The term ‘busy mom’ is almost redundant. Still, moms everywhere tote it like a badge of honor. From the moment a child (or three!) arrives, you can likely throw the luxury of free time out the window.
While all moms long for showers, face masks, and sipping that first cup of coffee in peace, a sweaty workout seems to consistently hit the top of the wish list. So what’s the hold-up?
A typical gym sesh or hot yoga class generally lasts about an hour, and once mom sees the big 6-0 in the duration section of a workout, the probability of it happening can just fly right out the window. It’s awesome to have a full hour to move and release some stress, but in all honesty, it’s not entirely necessary! And we’re going to prove it!
We’ve got a brand new, heart-pumping busy mom workout plan that will get you completely drenched and leave you feeling so clear-headed and full of endorphins. Oh, and the best part? This 20-minute workout plan for busy moms (yes, ONLY 20 minutes) requires no equipment and can be done at home or in the backyard when the baby is napping.
How Do Busy Moms Find Time To Workout?
Twenty minutes is a completely different amount of time to moms than to the rest of the world. Twenty minutes can be the difference between having a healthy dinner on the table or calling Dave… again. (Dave is the pizza guy. 🍕 All busy moms are on a first-name basis with their pizza guy.)
Twenty minutes can also be the difference between the kids having clean soccer jerseys or not. Your second grader acing the volcano science project or not. Or the beloved teddy bear getting his eye sewn back before bedtime… or not.
Needless to say, moms everywhere know how much can get done in only 20 minutes. And that’s why we know every mama can sneak in these amazing 20-minute busy mom workout strategies—aka the perfect workout plans for busy moms. You can do them while the kids are napping, watching their favorite shows, or trying to piece together a puzzle that may somehow be one age-range ahead of their skillset. 😉 A mom’s gotta do what a mom’s gotta do. Am I right?
Top 3 20-Minute Workout Plans For Busy Moms
The best workouts for busy moms can be done in just 20 minutes. In fact, there are so many different ways to get your sweat on in a short amount of time. With all of these 20-minute total body workouts, all you’ll need is a timer or clock nearby. So let’s get started, shall we? These are the most popular exercise frameworks for busy moms:
1. AMRAPs
If you’ve never heard of AMRAPs before, these will easily become your go-to workout style of choice while the kids are napping. AMRAP is an acronym for “as many rounds as possible,” and the concept does exactly that: complete as many rounds of your exercises as possible in 20 minutes. Here’s an AMRAP workout to get your heart rate going…
Perform the exercises at a moderate-maximum intensity and complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes, only resting when you need.
- 10 push ups
- 10 squats
- 10 sit ups
- 10 jumping jacks
- 10 knee tucks
2. EMOMs
Another acronym, EMOMs stand for “every minute on the minute.” With this workout style, you need to set a 20-minute interval timer with a series of one-minute intervals. The idea here is to perform a small exercise circuit in under a minute—if you finish before the minute is up, you can rest. Every time the timer goes off (which should be every minute) you complete another round. This style of exercise is great if you want to challenge yourself and earn more rest between intervals! Here’s an example…
Perform the circuit as quickly as possible within the one minute allotted. Rest for whatever time you have left until the next top-of-minute. Complete for 20 minutes.
- 5 burpees
- 5 mountain climbers
- 5 squats
3. Tabata
Tabata training is a type of circuit training and another quick and easy way to get a great workout in a short amount of time. Here’s how you do it: set a 4-minute interval timer that alternates between 20 seconds and 10 seconds. This should come out to eight rounds. Perform one exercise at maximum intensity for 20 seconds and rest for 10 seconds. Repeat for eight rounds. That is one full Tabata. For a 20-minute workout, pick four exercises and repeat a Tabata for each exercise, while resting for one minute between. For example:
Tabata 1: Speed skaters
- 20 seconds max intensity
- 10 seconds rest
- Repeat 8 times
(Rest one minute)
Tabata 2: Switch lunges
- 20 seconds max intensity
- 10 seconds rest
- Repeat 8 times
And so on…
The Best Total Body Workout For Busy Moms
There is an endless amount of workouts you can do at home when time is of the essence. Here is a list of some of the best total body workouts for busy moms that I know you’ll love!
- 7 Simple Home Exercises You Can Do While Watching TV
- The Best At-Home Upper Body Workout For Toned Arms (+8 Creative Ways To Use A Resistance Band!)
- How To Do Effective Ab Workouts At Home (With Just A Towel)
- A Fun & Quick Cardio Workout (For People Who Hate Cardio!)
- The Best 18-Minute Workout That Burns 400 Calories!
What To Do When There’s Actually No Time To Workout
If you can fit a busy mom workout in your schedule about 3-4 times a week, you’ll notice the difference in your body in no time—not to mention a boost of confidence!
But a workout doesn’t always get checked off the to-do list. So, when you can’t seem to squeeze one in, taking healthy supplements daily, like SkinnyFit Detox or Super Youth Collagen, can help you stay on track with your health and fitness goals.
The Bottom Line
Even on days that feel never-ending, finding a way to carve out 20 for yourself and your health can happen, you just have to get creative! Energy begets energy, and once you finish these quick total body workouts, you’ll feel empowered to complete the other tasks you may not feel up to doing.
So, what are you waiting for? Send the kids on a scavenger hunt around the house and get in this butt-kicking, total-body workout for busy moms, like you!
