It’s that time of year again. 

And by “that time of year” I mean, summer, back to school, holidays…is there ever not a busy season? There’s always places to go and things to do and kids somehow have endless amounts of energy.

So how can you fit exercise in during a never ending busy season?

> Be realistic with your expectations. Sometimes life really is that crazy and working out three times a week is just too much to even be beneficial. Staying on top of your schedule is incredibly helpful in seeing where you do (or don’t) have the space to fit in 30 minutes of exercise.

Action item: If you aren’t already, implement a scheduling system that works for you and include everything on it, even your workouts. Meal planning is another scheduling tool to keep you organized, less stressed, and saving time. Automate what you can and be honest about what you need to say no to.

> Practice radical responsibility. This is when the tough love voice chimes in and ask if you’re really being realistic with your schedule. A question I like to ask myself when I’m determining if I need to reschedule or skip a workout is, “Do I get closer to my goal by skipping this workout?” And sometimes the answer is yes….and sometimes I’m just bull shitting myself and taking advantage of a busy day. 

Action item: Think about the last 24-72 hours, what decisions did you make that didn’t support Future You? Make note of those situations and create a plan for how to handle the scenario next time.

> Broaden your idea of what counts as exercise. I like to look at a fitness routine as a spectrum. There’s the “I’ve got my shit 100% together” side of it and the “not ideal but still counts” on the other side. Every day you’ll find you move along this scale. Over time you want to find yourself on the shit together side more than the still counts side, but you’ll go through seasons.  

Action item: What is a the bare minimum, this feels almost too easy to count, action you can take to fit in movement. Is it a short walk at lunch time? Ten minutes of stretching before bed? These action help set the intention even when the day gets away from you.

> Along those same lines, let go of an “all or nothing” mentality. Five minutes of movement is better than zero. We’re not trying to get fit as f*ck for summer, we’re trying to build a healthy, fit, and sustainable lifestyle that keeps you feeling great and being active for literal decades.  

> Lastly, give yourself grace. Showing up everyday with what’s your best for that day, and then feeling satisfied with what that looks like makes it so much easier to feel like this is a lifestyle and not just a phase. 

Action item: What’s one way you can practice grace today?

There you have it! Hopefully one or more of those tips helps you incorporate more movement into your week! 

Ready to actually start working out but aren’t sure wtf to do?

Grab the free workout guide here. It includes four workouts that can be adjusted to take 10, 20 or 30 minutes. They are modifiable, repeatable, and effective. Perfect for busy moms on a time crunch.