Skip to main content

Home Workout Tips For Stay-At-Home Mums

Speak to most stay-at-home mums and you're bound to get the idea that MANY (if not most) have already given up on their dream of being able to fit in a regular exercise program into their weekly schedule, let alone attain a figure that is Lean, Toned and Attractive

Indeed, having had the privilege and opportunity to work with many such home-based mums here in Singapore over the years (in my capacity as a Private Home Personal Trainer), and having observed - first-hand - my wife's own stay-at-home child-care experience in the early formative years of my 2 kids, I can attest to the fact that it can indeed be a real challenge for many stay-home mums to even THINK of exercise, let alone DO it, when faced with the myriad of tasks they confront on a daily basis.

Challenges Facing A Housewife
Just think about this - the chores that every stay-at-home mum inevitably faces one day or another include: doing up the laundry, cleaning up the kitchen, vacuuming the house, washing the bathrooms, preparing meals for the family, chasing the kids around, picking up after them, putting them to bed, waking them up for school, getting them dressed, sending them off to school, and then shuttling them off to tuition, swimming lessons, piano lessons, ballet lessons and other enrichment activities etc etc (just listing out all these is already TIRING in itself!!) - on top of a whole host of other motherly duties and nitty-gritty stuff, and then hoping to squeeze in some exercise time!!??

No wonder many stay-home-mums have the view that regular exercise is a LUXURY, if not a near IMPOSSIBLE dream!

Thus, I have written the following tips with the hope that they can offer some solace and help to each and every self-sacrificing, but oft-too-busy mum out there.

Hopefully, with these tips, you'll be able to FREE yourself to experience - first-hand - the liberating effects of regular exercise and its manifold benefits:

Enjoy The Many Benefits Of Exercising At Home

1) Schedule TIME For Exercise

Like any other worthwhile pursuit in life, exercise is something that we simply have to PLAN for. Otherwise, it'll be squeezed out of our daily schedule before we even know it! The most successful exercise-mums that I know of - consciously SET ASIDE or even BLOCK OUT time slots for their personal exercise time. It can be as easy as just setting aside short 15-minute time slots thrice-a week for a start. Once you get the hang of it, and exercise becomes a habit, slowly start increasing the exercise duration, followed by its frequency. 

2) Put Yourself Into The MOOD

One of the strategies that I've learnt from a former client of mine is to get yourself into the mood for exercise the very FIRST THING in the day. For her, this means getting into her workout gear once she's up from bed, and then keeping it on UNTIL she's done with her exercise for the day! The act of wearing the workout attire acts as a "uniform" for her, not only reminding her of  her "appointment" with exercise, but also serves to 'psyche her up' for the workout to come! 

3) Create The Necessary SPACE

In most homes, the most practical workout space is the Living Room. Even if it's currently cluttered with furniture, knick knacks and scattered with your children's many unwanted toys; with just a little forward planning and physical shifting (which can actually serve as a good pre-workout warm-up, by the way), sufficient space can be created - in mere minutes - for a one-person workout area. Of course, you don't really have to limit yourself to the living area. Any space within your home that is feasible or practical - such as the garage, balcony, attic, garden etc - can also be converted into your very own 'personal home gym'. 

4) Keep It SIMPLE

FORGET about multi-station machines,weight racks, home treadmills or even stationary bikes; most stay-home mums I know - will NEVER EVER contemplate having these stuff in their homes, let alone use them!! To be honest, the only training tool you ever need is your own Body-Weight! However, if you really insist on having some gear - then a Medicine Ball, or a couple of Resistance Bands, and a Skipping Rope and your surrounding home furniture will more than suffice for most stay-home mums.

Regardless whether you intend to workout with just your bodyweight, or with the help of simple functional fitness tools as listed above, try to stick to the following recommendation:

A) Pick ONE each of the following Compound or Multi-Joint Movement Variations and do them in a CIRCUIT Training Style, each movement lasting about 30-40 seconds:
  • Squat Variations (eg. Standard Squats, Split Squats, Squat Jumps etc)
  • Hinge Variations (eg. Deadlifts, Good Mornings, Hip Thrusts etc)
  • Push Variations (eg. Dips, Push-Ups, Overhead Presses etc)
  • Pull Variations (eg. Inverted Rows, Upright Rows, Pull-Ups etc)
  • Rotate Variations (eg. Haybalers, Russian Twists, Rotational Lunges etc)
and then finish off the circuit with

B) ONE of the following Full-Body or Total Body Movement Drills to failure :
  • Burpees
  • Reverse Burpees
  • Swings (with medicine ball or haversack)
  • Chops (with medicine ball or haversack)
  • Rope-Jumping
  • Jumping Jacks
  • Skiers
  • Skaters
Depending on your fitness level, aim to perform 1-3 rounds of the above circuit.

Do also try to mix-and-match the above movements in as many different combinations as you can so as to create variety in your workouts, and to keep your body and mind stimulated each time you exercise! 

