3 No-Nonsense Fitness Tools For Busy Moms
Nicole Crawford, AFPA-certifed pre- and post-natal fitness specialist, is the Women’s, Kids and Family Feature writer over at Breaking Muscle. Today, she shares her top three fitness tools every mom should have at home.
Since I became a mom, my workout strategy has changed. I used to structure my day around my workout, which was planned for a certain time of the day and always happened. Although I still do that sometimes when my children are at the gym childcare center or, more frequently, sound asleep in their beds, I find more and more that I have to structure my workout around my day.
That’s not to say that exercise is no longer a priority for me. If I don’t get in some semblance of a workout every day, I feel sluggish and less productive. That being said, my workout schedule is not as pretty as it used to be, with those hour-long blocks set aside for a yoga class, or even longer for a bike ride or long run. These days, my workouts tend to be fast and furious.
My tools have also changed. For example, four years ago I had never even heard of a kettlebell, let alone lifted one. Now things are different. I have a mom artillery of workout equipment to get fast, effective workouts throughout the day. Here are my top three secret weapons, as well as my favorite ways to use them…
3 Fitness Tools for Busy Moms
Credit: andrewmalone
1. The Kettlebell.
I can’t say enough about kettlebells. It’s no wonder a recent article in the Chicago Tribune featured the kettlebell as an excellent tool for women’s fitness. For a mom on the go, having a kettlebell or two hanging around the house is essential. A study by the American Council on Exercise found that a 20-minute kettlebell snatch workout burned more than 20 calories per minute!
My Favorite Workouts
When it comes to kettlebells, I like to keep things simple. Here’s a sample workout I like to do in the afternoon. It only takes about 10 minutes, but it will make you sweat! I use a 25-pound kettlebell, but you can use whatever weight is challenging but doable. Don’t rest between the sets unless you absolutely have to.
A.
20 One-Arm Kettlebell Swings per side
15 Kettlebell Cleans
10 Kettlebell Snatches
B.
15 One-Arm Kettlebell Swings per side
10 Kettlebell Cleans
7 Kettlebell Snatches
C.
10 One-Arm Kettlebell Swings per side
17 Kettlebell Cleans
15 Kettlebell Snatches
D.
5 One-Arm Kettlebell Swings per side
5 Kettlebell Cleans
5 Kettlebell Snatches