When you work from home, you might have more flexibility in your schedule, but it doesn’t necessarily make fitness any easier! We know that sitting is bad for our health, and that we need to make time to move and workout.

Although you don’t need an intensive workout regimen, it’s important to fit exercise into your day.  By establishing a schedule and realizing what works best for you, you can maintain your health as well as your flexibility.

Go online

In this day and age, you don’t even have to leave your home to get in a great workout!

There are numerous online fitness classes that are available for free online! YouTube.com is a vast resource for yoga, step aerobics, kettlebell, cardio, and many other types of exercise.  Videos range from a few minutes to over an hour, allowing you to complete full classes in the comfort of your own home.

You can also look into subscription websites for yoga classes, boot camp schedules, and much more.  There’s literally something for everyone and every schedule – simply do a bit of searching and find something that fits your personality, space available, and time available to workout.

Schedule it in

It can be tough to get away to the gym or to classes with kids or other obligations, so work from home moms often become workout from home moms!  Even though this is often the case, it’s still important to keep a fairly structured fitness schedule, as this ensures that you make time in your day.

Reflect on what time of day will work best for you.  Set your workout daily and pick a time that works for your family.  For example, if mornings are quiet and energizing for you, set your workouts for bright and early.  If your kids are rushing in the mornings but leave for most of the day, plan to be with them in the morning, put in a few hours of work, then hit your workout before lunchtime.  Fitness is all about consistency, so pencil your workouts in just as you would any other meeting,

Make it part of your day

When you’re out and about and running errands, make fitness a part of your day.  Although formal workouts help to build strength and long term endurance, fitting small acts of fitness into your day is a great start!

Start by parking further away and walking, taking stairs, and taking simple walks during breaks or on calls.

Get out and move

Leaving the house can be very therapeutic for a work from home mom! We’re often in for long periods of time getting work done, but it’s important to get out and about once in awhile.

There are dozens of local gyms and classes in most cities – take a chance on a class that looks fun, or ask some friends to meet up for an early class before the kids wake up.  Fitness can actually become part of your social routine, and it’s a two for one: fitness and friendship!

Make a move

Make it a point to move throughout the day! Even if you don’t have time for a full 30-60 minute YouTube workout video, you can find 2-10 minute ones that can really add up.  For example, set a timer that goes off every 1-2 hours that requires you to move.

Decide that you’re going to dance to one song when you get alerted, or vow to take your pup around the block during another break.  Mini workouts add up, especially if you don’t currently have the time commitment for a full workout schedule.  If you do 5, 6 minute workouts per day, you’re getting in your 30 minutes!  Simply walk in place, do a few strengthening yoga moves, or work on your kickboxing steps.

Fitness is all about health and balance, and there’s almost always a way to fit that into your life.  Carve out the times that work best for you, or set yourself up for success by planning ahead. In addition to home workouts, it can be fun to try workouts outside the home with friends or family.  Oftentimes, gyms and boutique classes offer childcare, allowing you some more time to fit a workout into your busy schedule.