5) INCLUDE Your Kids 

For some stay-home mums, it might be near-to-impossible to workout in the absence of their kids. In such a scenario, try including your kids into your workout, instead of fretting over their presence. Try simple 'tricks' like: issuing a mini-challenge or a friendly competition (eg. "... let's see how many squats you can do, in the time I take to complete mine"), using active distractions (eg. "... see this skipping rope? Let's see how many rounds you can get in by the time I complete my workout") or even using them as dynamic resistance - especially if you have toddlers and kinder-aged kids; you can use your kids' actual body weight as resistance in movements like: lying chest presses, cleans, swings, overhead presses etc. (But please watch out for the ceiling fan, OK?) In the process, you kill 2 birds with one stone: your kids have FUN and LOVE you for it, while you get to do your workout. Sweet! 

6) Get HELP

Sometimes, despite your very best efforts, there will be days where things simply DON'T work out - whether it's an overly-clingy child, a broken down washing machine, or any other unexpected emergency. When faced with such situations, it's time to get HELP.

Rope in anyone you can think of - your next-door neighbour, your BFF, your mum, your in-laws, and of course, your spouse - and get them to help you out for that particular chore or area of need - just so that you can get your exercise done at the very least.

In such times, an extra pair of hands makes a world of difference! 

7) Just Do IT

Finally, all the advice in this world will be as good as NOUGHT, if you simply refuse to believe that you CAN make regular exercise a part of your life.

Tell yourself - once and for all - that you WILL commit yourself to regular exercise, and you WILL find a way to do it - come hell or high water.

Then like any bona fide stay-at-home mum would say (and do), just roll up your sleeves, dig-in and get down to it.

P.S. 

The above advice should be more than enough to get you started and raving to go.  

However, if for some reason, you still find yourself struggling to get started, or feel you need more advice, motivation, ideas or even supervision, feel free to get in touch with me. I'll see how I can be of help to you.

You may reach me at www.Body-By-Rick.com or at 96609457.

All the BEST!!

Yours Sincerely,
Rick Wong

Comments

  1. I got some superb! information in your blog, it was spendid to read, thanks for sharing.
    Toddler Gymnastics Singapore

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fitness Coach

    http://intrainingsports.com/
    Please Click here & Get knowledge about Fitness Coach

    ReplyDelete
  3. what a great tips! here is our take on how to show off the body
    https://www.customtribe.com/journal/3-style-tips-to-show-off-your-muscular-build/

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thank you for sharing your workout experience. Very nicely written article. Your experience will surely help to those who are starting their fitness journey. I am a fitness products reviewer, sharing various products related health and fitness. Here I am sharing recliner chair information. Find more about recliner chair and know more about how it helps in back pain. It is useful in improving body posture and get your natural posture back.

    ReplyDelete
  5. These workout tips surely going to help me out after delivery. Thanks in advance Rick! Keep sharing :-)
    Buy Etizolam RX

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for sharing the helping house wife with home workout tips for stay-at-home mums. Very useful information. Keep it up. Share more article regarding workout and fitness

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thanks for providing such a relevant post about home work out. I really liked the way you described the helpful information. Burke Slater

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Functional Fitness Tools For The Older Adult And Senior Population Groups

As we age, the importance of staying active , independent and functional takes on greater meaning and significance with each passing year. In fact, today, more and more older adults and seniors are making exercise an integral part of their lives in order to safeguard and upkeep their own health, fitness and overall well-being. However, as we all know, in the realities of life, not every mature adult will have access to a gym or a fitness facility; nor necessarily need to or want to .  And despite body-weight training gaining in popularity as a practical and versatile system of exercising for anyone - regardless of age - having a spread of different training options is always still preferable and useful - especially from the standpoint of novelty and variety. This is where the role of functional fitness tools comes into the picture. To be exact - and to avoid any misinterpretations - the above term is used here to refer ONLY to those fitness tools that are not only functional , port

Overcoming Common Barriers To Exercise And Fitness Among The Older Adult Senior Population

Throughout the years, studies and research have consistently shown that regular planned and structured exercise together with an active lifestyle are crucial factors in ensuring good health, well-being and longevity among our seniors and older adults. For many of us, as we age over the years, not only can exercise help us to maintain a high degree of physical functionality, mobility and independence, it can also boost our energy levels, facilitates restful sleep, and even assists in the management and control of any existing or current medical conditions that we may have.  What's more, physical exercise has even been proven to be able to reverse many medical symptoms and conditions associated with aging!  However, despite all the above proven benefits of physical exercise , too many seniors and older adults among our midst are still NOT incorporating sufficient regular exercise into their daily routines.  In fact, many are simply too sedentary and passive for their own good! Up

Fitness Mistakes Commonly Made By Mid-Life And Senior Adults

Most middle-aged and older adults are more than aware of the many health benefits that come with regular exercise and active living. These benefits include:  stronger muscles, ligaments and tendons,  better heart-&-lung health,  improved bone density,  enhanced balance, coordination and mobility, as well as  reduced risk of developing chronic diseases and ailments -including maladies like heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, stroke and various types of cancer. Thus, it is no wonder that more and more mature and senior adults are now actively pursuing age-specific fitness programs  more than ever before in our human history! As good as this may seem on the surface, unfortunately, there are also many in this population group who may actually be doing more harm than good to themselves by unknowingly committing various types of mistakes and errors in their own home exercise programs or outdoor fitness routines . The following will explore some of these commonly-seen fitness mistake

