How Busy Mums Can Find A Workout Buddy (Or Two!)

Image source

Between juggling childcare, work, home maintenance, and more, it’s challenging for many mums to get enough personal time to exercise. A study from the Universities of Cambridge and Southampton revealed that less than half of mums meet the recommended levels of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity, which is crucial for maintaining the best physical and mental health. Mums of younger kids struggle the most since their kids need more attention and care. When you do get to squeeze in a workout, it can be an isolating endeavour. It doesn’t have to be this way, however. There are still ways for you to find the support you need to keep motivated and active. Here’s how busy mums can find a workout buddy:

Family engagement
You might be using a short window of time when your kids are occupied to get a workout in, but instead of doing so, you can engage the whole family in exercising. Your family already has a built-in workout support system, so getting active with them is a great way to boost your physical activity with a buddy or two. You can use active play such as dancing, sports, and games to get your heart pumping. If you have older kids, you can workout with them by going on brisk walks, home workouts, and the like. These sessions can take around 30 minutes, or you can break that time into shorter intervals throughout the day. Find something both you and your kids enjoy and have fun doing together so you can stay consistent.

Weight loss workshops
A busy schedule can leave you drained of motivation and clueless about where to begin with exercise and other health efforts. Fortunately, dedicated groups and coaches are available to support you on your weight loss or wellness journey. Weight loss workshops can help you get advice, guidance, and support from a like-minded community of people. You don’t even need to travel far to find one of these. You can look up “weight loss groups near me” on any search engine, and you’ll be able to see all sorts of results. Virtual workshops are also an option if you can’t make it in person, and it’s still real people with honest advice. Your group or coach can help you stay accountable by checking your exercise progress and encouraging you to keep going. You might also be able to make new friendships in the process, and they can be great workout buddies since you may live nearby and have a similar goal of improving wellness.

Pet partnership
Your workout buddy doesn’t even need to be a human for your workouts to be effective. If you have a pet at home, they can be great company when exercising. Dogs are particularly great for health since they need a lot of attention and activity. Playing with them regularly or going on walks with them has many benefits, such as better weight loss outcomes, reduced risk for various chronic diseases, and improved mental health. You can walk your dog in the early morning before work and when the kids need to wake up for school, or you can do it when you come home. Running errands? You can bring them along if you’re headed to dog-friendly spaces. Since dogs must get active regularly, you’re encouraged to do the same!

Asking for help isn’t always easy, but it makes a difference when it comes to physical activity as a busy mum. A workout buddy or support system helps you stay accountable, pushes you to carve out time for exercise, and combats loneliness. Working out can be made much more manageable when you’re enjoying it with the company of others, be it friends, family, coworkers, pets, and more.