list. But for me, looking after myself physically has become less about finding huge blocks of free time and more about using the moments that already exist. Some of those moments are planned, some are squeezed in while dinner is cooking, and some simply come with being a mom to young children.
What does exercise look like for you in a normal week?
I usually do two exercise classes and one hike during the week, while the kids are at school.
That timing makes a big difference for me. I’m not trying to squeeze a workout into an already chaotic evening or waking up extremely early before everyone else. I use a window that already exists in my day.
It also means that exercise feels like something I can realistically maintain rather than another thing I’m constantly failing to fit into my schedule.
Do you exercise outside of those planned sessions?
Yes, but I don’t necessarily think of all of it as “exercise.”
Sometimes in the evenings, we’ll go for a walk together as a family around the estate. It gets everyone out of the house, the kids can move, we can talk, and I get some gentle movement in at the same time.
It doesn’t need to be a fast walk or a workout with a specific goal. Sometimes it’s simply moving together.
Do you have anything you do in the mornings?
When I wake up, I do a Sun Salutation.
It’s a small routine, but I like the way it wakes up my body and gets me ready for the day. It gives me a few minutes to stretch, breathe and move before everything starts.
I think sometimes we underestimate how valuable those little routines can be because they don’t feel like a “proper workout.” But I’ve realised that something doesn’t need to take an hour to be worth doing.
How do you fit movement into a day when you don’t have time for formal exercise?
I try to use moments that are already happening.
For example, I’ll sometimes do calf raises while I’m standing at the stove cooking. I’m already there waiting for something to cook, so I may as well move a little.
It sounds almost too simple to mention, but I think that’s exactly the point.
We often think exercise has to involve changing clothes, driving somewhere, following a programme and setting aside a specific amount of time. Sometimes movement can simply be ten calf raises while dinner is cooking.
Does looking after young children contribute to your physical activity too?
Definitely.
I still carry my two-and-a-half-year-old quite often, and anyone who carries a toddler knows that it is physical work.
Picking her up, carrying her around, moving through the house with her on my hip and generally keeping up with the kids all contribute to how much I move during the day.
It may not be the type of movement we track on a fitness programme, but our bodies are working throughout motherhood in ways we often don’t recognise.
Do you ever feel like what you’re doing isn’t enough?
I think it’s very easy for moms to feel that way.
We see workout programmes, fitness challenges and people exercising five or six days a week, and it can make our own efforts feel small.
But I’ve had to look at exercise differently.
Two exercise classes, a hike, family walks, a morning stretch, carrying a toddler and moving whenever I can throughout the day might not look like a perfect fitness schedule on paper, but it fits into my life.
And because it fits, I can actually keep doing it.
What would you say to a mom who feels like she has no time to exercise?
I would say: don’t start by trying to find an hour.
Start by looking at the day you already have.
Could you stretch for five minutes when you wake up? Could you walk while your child rides their bike? Could you do a few squats or calf raises while dinner is cooking? Could you choose one morning a week for an exercise class or a walk with a friend?
Sometimes the most sustainable kind of self-care is the kind that fits around your life instead of requiring you to completely rearrange it.
The Moments Still Count
There are seasons of motherhood where you might have time for regular classes, long walks and proper workouts. And there are seasons where getting everyone dressed and out of the house feels like enough physical activity for one day.
Both are okay.
Taking care of yourself doesn’t have to mean doing everything. It can simply mean doing what you can with the moments you have.
A few stretches in the morning. A walk with your family. A hike while the kids are at school. Ten calf raises at the stove.
Those small moments add up.
And perhaps the most important thing is remembering that taking care of yourself is not separate from taking care of your family.
You are part of the family too.