As we head into a fresh new year and brand new decade, I thought this post couldn’t come at a more perfect time. Most of us reassess where we’re at and what we want to work on around this time of year. Call it resolutions, goals, a lifestyle or whatever you want - health and fitness are most often the core of what we want to work as we look ahead for the year. Especially us mamas, who usually prioritise our little ones, our partners, our jobs (read: everyone else) first before we prioritise ourselves.

I often get asked how I make time to work out now that I have two kids. Well, to be honest, there’s no simple answer but here’s what works for me:

Prioritise it!

There are only 24 hours in a day which means we can’t do every single little thing on our to-do list. Here’s where it comes to prioritising… I prioritise my workouts over other things in my life. Obviously not over the MOST important things, but I look at what’s in my control and whether it can be shifted.

If that means prioritising a workout over losing an hour of sleep here and there, I’ll do it! If that means missing out on a lazy and slow Saturday morning with the fam, then I’ll do it!

Look at your weekly schedule and see where you’re willing to prioritise exercise over another activity. We’re looking to make this a consistent thing, not just a one-off here and there which brings me to my next point…

Make it your lifestyle

We all know that consistency is key when it comes to working out. There’s no point in doing 5 workouts in 1 week and then taking a few months off, just to get back into it all over again. In a way, it’s much better to commit to one workout a week and make it a part of your lifestyle, compared to a ‘here and there’ approach.

Another important factor in making it your lifestyle is choosing a workout that you really love. You’ve got a much better chance of sticking to something if you enjoy it. Yes, it might be hard, but it can still be enjoyable. For me, I can’t do home workouts or go to a gym and just wing it.

When we used to live Downtown before we had kids, we had a gym in our building. Of course, we play the ‘oh I’m going to work out so much’ and ‘there’s no excuse not to sweat’ card, but really… this just doesn’t work for me and it’s something I couldn’t stay committed to.

I need the commitment of showing up at a class, having an instructor tell me what to do while listening to some great beats (music makes such a difference to my mood when working out).

My entire mindset about working out shifted when I realised it doesn’t have to be a chore or something to tick off my list. More so it can be a lifestyle, and something I do every single week. For me, that means going to spin classes (at Spin Society) and TRX workouts (at Hustle).

Book on a Sunday night

A great habit I got into was booking my classes on a Sunday night for the week ahead. Then you don’t get to Thursday and realise HEY, I haven’t worked out yet! For me, I like to space out my workouts by a few days. My goal is to workout 2-3 times a week which can look like the following:

TUESDAY 2PM: I usually do a personal training session with Lucy from Hustle (where I can bring Eitan). This will most likely have to drop off this year as I’m planning to go back to work.

THURSDAY 6AM: Spin class with Brent at Spin Society.

SATURDAY 9:30AM: TRX Amp’d class with Lucy at Hustle.

Once I’ve booked my classes, I add them immediately to my Google calendar which is shared with my husband Av. That way he can see exactly what times I’m planning to work out and make sure he doesn’t book something at the same time. We don’t have grandparents or immediate family in Vancouver so having strong communication between us when it comes to our schedules is SUPER important!

If classes aren’t your thing and you prefer/only have time to work out at home, block out the time in your calendar anyway. This will act as a reminder and keep you accountable as your week progresses.

Bring your little one (when possible)

I really didn’t take advantage of bringing Lily along to my workouts when I was on mat leave with her. And to be honest, the reason why is because I didn’t really know of many places where I could get a great workout in and the instructor would be totally understanding if my baby decided to have a full-on meltdown mid-class.

Enter Lucy! I feel so lucky to have met Lucy and I’m super grateful to her for creating the Hustle Baby & Hustle Mama sessions. She’s been 100% supportive along my entire post-partum fitness journey, always cheering me on but also continuously pushing me to be the strongest that I can be! I highly recommend checking out one of her many classes.

If you live outside Vancouver - check in with your local fitness community and find an instructor who is certified in pre & post-partum fitness. More of my tips for getting active after having a baby can be found here.

Don’t be so hard on yourself

So you haven’t been working out for the last few days/weeks/months whatever it might be? That’s ok. Don’t be so hard on yourself (which is advice I constantly have to remind myself of). The past is in the past, now what are we going to do about it? The best time to start is now. Find a workout that you love, book that class & get your butt moving!

x Sharday

Photos: Ben Owens Photography for Hustle

Also featuring Natassia Valli and Lucy from Hustle/Spin Society