Before becoming a mom, I spent almost seven days a week at my local gym. I took classes, used cardio equipment, and bravely entered the mostly male-dominated weightlifting area every once in a while. And then I had my first baby. Suddenly, leaving the house at 5:30 p.m. to take a spin class was no longer feasible or appealing, and I realized I had to change up my workout routine. Enter: home workouts.
I wasn’t a stranger to home workouts, having done them occasionally in high school and college, but I needed something that could be easily done while a baby sat in a bouncer or a two-year-old exercised next to me. Through much trial and error, I found them. Even as my kids get older, I still choose to use them today!
Kayla Itsine’s Sweat App
After having my second baby, I consistently used this app while my baby napped and my two-year-old played beside me. Kayla offers ten different programs within the app. Each workout is only 28 minutes long, and there are pregnancy and postpartum programs included. I like that it has a built-in timer with rest breaks included.
Lindywell Pilates
Formally known as The Balanced Life, I joined this Pilates community when I had two toddlers and little time and energy. Lindywell is a body-positive community that focuses on strength and health rather than weight loss. The online library offers over 300 different workouts, all varying in length and difficulty. The owner, Robin Long, is one of my favorite follows on Instagram, as she’s a mom of four and very realistic about what exercise looks like in a busy season of life.
Peloton
It’s no secret that Peloton has gained popularity since the pandemic, and I was one of the members who bought a bike in 2021. Three years later, I’m not using the bike as often as I once was, but I still pay for the membership because the platform offers so much more than cycling. Instructors teach everything from barre and boxing to hiking and meditation. If I don’t want to take an instructor-led class, I can use the app to track an outdoor walk or bike ride, and my kids love taking the “Fit Family” classes.
BodyFit by Amy
Amy is a certified personal trainer with over 1,000 videos in her YouTube library, and the best part is that they’re free. I did many of Amy’s strength training videos before having my first baby and then transitioned to her prenatal videos during pregnancy and her postnatal videos in the months after giving birth. She even has several mommy and me workouts you can do with your baby.
Get outside and walk!
It’s not an official workout program, but walking is one of my favorite forms of exercise in this season of life. When my kids were babies and toddlers, I tried to take them for daily walks no matter the temperature outside (this is my favorite single stroller and my favorite double stroller). Now that they’re getting older, I go when my husband is home or push my preschooler in the stroller while the big kids ride bikes/scooters. I notice a shift in my mental health almost immediately when I take the time to go for a walk.
I’m not a personal trainer or fitness expert, but these are simply the effective, enjoyable workouts I like doing at home.
