For mums with young children, it can often feel impossible to squeeze a decent workout into the daily routine. There simply isnโ€™t time for prolonged strength training sessions and exercises that end in intense DOMS flare ups arenโ€™t always suitable. As a mother, you canโ€™t really be left nursing aching legs every week, because you need them for school runs, shopping, monkeying around in the park, and pushing little monsters on the swings.

Yet, staying in tip top condition is an important part of making sure that you are always healthy enough to be there for your children. So, some form of regular weekly exercise is highly recommended. It doesnโ€™t have to be a cardio routine or an ab workout. You can mix things up and try exciting new disciplines like Krav Maga classes or a dance session.

Keep reading for some cool tips and tricks on how to supercharge your workout routine and get the most out of your time at the gym.

Eat Right Before Your Session

One of the easiest ways to supercharge a workout is simply to eat the right things beforehand. As studies have shown, high fat meals make a routine less efficient, but slow digesting carbs (like sweet potatoes or wholemeal bread) and green, leafy salads have a much more positive effect. For the best results, avoid fatty ingredients for up to four hours before your workout.

Drink Just the Right Amount of Coffee

There are all kinds of reasons why coffee isnโ€™t all that great for the body, but the reality is that most of us drink a lot of it anyway. It is certainly not unusual for mums with busy schedules to turn to caffeine as a pick me up and it can be beneficial if consumed at the right time. Drinking 1-2 cups of strong coffee an hour before a workout is a way to increase endurance.

Workout with a Gym Buddy

We now know that people tend to work harder and faster when theyโ€™re in pairs or a group. There are a number of reasons for this. You can motivate one another, keep each other from getting bored and distracted, and itโ€™s just natural to want to perform better in the presence of friends or fitness buddies. So, if you have a hard time sticking to a decent routine, it could help to liven up your workout by teaming up with a pal.

Donโ€™t Forget Your Playlist

Another great motivator is music. No, really โ€“ scientists believe that upbeat tunes with a fast tempo are an effective way to supercharge a workout. Build yourself a cool gym playlist, filled with lively, positive songs, and use it to give you that all important boost of energy. A personal music player will also stop you from getting distracted by those around you too.

Pick a Gym with a Sauna or Steam Room

It is a common misconception to assume that time in the sauna is best after a workout. This is entirely untrue and, actually, all it will do is delay the recovery process and keep your body in a state of suspended (if very slow) activity. On the other hand, taking a quick dip in a sauna immediately before a workout is a great way to warm up the muscles and get you feeling limber.

Sign Up for a Fitness Class

If you can feel yourself getting bored of your regular routine or you need something a little more dynamic than kettlebells and elliptical machines, sign up for a class. Activities like Krav Maga (a form of self-defence) are exciting, challenging, and guaranteed to get you in shape. Getting involved with something entirely new can be daunting at first, but remember that everybody starts as a total beginner. 

Why Your Workout Should Be More Muscle than โ€˜Mumโ€™

It doesnโ€™t matter whether youโ€™ve got children or you havenโ€™t. It doesnโ€™t matter how old you are. It doesnโ€™t even matter if youโ€™re never stepped into a gym before. We all have to start somewhere and the only limits are those that you place on yourself. So, forget all notions of what you might be able to achieve and start focusing on what you are going to achieve.  

Fitness image by ShutterStock.

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6 Comments
  • Joanne Mallon
    Wednesday, September 21, 2016

    Some interesting tips here! I’m surprised at the first one as I have always avoided eating just before a workout because it tends to give me indigestion. Maybe it depends what kind of exercise you’re doing? I can see this working better with weightlifting than with anything involving jumping around.

  • elina
    Sunday, March 11, 2018

    helpful tips for me thank you for sharing

  • sachin
    Monday, March 12, 2018

    really super tips . thaks for sharing this articla

  • James mak
    Monday, October 25, 2021

    I really like this blog

  • David smith
    Wednesday, April 20, 2022

    Great blog. Looking forward to More.