Understanding the Challenges Faced by Busy Moms
Ask any mother how easy it is to get a workout in, and we will all say that it is pretty tough! Between work, child’s schedule and the to-do list, it can seem impossible to get a workout in. Balancing work with home tasks and childcare responsibilities is no easy feat when it comes to trying to fit in exercise. When time is dedicated primarily to work, childcare and household responsibilities, exercise and honestly, self-care in general takes a back seat.
The emotional strain produced by managing multiple responsibilities usually leads to physical exhaustion. Busy moms have such limited energy that they find it difficult to make time for exercise. The long-lasting fatigue mothers experience generates feelings of inadequacy and frustration that make it difficult for them to maintain positive exercise habits. Mothers experience guilt when they dedicate time to self-care rather than family responsibilities which leads them to deprioritize their health needs. Cultural norms require mothers to put their families first which creates guilt whenever they choose to engage in personal activities like fitness exercises.
The overwhelming number of responsibilities mothers face leads to a lack of motivation for them. The overwhelming range of daily responsibilities pushes exercise down the list of priorities to become an unnecessary luxury instead of an essential practice. Busy mothers who integrate self-care routines such as physical activity into their daily schedules promote their mental and emotional health.
When we do make time for consistent exercise, we are able to feel more stress relief along with restoring our minds. We can work through this barrier of feeling like there isn’t enough time for exercise by looking at what holds us back from exercising in the different areas in our life and figure out how to shift what we are doing in order to fit in exercise.
Setting Realistic Fitness Goals
To stick with your fitness routine, it’s important to decide upon fitness goals you feel you can reach. Using SMART goal setting criteria is a helpful place to start. By laying out the goals you have through this criteria, you can decide if they are achievable. SMART stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time. If any of these areas feels unachievable, you can go back and revise your goal so that the whole SMART goal can be achieved. In order to stick to your goal, mothers need precise fitness goals such as “I will walk for 30 minutes three times a week” to remove the potential of not following through on the goal. If the goal isn’t specific, it leaves room to push off the exercise.
Mothers who juggle multiple responsibilities need to measure their progress to stay aware of their achievements. Setting concrete objectives such as “I will lose 5 pounds in the next two months” enables mothers to track their progress which increases their motivation. Mothers need to set goals that their current fitness level and daily responsibilities will allow them to achieve. Running a 5k initially seems unrealistic yet accomplishing it becomes possible through daily 10-minute jogging increments.
Goals need to be relevant by connecting directly with both personal passions and general health aspects of mothers. Mothers with busy schedules tend to find more pleasure and benefit from group fitness classes or swimming sessions as compared to exercising alone which develops enjoyable workout routines. Establishing deadlines through time-bound goals produces both urgency and accountability. A working mother can schedule two yoga classes per month during a span of three months.
The structured program enables mothers to modify their fitness targets as necessary while continuing consistent progression toward their health goals. When busy mothers consider their fitness preferences alongside their existing constraints they can establish exercise objectives that motivate them while fitting into their daily responsibilities.
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