A Stay at Home Mom Exercise and Weight Loss Plan That Works

Written by: Holly Smith, M.D.,

B.S. - Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, The Fit Mother Project

Written by: Holly Smith, M.D.,

B.S. - Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, The Fit Mother Project

stay at home mom exercise and weight loss

Stay at home mom exercise and weight loss … is it even possible? Being a mom is a full-time job, and there's rarely much time to focus on your own health and fitness.

You barely have enough time to wash your hair or get a quick bite to eat, let alone drive back and forth to the gym to workout!

Luckily, there are some great workouts that are perfect for busy stay at home moms that can help you lose weight and feel great.

Exercise is Essential For Long Term Health

Being a mom means that you always want to put your family first, and you may feel guilty spending time away to work out.

However, your health is a top priority! You need to be there for your family for years to come.

Studies have shown that physical activity is associated with decreased risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

That is why maintaining your health is so vital.

Workout On Your Own Time

Having kids typically means your days are set around their schedules, which can often be unpredictable.

By using a stay at home mom exercise and weight loss plan, you can fit in a quick workout during nap time or while your kids are enjoying their own activities.

You don’t have to worry about finding a sitter or scheduling specific times to go exercise. You don't even need to leave the house!

Minimal Equipment Needed

You don’t need fancy machines to get in a quality calorie burning and muscle building workout.

By just using your own body weight, light weights, or resistance bands, you can lose weight, build strength, and get a great looking body, even as a busy stay at home mom.

The Fit Mother Project

If you are a busy mom new to fitness, the Fit Mother Project offers the Fit Mom 3-Day Weight Loss Jumpstart.

It's an excellent introduction to a healthy lifestyle with great exercise and weight loss tips.

This introductory course is a great jumping point to lead you into more challenging programs, such as FM30X.

FM30X is a 30-day program that gives you more nutrition and exercise tips, built into a full month schedule.

It also offers a community of coaches and fellow Fit Moms to support you and keep you accountable for your health.

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A Stay at Home Mom Exercise and Weight Loss Plan That Works

If you want to get started now on weight loss without joining a specific program, here is an awesome weekly exercise plan for busy moms.

The workouts can be done in the comfort of your home and on your own time.

Weight loss is going to need to include both cardio and strength training exercises. You will see that this stay at home mom exercise and weight loss plan has specific days that focus on each of these disciplines.

Cardio, even lower intensity cardio, will help you burn calories during and after your workout.

The key is to really push yourself.

Resistance and strength training is essential for weight loss and decreasing fat mass.

Not only do these muscle-building sessions burn calories, but they also increase your lean body mass and metabolism.

This keeps your body burning calories throughout the day, adding to your weight loss potential.

Monday: Cardio/Interval Training

Start out the week with a quality high-intensity interval session.

These short bouts of heart-pumping cardio and strength moves will get you out to a great start to the week.

Warm-Up:

Perform each movement for 30 seconds, then move right into the next move

  • Jog in Place
  • Jumping Jacks
  • High Knees
  • Arm Circles (15 seconds forward, 15 seconds backward)

Repeat twice, rest for one minute, then move into the main set.

Main Workout:

Perform each exercise for 30 seconds then rest for 30 seconds.

Squat with Front Kick

  • Squat down, stand back up, then kick forward with the right leg.
  • Bring the right leg back, squat again, then kick forward with the left leg as you stand.
  • Continue alternating sides.

Bear Crawls with Push-Ups

  • Squat down and walk your hands out into a plank.
  • Do a push-up, then walk the hands back and stand up.

Ski Abs

  • Start in a plank position.
  • Hop both feet up to the right, trying to bring your knees to the outside of your right elbow.
  • Hop back into a plank position, then bring your knees to the left.
  • Continue alternating sides.

Tricep Dips with Leg Extension

  • Using a chair or step, lower into a tricep dip.
  • As you push up, straighten your right leg and reach your left hand towards your right toe.
  • Lower your leg and repeat, alternating sides.

Knee Pulls

  • Stand upright and put most of your weight on your right leg with your knee slightly bent.
  • Lean slightly to the right and bring your left knee up to meet your hands at waist level.
  • Then bring the left knee back down towards the floor, but just as the foot touches bring it immediately back up again to your waist level.
  • Continue as fast as you can for 15 seconds on that side, then switch and repeat on the other side for 15 seconds.

Pushup to a Side Plank

  • Start in a plank position and lower down into a pushup.
  • As you push back up, rotate your body to the right, moving your right arm up into a side plank.
  • Rotate back, do another push-up, and then do a side plank to the left.
  • Continue alternating sides after each push-up.

