Trainer shares five easy work outs for busy mums – and you can do them anywhere

Being a busy mum often means that self-care is the last thing on your list, but it doesn’t have to be.

Australian trainer and sports scientist, Luke Ashcroft, has revealed how mothers can workout with their children.

‘Mums have some of the busiest and hardest jobs out there so it’s important that their fitness routine is adaptable to fit into their lifestyle,’ he told FEMAIL.

‘There are great ways to incorporate physical activity into your daily routine, including pushing a pram as you walk around the park, running up a flight of stairs, pushing a toddler on a swing or even giving a ‘horsey ride’ or a ‘piggy back’.

‘Mums have some of the busiest and hardest jobs out there so it’s important that their fitness routine is adaptable to fit into their lifestyle,’ Luke told FEMAIL

Australian trainer, Luke Ashcroft, revealed how mothers can workout with their children

Australian trainer, Luke Ashcroft, revealed how mothers can workout with their children

Luke has shared his top five workouts that any mother can do and adapt depending on their fitness levels, how much time they have and if they can include their child. 

‘The big advantage with all these exercises is that they can be done at home whenever you have a few spare minutes,’ he said.

‘Many mothers may find it difficult to find 10 to 15 minutes to spare to do three to five rounds of this simple circuit, so why not try to break it up into smaller chunks.

‘Set yourself the goal of completing five rounds of the circuit over the course of the whole day.’ 

SQUATS 

‘Squats are a fantastic exercise to develop strength in your legs, glutes and core, which is so important for mothers in everyday life when constantly picking up babies,’ he said.

‘Core strength is a great place to start for new mothers getting back into exercise.’

Luke explained that they are also a great way that you can incorporate your child so that they feel included.

‘Squats are one of the best exercises to incorporate into your fitness regime, you can even do them while holding your baby,’ he said.

‘This can increase the workout buy giving you extra weight and working the upper body.’ 

'Core strength is a great place to start for new mothers getting back into exercise,' Luke said

‘Core strength is a great place to start for new mothers getting back into exercise,’ Luke said

PUSH UPS 

Push ups are a great way to develop upper body strength and core stability. With energetic kids around, this is something crucial to build on,’ Luke explained.

‘To make push ups easier try placing your hands on a bench, table or even the wall.

‘You could do these in your child’s room, in the kitchen, at the park, you name it.’

If you don’t want to get on the ground so you can keep your eye on your kids you can do them standing up by using surfaces around you, such as a kitchen bench. 

‘Popping your baby down in between your arms while doing the push up helps you to keep an eye on your baby, gives you some skin to skin time and gives you that extra motivation to push further!’ he added. 

PLANK ROTATIONS 

Luke said that plank rotations are a great way of developing core strength and shoulder stability.

‘However, these can be difficult if you are just starting an exercise program, especially if you have recently had a baby,’ he explained.

‘An easier alternative is to hold a side plank. The side plank can be made even easier by balancing on your elbow and knee instead of hand and foot.

‘New mothers who have experience diastasis recti will find side planks to be a great exercise to develop core strength until they are able to perform crunches and sit ups.’ 

Luke recommended that you keep your baby at your stomach to bring focus to your core.  

Luke said that plank rotations are a great way of developing core strength and shoulder stability

Luke said that plank rotations are a great way of developing core strength and shoulder stability

STEP UPS 

‘Step ups utilise the same muscles as squats but through a slightly different range of motion,’ Ryan explained.

‘As you are spending some part of each rep balanced on one foot, step ups are an excellent way of developing balance and stability through the ankle, knee and hip joint. The difficulty of your step up can be regulated by the height of the step.’

This is an easy exercise that children can join in on or you can do as you hold your baby. 

LUNGES  

‘Lunges are another leg exercise that are excellent for developing dynamic stability, which is your ability to maintain balance and control as you move,’ the trainer said. 

‘The lunge is a surprisingly complex movement and can be difficult to do properly but the benefits for leg strength, core stability and hip stability are well worth taking the time to learn to lunge properly.

‘Lunges are also great to do while holding your baby, giving you that extra weight and resistance.’ 



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