Top 5 Exercises for Busy Moms

Top 5 Exercises for Busy Moms

May is the month in which we celebrate our mothers. We also celebrate the unofficial beginning of summer at month’s end with Memorial Day cookouts and outside celebrations.

Everyone wants to look and to feel good during this time of the year, but sometimes that can present more of a challenge for mom. In many instances, after mom is adored and spoiled on the second Sunday in May, she is then thrust in the command seat for planning for the rest of the month’s and season’s activities for the family. There is little room for mom to take care of herself.

Everybody has something about their body they wish they could have altered, transformed or magically disappear. Moms are not exempt from this. Concita Thomas, owner and head coach of Great Shape Fit Club, says that the most common “mommy body” complaints she hears are: “I don’t think I will ever get back in my pre-pregnancy jeans.” “I can’t get rid of my pooch.” “What happened to my waistline?” “My rear end is saggy.” “My arms are so jiggly.”
How can moms move forward in the battle of reclaiming a more satisfying physical image? Thomas says moms must build and maintain muscle to effectively address those complaints instead of focusing on spot reduction. She also suggests that moms must follow a cardio conditioning plan and along with sensible, balanced nutrition to help them shed fat to show off the new shape that is built with weight training.

How can that be accomplished when moms are faced with so many responsibilities and challenges and so little time? Thomas suggests using FIVE workout moves that can be done at home, at the park, or on the road. The moves are high intensity exercises that incorporate many large muscle groups that place a high demand on the system to make training more efficient.

THE SQUAT & PRESS
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level. Inhale as you lower down into a squat position. Stop when your thighs are parallel to the floor. Exhale as you press the dumbbells overhead while you straighten your legs and return to the starting position. Repeat for specified number of repetitions.
Trainer Tip: Keep your abdominals contracted throughout the entire movement. Stick your hips back as if you are reaching for a chair when you lower yourself, and keep your weight in your heels and press through the heels.

THE BENT OVER ROW
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand. Bend your knees and lean forward from your waist, keeping your back flat. Drive your elbows back and squeeze your shoulder blades together. Lower the weights to starting position. Repeat for the required number of repetitions.
Trainer Tip: Keep your shoulders back and hips tilted forward (push your buttocks out) to maintain a flat back position. Keep your knees softly bent to take pressure off of your lower back and squeeze your shoulder blades together to initiate movement to ensure that your back muscles are fully engaged.

THE LUNGE
Stand with your feet staggered- one being approximately 15” – 20” forward from the other. The front foot should be flat on the floor. The heel of the rear foot is raised- only the toes are in contact with the floor. This is the ready position. Push your hips back as you bend both knees to lower yourself until the thigh of your front leg is parallel to the floor. Push through the heel of your front leg while straightening both legs to return to starting position. Repeat for the specified number of repetitions on one side. Switch sides and repeat.
Trainer Tip: Keep your rear heel raised throughout the entire movement. Keep your shoulders back, chest high, and gaze forward. Use your rear leg it as a “kick stand” only. DO NOT push through your toes.

THE PLANK
Get into a tabletop position with your knees and palms on the floor. Walk your hands forward- away from your body until your hips are fully extended (no more bend in your hip). Place your forearms on the ground. Either remain in this position with your knees on the ground (for beginners) or tuck your toes under and extend your knees fully so that your entire body is one straight line (intermediate/ advanced). Hold this position for the required amount of time. seconds.
Trainer tip: Keep your abdominals contracted to maximize effectiveness and avoid lower back discomfort, and keep your buttocks contracted to support the move and to avoid lower back discomfort. DO NOT allow your hips to rise above or sink below the rest of your body.

THE SWING
Stand with your feet wider than hip distance apart with your toes, knees, and hips pointed slightly outwards while holding one dumbbell in your hands directly in front of you just below hip height. (Each hand should be holding one head of the dumbbell.) Lower yourself into a squat position while pushing your hips back and allowing the weight to fall slightly behind your body. Press through your heels and forcefully push your hips forward to return to starting position while swinging the weight up to shoulder height. Repeat for the required number of repetitions.
Trainer Tip: Use the force from your hips to propel the weight up and forward. Keep your chest up and back flat to avoid lower back discomfort.

For those who may want to go the extra mile, a bonus move is THE BURPEE.
Stand with your knees slightly bent and feet shoulder width apart and arms by your side. This is the ready position. Squat down and place the palms of your hands on the floor in front of your feet. Thrust your feet backward and land with your legs fully extended behind you like in the top position of a push up. Thrust your feet forward and land with your feet behind your hands. Stand up to return to the starting position.
Trainer Tip: If jumping bothers your joints or causes other adverse affects, walk your legs out behind you and then back to the forward position one at a time instead of thrusting them both at the same time.

Putting It All Together
Warm up for 5 minutes. Do the first 5 exercises for 50 seconds each. Allow yourself 10 seconds to prepare for the next move. Complete all five exercise back to back for one round. Run through the entire series for two to four times for a ten to twenty minute workout. On days that you really want a challenge, after completing the main circuit, do 50 burpees as quickly as you can. Time yourself and get better each time. You can do this as a “finisher” to your main workout or as a quick stress reliever on the days that your life stressors make you want to run to the cookie jar. Run to the burpees instead and your body will thank you! Follow the workout with a cool down and stretching