Pike Up To Spider Lunge

  • Start in a plank position and raise your hips so your body forms an upside-down V.
  • Then step forward with your right foot, bringing it next to your right hand.
  • Return to the starting position and repeat, this time bringing your left foot next to your left hand.
  • Continue alternating sides.

Superman Pulses

  • Lay on your stomach on the floor or exercise mat.
  • Extend your arms in front of you.
  • Contract our glutes and back to raise your arms, legs, and chest off of the floor.
  • Once in this position pulse your arms up and down by squeezing your shoulder blades together.
  • Lower your arms, legs, and chest back down after the 30-second interval.

Cool Down

Cool down with some gentle stretches, such as hamstring and quad stretches for the legs, and tricep and shoulder stretches for the arms.

Tuesday: Resistance Training

Today will be focused on strength training using bodyweight for your resistance.

These exercises will be done in a circuit format. As these are fairly basic moves, a full description isn’t included for each exercise.

Warm-up: Start with the same warm-up from yesterday.

Main Set: Perform each exercise, then move onto the next with minimal rest.

Body Weight Squats: Perform 12-15 bodyweight squats.

Bird-Dog: Begin on your hands and knees, with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Reach your right arm forward and left leg back. Return to the starting position, placing your hand and knee back on the floor. Repeat on the other side, reaching the left arm forward and right arm back. Complete 8-10 on each side

Push-Ups: Do 12-15 push-ups. If you cannot do these on your feet, modify the move and come down to your knees.

Front Lunges: Aim for 8-10 front lunges with each leg.

Flutter Kicks: Try to maintain this movement for 30 seconds. If you find your form failing, rest briefly, then continue.

Tricep Chair Dips: Perform 12-15 chair dips.

Pike Push-Ups: These are push-ups done in an inverted V position that targets your shoulders rather than your chest muscles. Perform 10-12 reps.

Plank: Try to hold a plank for as long as you can until your form fails. Aim for at least 15 seconds to start, then increase your time as you gain more core strength.

After completing this circuit, rest for one minute, then repeat 1-2 times.

Cool Down: Cool down with static stretches, similar to Monday’s workout.

Wednesday: Rest or Light Family Activities

Today should be focused on recovery from the workouts on Monday and Tuesday.

Don’t do anything too strenuous.

Take a walk with the kids or do other light activities to keep your body moving.

As a busy mom, you will likely be getting in a workout just taking care of the little ones!

Thursday: Cardio

Today you can get back to focusing on cardio.

You can repeat the interval workout from Monday, or use a treadmill or indoor bike.

Or, if you have someone that is at home that can watch the kids for 30-45 minutes, you could go for a nice outdoor run or brisk walk.

Friday: Resistance Training

Repeat the full-body strength training workout from Tuesday.

Saturday: Stretching

Every workout doesn’t have to be just about cardio and strength. Doing exercises that focus on balance and stretching are also incredibly beneficial.

Stretching and balance exercises are just as important as strength and cardio workouts for overall fitness.

These types of workouts will help decrease your risk of injury by improving your flexibility and maintaining the integrity of your tendons and ligaments.

Balance exercises will also improve your core strength.

This will help you in all of your other workouts, both cardio and strength training.

Plus, it will aid you in performing everyday activities.

You can even include your kids with some of these stretches and poses!

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Stretching and Balance Workout:

Standing Hamstring Stretch

Stand and cross your right foot in front of your left foot. Slowly lower your torso down by hinging at the waist. Hold for 30 seconds then switch the position of your feet and repeat.

Chair Pose

  • Begin with your feet about hip-distance apart.
  • Bring your arms overhead with your palms facing one another and bend your knees, as if you are sitting on a chair.
  • Bring your thighs as close to parallel with the floor.
  • Hold the pose for five deep breaths.
  • To come out of the pose, straighten your legs and bring your arms to your sides.

Tree Pose

  • Stand upright and shift your weight into your right foot while lifting your left foot off the floor.
  • Bend your left knee and bring the sole of your left foot high onto your inner right thigh.
  • Take 5 to 10 breaths, then lower your left foot to the floor and repeat on the other side.

Pigeon Stretch

  • Start on your hands and knees and bring your right knee forward towards your right wrist.
  • Your right ankle will be somewhere in front of your left hip.
  • Slide your left leg back and point your toes so that your heel is pointing up to the ceiling.
  • Walk your hands forward and lower your upper body towards the floor.
  • Stay in this position for 5 deep breaths.
  • Move back onto all fours, then switch sides and repeat.

Cobra Stretch

  • Lie face down, with your hands by your shoulders as if you were doing a pushup.
  • Push your torso up as far as possible or until your hips begin to come off the floor.
  • Hold for 5 deep breaths then lower back down.
  • Repeat 1-2 more times.

