Strong as a Mother: Working Out with Kids + BBG Progress

Strong as a Mother Tee

Whoo hoooo! Booyah! Yesssss! Can you tell I’m a little excited? Last week I finished my first round of BBG (Bikini Body Guide) and I am SO proud of myself. A few months ago, I wrote a post talking about my postpartum fitness journey and today I wanted to share a followup to that post.

For those that haven’t heard of BBG, it is a 12 week workout program developed by Kayla Itsines (you can check her out on Instagram @kayla_itsines) that consists of 3 days of resistance, 3 days of cardio, and 1 rest day per week. The resistance workouts require few pieces of equipment and the cardio can be walking/running outside or on a treadmill/elliptical. The entire program is all on the BBG app that you can purchase in the App Store.

And you guys. Let me tell you. It was AMAZING. It was INTENSE. It was CHALLENGING. But ya know what? It was also totally REALISTIC for a mother of two and for someone who has never consistently worked out in her whole life.

I can honestly say that I’ve never felt or looked better than I do now. I love that BBG has changed me not only physically, but mentally too. Challenging myself to finish the program has been so rewarding. I feel healthy. I feel good about myself. I feel strong. Even my husband did the program with me and he agrees that he has never been healthier than he is right now because of BBG.

You can see my progress photos below.

First of all, ignore my runny makeup and crazy hair. 🙂 The photos on the left were taken on the very first day I started BBG (end of May). The photos on the right were taken 12 weeks later (mid September). You can see how I looked 6 weeks postpartum HERE.

How can I find time to workout with my kids around?

Working out with kids is no easy feat. Heck, working out at all is no easy feat. Put the two together and you’ve got something that looks like doing 15 squats while getting a snack for your toddler and smelling a tush for a poopy diaper. So I get that that the idea can seem daunting. Add in the fact that there are a million other things that have to be done or that you could be doing– kitchens to clean, laundry to fold, errands to run. Plus, I know that everyone’s situation is different– working moms/stay at home moms, gym membership/at home gym, time, etc.

But for me, working out has become a priority in my life and I’ve had to get creative in how I can fit it in with my kids around. And sure, there are times when I feel bad for working out because I feel like I’m not being present for them or because I may give Olivia the iPad or turn on the TV, but then I remind myself that this is part of my self care. When I take care of myself and do things that make ME feel good then I am a better mom to my kids. Plus, I want my kids to see me live an active and healthy life so that they learn how important it is.

• Get up early. I know, I know, this one is obvious and also not my favorite option. I’m not a morning person, but if I’m going to get my workout in and avoid the mom guilt then I try to work out before my kids are even awake. I usually wake up at 6:30am and workout for 30 minutes and sometimes even have time to shower before they wake up.
• Exercise WITH your kids. If I don’t work out before my kids wake up then I bring them down to the basement to work out with me. We have a second activity center in our basement that I put Nathan in and Olivia has some toys down there, and they are entertained for the 30 minutes it takes me to finish. Sometimes Olivia will even join me and do the moves that I am doing. 🙂
• Work out while your kids are eating breakfast. Even though we have a small gym in our basement, sometimes I will bring my mat and weights up to the kitchen so that I can work out while Olivia eats breakfast and Nathan plays on the floor. If it’s a cardio day and I need to run on the treadmill then I will bring Olivia’s breakfast down to the basement.
• Stay in your workout clothes until you get your workout in. This obviously doesn’t work if you work outside of the home, but I found that in the early days after having Nathan and his schedule was so unpredictable, I would just wear my workout clothes and wait for whatever opportunity I had to work out. So when he would take a 20 minute nap, I wasn’t wasting time getting dressed, I would just run downstairs to exercise.
• Buy a jogging stroller. This is such an easy way to get a work out in. You don’t even have to jog, but just taking a brisk walk would be a great workout. Double bonus if you can time your walk with your kid’s naps and then they’ll just go to sleep.
• Check out a stroller exercise class near you. When I was pregnant with Nathan, I joined a stroller exercise group through Fit4Mom, which is an awesome fitness program for pregnant moms, postpartum moms, and every other stage of motherhood. They have a Stroller Strides class that “is a functional, total-body conditioning workout designed for moms with kids in tow. Each 60-minute workout is comprised of strength training, cardio and core restoration, all while entertaining little ones with songs, activities and fun!” I brought Olivia with and we both loved it. It’s also a great way to connect with other moms in your community and have a local support group.
• Find space for an in home gym. If getting to gym/workout class is just too tough for you, then consider putting a small gym in your home (in the basement, a spare room, or the garage). People are always selling used and inexpensive treadmills and ellipticals on Facebook’s Marketplace. One machine like that, a mat, some free weights and you have more than enough to get started.

I hope that some of these ideas help you find ways to fit working out into your daily routine. I would love to hear the ways that you find time to work out and stay healthy.

XO,

L