I know firsthand that a workout schedule for busy moms can’t involve hours upon hours at the gym seven days a week. Mom life is insanely busy and in order to stay consistent with workouts, moms need quick and effective workouts that they can do from home with only minimal equipment. The good news is, workouts don’t have to be lengthy in order to be beneficial and you don’t need tons of fancy equipment to get a good workout in at home.
This post is all about a workout schedule for busy moms that is written to help you love working out again!
This post may contain affiliate links.
Workout Schedule for Busy Moms
DISCLAIMER: Be sure to consult your doctor before beginning this or any other workout plan or exercise. Beautifully Busy Mom will not take responsibility for any injury sustained while doing these exercises or any others from our site.
How is this workout schedule for busy moms different?
As a former college athlete turned busy mom, I know both the value of fitness and the value of the many responsibilities moms take on every single day. Through my desire to both stay in shape and accomplish everything that I need to each day, I’ve slowly found a schedule that truly works for the busy mom life and for my fitness goals. Here’s why it’s different.
- 5 Days a Week- With kids, weekends are often taken up by sporting events, play dates, or family outings. It’s great to be active and outside on these weekend days but it’s not realistic to expect yourself to get in formal workouts during the chaos of the weekend.
- 30 Minutes a Day- Going to the gym for hours and hours to workout every day is just not realistic with the busy schedule moms have. But 30 minutes a day is most definitely doable.
- Mobility is Built In- Moms are constantly twisting into weird position to hand things back in the car, hunching over to nurse, and who knows what else. So to make sure that mobility doesn’t get forgotten, it’s got it’s own day.
- Pelvic Floor Work is Included– Many moms still have issues with the pelvic floor months or even years postpartum. You aren’t supposed to pee when you cough or sneeze and it’s definitely correctable with pelvic floor work.
- Focuses on EQUAL Strength– For many people, one leg is stronger than the other and one arm is stronger than the other. This is especially true of moms who hold their kids on the same hip all day and have a go to foot when it comes to bouncing their baby. These workouts have both bilateral and unilateral movements to help you balance things out and stay strong on both sides of your body.
What equipment is needed for these workouts?
While you can modify most (if not all) of these exercises to be done with solely your bodyweight, there are a few things that will make your life a whole lot easier.
- Resistance bands: Resistance bands are a fantastic way to get a good workout anywhere in your house. Plus, they may just be the cheapest piece of exercise equipment out there.
- Workout Mat: While you don’t need a workout mat, it’s the simplest way to set up a workout area in any place in your home. They also offer some shock absorbency for your joints. I have both this small yoga mat to take with me to workout anywhere inside or out. I also have a large Gorilla Mat that I use as the basis for my budget home gym!
- Dumbbells: Dumbbells increase the difficulty of many exercises, allowing you to gain more muscle faster. They are also a staple to a good upper body workout. I would personally highly recommend you get adjustable dumbbells. This way, you won’t get stuck buying new dumbbells as you get stronger and you also won’t have to find a place to store multiple pairs of dumbbells.
If you are looking to permanently set up a nice workout space in your home, check out my guide on how to set up a budget home gym. I literally made this in a 4×6 corner of our bedroom!
Now that you’ve got the equipment you need, let’s get to building your new workout schedule!
The Schedule Outline
This workout schedule is five days a week with a two week long rotation. (aka you complete each workout twice a month.) I like to complete the same workouts for around 1-2 months before choosing new ones that also follow the same split. This way you don’t get bored of the routine but you also allow yourself time for growth and improvement before switching moves.
Week 1 Outline
- Monday: full body cardio & abs tabata style
- Tuesday: bilateral legs & glutes
- Wednesday: mobility & pelvic floor
- Thursday: long walk (or cardio workout of choice)
- Friday: bilateral upper body & abs
Week 2 Outline
- Monday: full body cardio & abs HIIT style
- Tuesday: unilateral legs & glutes
- Wednesday: mobility & pelvic floor
- Thursday: long walk (or cardio workout of choice)
- Friday: unilateral upper body & abs
Day by Day Breakdowm
Monday: Full Body Cardio & Abs
Week 1 (EMOM Style)
EMOM stands for every minute on the minute. Complete the set amount of reps for the exercise you are on and then rest until the end of that minute. Begin the next exercise at soon as the next minute begins.
For example, during minute 1 of this workout you will do your 10 curtsy lunges on your left leg. If you finish those reps at 35 seconds, you now get to rest until the end of the minute. As soon as minute 2 begins, you will start your curtsy lunges on your right side. And so on…
Minute 1, 11, 21: 10 Reps Curtsy Lunge L
Minute 2,12, 22: 10 Reps Curtisy Lunge R
Minute 3,13, 23: 10 Reps Plank Up Downs
Minute 4,14, 24: 10 Push Ups
Minute 5, 15, 25: 10 Burpees
Minute 6, 16, 26: 10 Jump Squats
Minute 7, 17, 27: Side Plank w/ 10 Rotations R
Minute 8, 18, 28: Side Plank w/10 Rotations L
Minute 9, 19, 29: 20 Total Mountain Climbers (10 each side)
Minute 10, 20, & 30: 20 Bicycle Crunches
Week 2 (HIIT Style)
To complete one full circuit do each exercise for 45 seconds of work and 15 seconds rest before moving onto the next exercise. Complete 3 full circuits with 1 minute of rest in between each circuit.
