22/09/2026
If you’re a busy mum, you probably don’t need to find MORE time to exercise… you need to make the time you do have work a bit harder for you.
Instead of feeling like every workout needs to be an hour long, try making your sessions more efficient:
• Use supersets — this just means doing two exercises back-to-back before you rest. For example, squats followed by shoulder press, then rest. You can get through more exercises in less time without needing to rush.
• Try circuit-style training — pick 4–6 exercises and work through them one after another, then rest at the end of the round. Repeat for a few rounds. It keeps the session moving and works really well when you’ve only got 20–30 minutes.
• Shorten your rest periods where appropriate — if you’re doing general strength or fitness training, you probably don’t need to sit around for several minutes after every single set. Rest enough to perform the next set well, then get going again.
• Stick to one piece of equipment — if you’re in the gym, build your whole workout around one set of dumbbells, one kettlebell or one cable station. It saves you wandering around looking for equipment, waiting for things to become free or constantly setting up something new.
• Do some workouts at home — even if you prefer the gym, one home workout a week can save loads of time. No driving there, parking, getting changed or travelling home. A pair of dumbbells or a resistance band can be plenty.
• Let your workouts be shorter — a focused 20–30 minute workout absolutely counts. You don’t have to hit the magical 60-minute mark for exercise to be worthwhile.
You might find that 3 x 30-minute sessions you can actually fit into your week are far more useful than planning 3 x hour-long gym sessions that constantly get cancelled because life gets in the way.
The goal isn’t to spend as much time exercising as possible.
It’s to find the amount of exercise that gives you results without taking over your life.
❤️Follow for realistic workouts and fitness advice that actually fits around being a mum.
