Why Home Fitness is Perfect for All Moms

Before children, I had nothing but time. I was able to spend 2 to 3 hours at the gym every day, working out, and learning martial arts. However, when I found out I was pregnant, my schedule was forced to change to accommodate my new body. I started doing a lot more home fitness workouts with kettlebells and functional body weight movements. I still trained in both Muay Thai and Brazilian jiu jitsu, just now focusing on technique instead of power. 

It was only when my first daughter was born, I realized that not many gyms are set up for postpartum fitness. About 80% of my workouts consisted of home fitness programming, though I still was missing the gym environment. Even as a certified personal trainer, I would have to sneak into my gym super early in the morning in order to workout before the crowds came. It was great for a little bit, but there were a few problems with this.

Workout Alone or Not At All

First off, I was only allowed to bring in my daughter when no one else was using the gym. If I showed up and there were people working out, I either had to wait or just turn around and go home. Even my home fitness routines were done solo.

From Amazon Woman to Mother Theresa

Secondly, my daughter did NOT like sleeping in her car seat. She would sleep for a little bit, but would wake up 20-30 minutes into my workout, wanting to be fed, held, changed, burped, etc. It was frustrating (to say the least) just starting to get into the swing of an intense workout, then having to stop and sit down to attend to her. I’m not complaining about having to take care of my child; it's just frustrating going from intense Amazon woman mode to nurturing mother and back again.

Most Gyms have an Age Requirement

Most gyms won't take a brand-new infant. Children are required to be at least three months old to be submitted for hourly care. If you are anything like me, a three-month gym hiatus is TORTURE. I barely could make it to three weeks postpartum before getting back to the gym! It was slow, but I was back nonetheless. Taking my daughter to my workouts was the only real option I had at the time since I couldn't afford a babysitter everyday.

...And a Time Restriction

Most gym childcare is limited by the hours that they are open. As a new mom, I was torn between my love of fitness and my love of being a mom. Spending time with my new baby felt amazing. However, I was not able to get a babysitter every time I wanted to work out. Also, because I have a self-owned business, the times that I would be available to work out would mostly be mornings, before childcare is even open. This, again, left me only one option of pursuing a home fitness routine. Lucky for me, I am a professional personal trainer and can write my own workout program, but that doesn't work for most other people. Not everyone is a personal trainer, and trying to put a workout together by yourself can lead to wasted time and poor results.

Embracing MommaFit

I knew I wanted to help other mommas who found themselves in a similar situation as mine. Untamed Fitness was founded on the basis of providing people serious about their fitness goals a chance to pursue their goals, regardless of childcare. Here's why home fitness training with a professional is amazing for all moms, from the 'stay at home' type to the self-employed 'working 60 hours a week' woman:

Guidance from an Experienced Postpartum Trainer

No one likes to waste time more than me. As a mother of two, self-employed business owner, and avid exerciser, I needed to make my workouts as effective as possible. I had almost no time when my second daughter arrived,  the last thing I wanted to do was squander it away with an unguided workout. On days I didn't have time to prepare a workout, I felt lost and wasted much of my workout trying to figure out what came next. Having a trainer push me for the whole 60 minutes of my workout really helped keep me focused on my goals. At the end of my workout, I felt accomplished and ready to take on the rest of my day.

Gives Your Baby a Friendly Play Date

Not only are you able to get an amazing workout in with your new buddy, but your children are able to have a play date while you work! Socializing new moms and their children is paramount to minimizing postpartum depression symptoms and creating stability in a new schedule with baby. Working your  baby into your home fitness workout routine is much easier than trying to schedule your life around their nap times, feeding times, traffic and travel time, as well as gym childcare hours.

No Travel Time

Like I said before, being a small business owner limited me to morning workouts. This was also the time that worked best for my daughters' schedule. My trainer coming to my house was such a time saver.

Even Interruptions Became a Workout

Of course, there were some interruptions from our children during sessions. Mostly, the disturbances came from needing a diaper changed, or needing to be fed (we both breast-fed at the time). However, even these potential breaks in exercising could be used as a benefit. While breast-feeding, we would do wall sits or leg stretches to make sure we were still taking advantage of our workout time. 

With the guidance of a home personal trainer, we were able to watch our kids while still doing what we loved: fitness.

Home Fitness for the Win!

Though I now have two little ones to look after, I have never felt more confident in my fitness journey. Navigating around babies' nap schedules, work, seeing clients and working out has been a real challenge, but something that has taught me discipline and patience at a heightened level. Don't let your children become an excuse for not achieving your dreams- make them the reason!