Most mums I meet return to work either full time or part time within 12 months of having their baby. I was one of them. I went back to work full-time and had to find a way to fit in work + family and exercise. Exercise helped me get it all done.

Getting your body moving (especially if you are sitting at a desk for most of day) shouldn’t be put in the “too hard or I don’t have the time” basket. It is more important than ever to keep active so you can stay healthy and well (even with a busier life than before!)

So how do you find the time? It needs to be planned into your week or it just wont happen. Here are some ideas I tried and found useful:

Walking

You may be able to walk to or from work. Bring your sneakers to work and get in a walk during lunchtime or on the way home (save some cash and beat the bus). Even if you don’t have time every day, some is better than none.

Early morning

Partner help required with this one! Get out the door before everyone else is up and have your exercise done in time for breakfast. A group exercise class can keep you motivated and accountable. It’s also a great way to start the day.

Lunchtime

This could be a walk, exercising with work mates or a session with a Personal Trainer (I did this and had amazing results). Mums often feel bad about taking a “lunch break” as they may need to leave the office on time to pick up the kids. By getting exercise at lunch, you are more productive in the afternoon. You shouldn’t feel bad about taking a “lunch break” once a week.

Mid-week group class with baby (if you work part-time)

A kid friendly mid-week group training session is a great way to get in an exercise session, meet other mums and show your little one that exercise is fun!

Weekends

Start the weekend with some Mum time:

I really enjoyed joining 7am Saturday morning group exercise sessions. Starting the weekend with a great workout in the fresh air felt great. Mum time for me while Dad and bub got to hang out together!

Family time

Get out for a walk, bike ride, swim, head to the beach or park and add in some running around with scooter, frizbee or football.

This is about Mum looking after herself and feeling better. Going back to work makes it more difficult to exercise than when you had time on maternity leave but book it in and make it something you just “do”. By making the time, you’ll find the time and the thing that surprised me the most was using only a couple of the ideas above, I quickly got into better shape than before I had my little man.