Workout Routine for Parents

Being physically fit is a must, especially for people, like parents, who spend most of their time working to sustain their families’ needs. However, their busy schedules make it challenging to find time to squeeze in some exercise and work out. With all their responsibilities at home and work, working out may feel like a heavy task. Balancing your kids, work, and time for yourself must be a difficult task for some parents. But, some parents are an expert in this act. With proper guidance and plan, you might be able to juggle all your responsibilities while making time to be physically fit. 

Below are some workout routines for perfect for busy parents. 

Workout Plan 1- This first workout is for a total body burn. It is a 20-minute workout, so any parent could easily insert this throughout their whole schedule. You can also use dumbbells for more burn and a lower body band for more burn. You first start with a 5-minute warm-up. If you have a stationary bike at home, you could use it to warm up. Your warm-up exercise can also include:

  • Jogging in place
  • Lateral lunges (good for working your glutes and inner thigh muscles)
  • Arm circles (alternate both directions)
  • Neck or head rolls (alternate both directions)
  • Leg swings (could help your hip flexors and your legs for extreme movements)
  • Trunk rotation

Workout proper 

  • Stationary lunge and bicep curls- you will need your dumbbells for this one. They can be light to medium weight. Repeat this exercise 10 times on each leg.
  • Squat to overhead press- use a dumbbell with light to medium weight. Repeat this exercise ten to twelve times. 
  • Glute bridge with chest fly- you need to do this while laying down on your mat. Each of your hands must hold one dumbbell with light to medium weight. Do this exercise for 12 repetitions. 
  • Tricep dips on stairs- you can also use a bench for this workout if you do not have any available stairs. Do this exercise for ten to twelve reps. It might seem exhausting, but you can sweat it out. 
  • Traditional push-up- if you are a mom and can’t do a traditional one, then a modified push-up will do. Do ten repetitions of this push-up. 

Have a 2-minute rest, then proceed to core exercises. 

blue rubber shoes, pile of blue dumbbells, blue exercise ball

Core exercise

  • Side plank- do 30 seconds of this exercise on each side. 
  • Bicycle crunch- do this for 20 reps.  
  • Seated trunk rotations- also do 20 repetitions of this exercise. 
  • Mountain climbers- hold on because this is the last exercise in this workout plan. Do 20 reps of this exercise, and you are all done. 

Do a 5-minute cooldown or stretch for a gradual recovery. You can do a child’s pose, quad stretch, standing figure four stretch, cat-cow flow, arm clasp behind the back, hamstrings stretch, and cross-body shoulder stretch. 

Workout Plan 2- this workout plan is a cardio workout. Always start with a 5-minute warm-up exercise. For your warm-up exercise, you can repeat the routine in the first workout plan. After that, do the following exercises twice for 20 minutes. Give yourself one minute to perform each exercise. If you finish it before the time is up, take a rest. 

  • Jumping jacks- 30 reps
  • Mountain climbers- 25 reps
  • Squat jumps- 20 reps
  • Traditional or modified push-ups- 10 reps
  • Burpees- 10 reps
  • Bicycle crunches- 30 reps on each side
  • High knees- 30 reps on each leg
  • Squat to front kick- 12 reps on each leg
  • Sprinter jumps- 12 reps on each leg

After doing this workout twice, perform a 5-minute cooldown or stretch. You can also follow the cooldown routine from the first workout plan. 

WORKOUT TIPS FOR PARENTS

Plan a schedule- it’s essential to plan your activities to have time for working out. Look for your available time before or after work, or you could work out after the children are asleep. Make sure that you could fit your workout on your day. 

Choose a perfect place- if you are going to a gym, choose a gym with child care. If none, then pick someplace near your home. So if there is an emergency at home, you could immediately rush out. 

Make your chores as an exercise- walk or bike when you go attend to an errand. Multi-task if you can. Perform squats or lunges when you pick up your children’s toys. Do outdoor chores like sweeping, gardening, shoveling, and many more to remain active. If you have the chance to be physically active, grab it. 

Exercise together with your family– treat working out as your family bonding. Aside from maintaining your physical fitness, it would also help you maintain a good relationship with your family.