Downward Dog

  • Start in a plank position.
  • Bring your hips up into the air so that your body is in an inverted V position.
  • Try to keep your heels as close to the ground as possible.
  • Hold for 5 full breaths.
  • Come back into a plank position.
  • Repeat 1-2 times.

Cow-Cat Stretch

  • Begin on your hands and knees.
  • Inhale and lift your hips upward.
  • Press your chest forward and allow your belly to sink.
  • Lift your head and relax your shoulders away from your ears. This is known as the cow pose.
  • Then, to come into cat pose, round your spine and tuck in your tailbone while bringing your head toward the floor.
  • Continue to alternate cow and cat pose 5 times for each.

Child’s Pose

  • Come onto your hands and knees.
  • Bring your body to the ground with your stomach between your thighs and your forehead to the floor.
  • Stretch your arms in front of you with the palms toward the floor.
  • Stay as long as you like, but for at least 5 full breaths.

Sunday: Rest/Family Time

Take a break!

You earned it. Spend this well-earned rest day with your family!

Even Busy Moms Can Stay in Great Shape!

It’s not easy being a stay at home mom, and it can be even harder to find time to fit in workouts.

But you have to remember how important your health is to your family. You have to prioritize your fitness to lead a high quality of life for years to come.

The good news is, there are stay at home mom exercise and weight loss plans that can be done in the comfort of your home, and on your own time.

These workouts can also be modified to your level of fitness. This way, there is never an excuse to miss a workout!

So get started today with this stay at home mom exercise and weight loss plan. Then head over to the Fit Mother Project and check out FM30X.

This great 30-day program will help you maintain accountability for your fitness in addition to giving you some great workouts and nutrition guidance to be in the best shape of your life.

Because health is just as important, if not more so, for busy moms!

Holly Smith, M.D.
B.S. - Dietetics, NASM-PES Certified Trainer

Writer, The Fit Mother Project

Holly is an osteopathic physician, runner, triathlete, and fitness and nutrition enthusiast.

She is board certified in nephrology and internal medicine, has a bachelors degree in dietetics and is a certified personal trainer with NASM-PES certification.

Holly has completed four full ironmans, twelve marathons, countless half ironmans, olympic distance triathlons, half marathons and numerous other road races.

Holly joined the Fit Father Project in May 2019 as a regular writer, contributing articles on health, wellness, exercise, and nutrition.

She has also recently qualified for the 2020 World Championships for Ironman 70.3, in New Zealand!

If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Fit Mother Project is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside the program, you’ll receive:

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If you’re a busy mom who wants to finally lose weight, get healthy, and actually keep the pounds off for good, this is the simple program you’ll love sticking to…

Our Fit Mother 30X Program (FM30X) is the answer you’ve been looking for. Inside FM30X, you’ll receive:

  • The simple & delicious Fit Mother Meal Plan with easy recipes for you and your family.
  • The metabolism-boosting Fit Mother 30X Workout (under 90 min/week) to kickstart your metabolism for fast fat burning.
  • VIP email coaching where we’ll personally walk you through the program.
Learn More About FM30X

*Please know that weight loss results & health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on a stay at home mom exercise and weight loss plan.

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Our Fit Mother Project Team’s deepest commitment is to helping you live healthier for both yourself and your family. And when it comes to online content, integrity and trust is everything. That’s why our Fit Mother Project staff-writers are all trained professionals in the field of health and wellness (registered dieticians, licensed personal trainers, and licensed physicians) – see the full team here. We rigorously run all of our articles through a rigorous editorial process to ensure the accuracy, simplicity, and utility of the information. And we aren’t just a team of “academics” sitting in an ivory tower. We are real people – with jobs, responsibilities, and families – working hard in the trenches and testing our tips & methods out to make sure you can stay healthy for family.

Here is what you can expect from us on our Fit Mother Blog and YouTube channel:

  1. All of our content is written and reviewed by licensed health professionals (dieticians, personal trainers, doctors).
  2. In nearly all of our articles, we link to published research studies from the most respected peer-reviewed medical & health journals.
  3. We include research-based videos to accompany our articles to make it easier for you to consume our content, put it into action, and see results.
  4. Inside our articles & videos, we do promote our free meal plans, workouts, and/or paid programs, because we know they have the potential to change your life.
  5. We openly take feedback here on our contact page. We welcome your content suggestions… and even feedback on grammar (we’d like to thing that we’re pretty OK at spelling and “stuff”).
  6. Above all, we are a community of likeminded men and women committed to living healthier. We do not advocate any health advice that we wouldn’t personally implement with our families. Because as far as we’re concerned, you’re our family too.

Thanks for checking out the blog. We can’t wait to support you toward greater health, energy, and vitality.

– The Fit Mother Project Team

 

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