As a mommy of two little ones, ages four and two years old, I have every excuse in the book not to work out. One of those excuses is there is no time in the day to do it.  I mean after all keeping up with household chores, all the errands that need run, raising and entertaining my little ones and ensuring I am a supportive and good wife to my husband, definitely make for a fully packed schedule. No one would think any less of me if I put my personal fitness goals on the back burner. Plenty of people would feel the excuse that there is no time in the day to squeeze in a workout was perfectly legitimate. In fact I would probably have to undergo a lot less scrutiny and criticism if I took the easy way out and said that I had no time to work on becoming a more fit version of myself, but that would not be true.
 
I understand not everyone has a life similar to mine, I am lucky enough to be a stay at home mom with a very hands-on and supportive husband who helps out around the house. He also plays a very big part in raising our kids. My life wasn’t always this way though, two years ago I worked a full time job, did all the things mentioned above and weighed in at 255lbs after the birth my second child. Working out was the last thing I wanted to do back then, and using the excuse that I didn’t have enough time to do it was an easy way out for me.
 

However, I was not happy. I was tired, I felt unattractive, and I was heading down a dangerous and unhealthy path. I wasn’t blessed with a fast metabolism or fabulous genetics that guaranteed me a slim, svelte figure. If I wanted to lose the weight I was going to have make the time to work out.
 
When lots of folks hear the words working out they automatically assume this means they have to sell their soul to the gym, spend endless hours sculpting the perfect body, and totally focus on themselves and their fitness goals 24/7. Well for a busy mama this just wasn’t going to happen. I started out small, waking up a little earlier in the morning on warm days to walk to work with my kids (it just so happened to be in the same small town I lived in and I worked at a daycare so the kids came with me). Lunch breaks were another way I squeezed a workout in by going for walks, I joined the gym across the street so I could use the treadmill on the days when the weather was bad.  At home I incorporated the kids in my workouts and did things like mommy and baby yoga. Short workout DVD’s were by far my favorite, anyone can fit a quick 15 min ab, buns, or Pilates routine into their day.

Incorporating the whole family into my workout routine made me feel less guilty about taking time away from them, so you better believe I dragged my husband along for walks as well and conned him into doing Insanity with me a few times. Although I did not use them, I know for a fact the Internet can also provide you with multiple workout routines that can be done while watching movies (some even incorporate the movies into the workout) just another option if you don’t think you have time for a workout DVD.
 
No it wasn’t always easy or convenient finding the time to work out, but things worth having like a healthier you don’t always come easy and are worth working towards. There were definitely days I wondered how I would get it all done though. My secret for success was to aim high just in case I fell short of my goal. So every week I would make a point to plan on working out 5x a week, if I there was a day or two I couldn’t squeeze one in I didn’t beat myself up over it I just tried again harder the next week. I love challenging myself and this mindset kept me going on days I wasn’t feeling it. It also left a little room for error just in case I couldn’t get in all those workouts for one reason or another.
 


 
At the end of the day it’s all about making working out a priority, as it should be. You do not have to invest endless hours of your time to become a healthier you, unless you want to. Small changes to your routine such as fitting in a 20 minute workout into your day can make a big difference in the long run. As time progresses, you might actually find you enjoy your daily workouts and that they are less of a hassle to fit into your schedule because they are something you look forward to. You are worth that extra effort, you deserve a fit body, and you have no idea of what you are capable of accomplishing physically until you take that first step and make the time to work out. There are no reason why you can’t, only excuses.