The 5 Best Exercises for Busy Moms …so that you can stop thinking about your workouts and start doing them.

Goblet Squat

This lower body pushing movement can help not only strengthen the legs but also engages the core by holding the weight in the goblet position. 

• Start with your feet a little wider than hip-width holding the weight by your chest.

• Keep your core engaged as you sit back into your hips squatting to your range of motion and then stand up.

• Make sure your entire foot stays in contact with the ground and the weight stays touching your chest during this movement. 

Still feeling unsure of proper form? Start by squatting to a box or chair. Stand a couple of inches in front of the box or chair, squat down until you lightly touch it, and then stand back up. 

**Note: In the video, I’m using a kettlebell to demonstrate this movement but this can also be done with a dumbbell. 

Single Arm Row

For this upper-body pulling motion, you’ll need one dumbbell and an elevated surface for support such as a bench or coffee table.  

• Start by holding on a dumbbell in your left hand and place your right hand and right knee on the bench with your other foot planted on the ground.

• Keep your core engaged and back flat as you row the dumbbell in. 

• Make sure to keep your shoulder down as you row in! We don’t want the shoulder creeping up by your ear during this movement. 

Romanian Deadlift

Lower body pulling motions tend to be what’s missing for a lot of people. A lot of the movements in everyday life tend to be more of a push movement – walking up the stairs, sitting down and standing up from a chair, etc. Strengthening our hamstrings and glutes can help to prevent injuries and create a well-rounded program. 

• Start standing holding onto two dumbbells.

• Put a soft bend in your knees and then push your hips back hinging at the hips. You might feel a slight stretch in your hamstrings which can be a good indicator of your range of motion.

• Make sure to keep your core engaged throughout this movement and keep a neutral spine. We don’t want to round our spine as we go down, all the movement should be through our hips.

• Lastly, keep the dumbbells close or even lightly touching your legs the entire time. You should feel this in your hamstrings and glutes primarily. 

Still feeling unsure of proper form? Perform this movement about half a foot away from a wall and work to touch your bottom to the wall. This can help ensure your hips are moving backward rather than just bending over. 

Push-Up

• Start in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders or slightly wider.

• Lower down by bending at the elbows until you’re a couple of inches above the ground and press back up.

• Keep your core engaged throughout this movement so your body lowers and lifts as one. We don’t want the hips sagging or staying high in the air as you go down. 

• Also, watch that your elbows don’t flare out to the sides. Ideally, we want our elbows to go back so that our upper arm is at about a 45-degree angle to our body. 

If doing this on the ground is too advance for you right now here are two other options: 

Options 1. Perform the movement on an elevated surface by putting your hands on a bench, coffee table, chair, or the side of the sofa. The higher the surface the easier it will be, the lower the surface the harder it will be. You can lower the surface height as you get stronger and progress to push-ups on the ground. 

Options 2. Perform an eccentric only push-up. Start in the same high plank position on the ground and lower your body by bending at the elbows as SLOWLY as possible. Aim for at least 5 seconds on the way down, peel yourself up, and repeat. Don’t worry about pushing yourself up just yet, we can always progress to this! 

Farmer Carry

Last, but not least, Farmer Carry! 

• Hold onto a heavy dumbbell in each hand and walk.

• As you do so, work to keep the shoulders packed, core engaged, and limit the dumbbells pulling you from side to side if you need to change directions. 

This loaded carry helps to increase core strength, grip strength, shoulder strength and stability, and improve posture. If you’re using heavy weights, you’ll also notice that your heart rate will rise and your breath will increase similar to if you were doing a more cardio-based workout. A great option, if higher-impact exercises aren’t an option for you! 

The Bottom Line

Strength training can provide a number of health benefits and help you work towards a variety of goals. Make sure you incorporate movements in different planes of motion to help ensure you’re creating a solid foundation for yourself. Now, it’s time to get started! 

If you’d like support with HOW to exercise consistently given your busy schedule or want further assistance with your fitness or healthy habit goals, schedule a FREE FITNESS ASSESSMENT by clicking the button below!