Improvising Your Home Workouts With Common Household Objects

With the COVID-19 pandemic still wrecking havoc throughout the world, and with most commercial gyms and fitness facilities operating with severe capacity limitations and restrictions, more and more people are now turning to in-home workouts to meet their fitness needs. In fact, home workouts have become so popular in recent times that many stores carrying home-based fitness equipment have reported soaring sales, with even some having sold-out many of their most popular home fitness items!  For those of us who could not get our hands on any commercial home fitness equipment - either due to the current insane demand, or because of one's own budgetary constraints - fret not.  In this post, we're going to look at various common household objects found right within our homes that could easily be used to substitute traditional fitness tools, or even used as standalone fitness props by themselves. Without further ado, the following are some great alternatives and substitutes that

Non-Running Cardio Drills For Older Adults And Seniors

Running has been around for a long time and is a popular cardiovascular exercise for many. However, for some mid-life, older adults and seniors in our midst, running may NOT actually be a suitable exercise nor a viable option for them. Common reasons cited by those who could not incorporate running into their exercise routines include: "running hurts my knees", "it's too vigorous", "it's so jarring on all my joints" to "it's too boring and monotonous" or perhaps even "my doctor says I should NEVER run at all because of my XYZ medical conditions" etc ... As valid as many of these reasons are, it does not remove the fact that such individuals are at risk of missing out on an important component of fitness - cardiovascular training - if they shy away from jogging/running and lack any substitute form of cardiovascular exercise for their bodies. As such, as a senior/older adult exercise specialist , I would usually recommen

Essential Fitness Movement Patterns For Older Adults And Seniors

As we age, most of us would like to continue staying healthy , active and useful for as long as we live. In order to do so, and to get the most benefits from our respective exercise programs - regardless whether we're in our 50s, 60s, 70s or even more - it is essential that we include the various foundational movement patterns in our exercise regimes. These movement patterns are not only essential for our daily physical functions and for healthy living, they are also imperative to our quality of life, and possibly having a major impact on our eventual longevity as well. The following are the basic movement patterns that the Human Body is capable of doing and which we - regardless of age - should all be actively training for: 1) Squat This is the move that we use every time we transit from a sit to a stand position, and back from a stand to a sit position. It is one of the most basic and common movements that we do every day, from getting in and out of a chair to lif

The Greatest Fitness Lies Of All Time

Despite the massive slew of health & fitness information available to us in this Modern Era, many, unfortunately, are still falling prey to the same, old, myths, fallacies & lies surrounding fitness, training, exercise and nutrition. Sadly, these myths and misconceptions don't seem to be going away, and not only have greatly distorted people's notions of fitness and exercise, but have also led many to ineffective, harmful and potentially dangerous practices and lifestyles - all supposedly in the name of fitness. To address these concerns, I have listed some of the most persistent fitness lies and myths that I have encountered in my work as a fitness coach and personal trainer through all these years; and the TRUTHS behind them: 1) MYTH: I Need To Push Myself To the MAX Each & Every Single Workout Session In Order To Achieve My Fitness Goals. TRUTH: There is indeed a place and time for hard and intense workouts like HIIT , Tabatas, Plyometrics etc. Howeve

The Problem With Singapore's Gyms And Fitness Centres

Hi folks - New Year greetings and blessings to each and every one of you out there. It's 2012 - and this is my first blog entry for the year coming to you straight from the Republic Of Singapore. I would like to start the year by looking at some of the issues plaguing many of our local Singapore gyms and fitness centres nowadays. As most of you know, the fitness scene in Singapore has sort of EXPLODED in the last couple of years, and everywhere you turn, you could practically see gyms, fitness centres and exercise studios  mushrooming across the nation. Unfortunately, this exponential growth in the gym business has also led to the propagation and valorization of gym training through rose-tinted lenses - while ignoring the beauty and effectiveness of other non-traditional fitness approaches - such as outdoor fitness training - that are equally, if not more, effective. To be honest, many of these folks promoting the GYM as a "Be All and End All" of fitness - do

Common Fitness Mistakes And Training Misconceptions Encountered In Singapore

Recently, in one of my more contemplative moments, I decided to take a trip back in time, and tried to objectively compare the fitness scene now in Singapore with that maybe just 6-8 years ago. And what truly amazed me is this: how interest and participation in Fitness & Health have truly skyrocketed in Singapore in just these few mere years! The ever-increasing statistics of residents engaging in sports and physical activities, a mushrooming and vibrant fitness scene where practically  EVERY imaginable kind, type and shape of fitness class, exercise course, event, race, competition and even training facility and venue - catering to every whim and fancy - have emerged in the country. All in all, the evidence point to the fact that Singapore is indeed fast becoming a major Fitness Hub in the world - like it or not! Fitness Classes Are Highly-Popular In Singapore! However - and this is just my personal opinion - these outward physical, infrastructural and statistical upsw