- Run in Place
- Pop Squats
- Kick Throughs
- R Reverse Lunge & Kick
- L Reverse Lunge & Kick
- Plank Row (can use bodyweight or dumbbells)
- Butterfly Sit Ups
- Monster Walk
- Reverse Lunge with Kickback
Tuesday: Legs & Glutes
Week 1 (bilateral)
Progress through each of the circuits and then the challenge move. This constitutes 1 round. Complete 3-4 rounds (whatever you are able to complete in 30 minutes).
Circuit 1:
Banded Glute Bridge x15
Banded Sumo Squat w/ Calf Raise at Bottom x15
Circuit 2:
Lateral Band Walk x10 steps each way (20 total)
Wall Sit w/ Band Adduction x15
Circuit 3:
Banded Deadlift x15
Bear Crawl w/ Banded Adduction x15
Challenge Move:
In N’ Out Banded Squat x30
Week 2 (unilateral)
Complete each circuit 3 times before moving onto the next circuit. Finish w/ 1 round of the glute challenge.
Note: Hold 10-15 lb. dumbbells while doing these exercises to increase the difficulty.
Circuit 1:
Split Squat w/ Rear Foot Elevated x10 each side
Alternating Side Lunge x10 each side
Circuit 2:
Reverse Lunge w/ Glute Kickback x10 each side
Pistol Squat on a Chair x10 each side
Circuit 3:
Bulgarian Split Squat x10 each side
Single Leg RDL w/Dumbbell x10 each side (you can also do this motion without a dumbbell if you don’t have any)
Glute Challenge:
R Donkey Kick x10
R Clamshell x10
R Leg Extension x10
R Leg Curl X10
R Leg Single Leg Glute Bridge x10
L Donkey Kick x10
L Clamshell x10
L Leg Extension x10
L Leg Curl X10
L Leg Single Leg Glute Bridge x10
Wednesday: Mobility & Pelvic Floor
Week 1
Pelvic Floor/ Ab Rehab:
- Heel slides x15 each heel
- March x30
- Double Toe Tap x15
- Dead Bugs x15 each side
- Bird Dog Crunches x15 each side
You can find explanations of each exercise here
Mobility:
- Cat Cow (Reach one arm underneath and through for a bonus upper back stretch!)
- 90/90 Hip Stretch R & L
- Butterfly Stretch
- World’s Greatest Stretch R & L
- Neck Circles Both Directions
You can find explanations of each stretch here
Week 2
Make sure to complete the pelvic floor exercises slow and with control for the maximum benefit. I recommend that you complete each one of the mobility exercises for 45-60 seconds before moving to the next exercise/the opposite side of the body.
Pelvic Floor/Ab Rehab:
- Glute Bridge Pillow Squeeze x20
- Side Plank 45 second hold (can modify by putting bottom knee on the ground if needed)
- Single Leg Lifts x15 each leg
- Slow Mountain Climbers x30 total (Can modify by leaning against a wall if needed)
- Kegels w/ 3 second hold x15
You can find explanations of each exercise here
Mobility:
- Sitting Figure 4 Stretch
- Frog Rocks
- Happy Baby
- Single Leg Seated Hamstring Stretch
- Roll Out (foam rollers are on the best mobility tools out there!)
You can find explanations of each stretch here
If the only time you have to workout is while you have your kiddos, don’t give up on your workout. Here are 12 ways to workout even with young kids at home.
Thursday: Long Walk or Cardio of Choice
Thursday is a cardio day. But cardio doesn’t have to be running until you puke. I mean if you enjoy that, go for it. For me, that just isn’t it. Find cardio that is fun and consistently doable within your schedule.
This might be a long walk, a fun YouTube dance workout, kickboxing, or even a nice bike ride with your kids. Find something you enjoy and it makes it a whole lot easier to stick to and a whole lot more motivating to find time for.
Friday: Upper Body & Abs
Week 1 (bilateral drop sets)
Complete 3 sets of each exercise. Start by completing 10 reps for each of the 8 exercises. Then go back and complete 8 reps of each exercise. End by completing 6 reps of each exercise. Do your best to choose a high weight and maintain it throughout all 3 sets of exercises.
Bicep Circuit:
- Eccentric Hammer Curls (slow on the way down)
- Cross Body Curl
Chest Circuit:
- Dumbbell Fly
- Push ups (can add band to assist or modify to knee push ups)
Back Circuit:
- Dumbbell High Pull
- Bent over Dumbbell Row
Tricep Circuit:
- Skull Crushers Lying on the Ground
- Tricep Kickbacks
Ab Challenge: 20 secs on 10 secs rest for 8 rounds (4 min)
Tabata Style Kick Throughs
Week 2 (unilateral)
Complete 3 sets of each exercise. Start by completing 10 reps for each of the 8 exercises on both the right and the left. Then go back and complete 8 reps of each exercise on both the right and the left. End by completing 6 reps of each exercise on both right and left. Do your best to choose a high weight and maintain it throughout all 3 sets of exercises.
Bicep Circuit:
- Dumbbell External Rotation
Chest Circuit:
- Quadruped Single Arm Dumbbell Fly
Back Circuit:
- Side Plank w/ Dumbbell Rotation to Sky
Tricep Circuit:
- Single Arm Above Head Tricep Extension
Ab Challenge:
Tabata Style High Plank Shoulder Taps (20 sec on, 10 sec rest for 4 min)
Now to make things even easier, I’ve put this sample workout schedule together for you in a free printable packet and calendar. Print it, try it out, and see for yourself that it really does work for both your busy schedule and your fitness goals. You can find it in the Mom Self-Care section of my free printables page!
This post was all about a workout schedule for busy moms that help you build consistency, get stronger, and begin to love your workouts again.
-Beautifully Busy Mom
