I’ve always valued fitness. Dancer, Pilates instructor are my body’s history. Even in my most unfit times I have had exercise as a priority. There have been times when I was not able to exercise because of pregnancy complications.
A previous miscarriage made me go super light and mostly walk as a fitness routine. Compared with my first pregnancy where I worked out hard all the way through the recovery was much harder.

Life is not perfect and fitness for me is about staying fit for the long-haul. I wanna play with my grandchildren one day. That is my why. If it comes down to being to self focused and appearance, I know I will slip up and not keep a consistent.
Staying healthy and being able move with my kids and grandkids helps me to stick with it week after week.
At home fitness
Here are my tools for home workout routines:
Applications: Sweat, Tone It Up and Running.
Kayla Itsines has excellent workouts that combine strength training and cardion to the perfect regimen. Fitness people that inspire me like @bluebirdkisses and fit.mum.melbourne keep me at this app. I restart weeks on this thing regaulary to keep up but when I am consistent it feels amazing.
The running app tricks me and helps to progress my cardio without feeling like I’m dying, case in point. Think couch to 5k a gradual walking and running progression growing your cardiovascular strength.
I love Tone It Up as I can pick and choose something that works my mood, energy levels and time available to work out. Also super encouraging instructors.
My lazy mans cardio is the hand me down stationary bike for 15-30 minutes when I am feeling tired and lazy. I like this so much that I’m thinking of upgrading to a non hand me down to track the data. The current hand me down bike digital display is toast which drives me nuts. I love to know what I’ve accomplished. I’m motivated by numbers or goals. I do eyeball my Apple Watch for numbers but I want to know how far I have cycled darn it.
The demands on me as a homeschool mom make my routine something I truly have to prioritize. I have historically put myself last in line and inevitably when I do that, my back starts to hurt and I get pain in my body. So I need to gun for the slot before the day starts to get it in.
Prior to this pandemic situation I would go to a fitness club and check my kids into childcare and get 45 minutes to an hour of exercise and headspace. Those days are over at least for now and I have to make do with what I have. So in the fringe of my days I squeeze in exercise.
Interruptions
Many a workout have been interrupted with the needs of my children who are 7 and 4 years old. I have to pause to resolve a squabble between my children and then resume. Such is life. They are old enough where I can help and push them to wait until mom is finished her workout.
Self care and feeding your brain.
There are other things that I do to take care of myself apart from exercise. Almost every single day I have a candlelit bath and at least 15 minutes to myself. This is when my children are fast asleep and the house is quiet.
I always find myself listening to something interesting and life giving or reading a book in the gaps of my day. My one friend reads on the go even round her own home so she inspired me to read whenever a moment strikes.
I also listen to the Lectio365 app and the Dwell App for my devotional content. I also read or listen to the Word for Today.
One Day
Hopefully there will be a day when I can escape the house for two hours and go to a coffee shop to write and journal or take notes on what I am learning. Right now alone time is a huge luxury but I am doing what I can, given the times. My husband is very supportive and sends me on a walk alone or tells me to get out the house if he’s home and able to watch the kids.
Tell me in the comments how you care for your for yourself and what your fitness or self care routine looks like?