Farmers Walk for Single Parents: A 15-Minute Home Plan

If you are a single parent, you probably already do a version of this exercise every week without calling it training. Four shopping bags from the bus stop. A car seat in one hand and a scooter in the other. A sleeping five-year-old carried up three flights of stairs. The farmers walk for single parents is simply a way of turning that daily carrying into proper strength work, so the real-life version stops wrecking your back and shoulders.

It is one of my favourite exercises for busy mums and dads because it is simple, it needs almost no space, and it builds the kind of strength you actually use.

What is a farmers walk?

You pick up something heavy in each hand, stand tall, and walk. That is it. It works your grip, forearms, shoulders, upper back, core and legs all at once, and it teaches you to stay upright under load instead of hunching over. It counts as muscle-strengthening activity, which the NHS physical activity guidelines for adults recommend on at least 2 days a week.

What you can use at home (no gym needed)

• Shopping bags. Two bags for life with tins, bottles of water or bags of rice inside. Easy to adjust.
• Water bottles or milk cartons. Two-litre bottles are a good start. Fill them partly for a lighter load.
• A backpack plus a bag. Hold a loaded backpack by the top handle in one hand and a shopping bag in the other.
• Kettlebells or dumbbells if you have them. A pair of light kettlebells is one of the best value bits of kit a parent can buy.

Make sure bag handles are strong and nothing will split. Clear toys off the floor first. Tripping over a Lego brick while carrying weight is not the workout you want.

How to do a farmers walk safely

1. Pick up the weights like a deadlift. Stand between them, push your hips back, bend your knees, keep your back flat and stand up by pushing through your feet. Never yank them up with a rounded back. My kettlebell deadlift guide covers this lift in detail.
2. Stand tall. Shoulders down and slightly back, chest proud, eyes forward. Imagine a string pulling the top of your head up.
3. Brace gently. Tighten your tummy as if someone is about to poke it, but keep breathing.
4. Walk with short, steady steps. No leaning to one side, no swinging the weights.
5. Put them down the same way you picked them up. Hips back, knees bent, flat back.

Stop if you feel sharp pain in your back, shoulders or hands. If you have an existing back or shoulder problem, or you have recently had a baby, get the all-clear from your GP or physio before carrying heavy loads. After a birth, the NHS suggests getting advice at your 6-week postnatal check before strenuous exercise (see keeping fit and healthy with a baby).

A 15-minute farmers walk for single parents plan

This fits in a hallway, a kitchen or a small garden. Walk up and down the longest stretch of floor you have. If your hallway is short, turn carefully at each end.

Warm-up (3 minutes): march on the spot, 10 arm circles each way, 10 bodyweight squats, 10 hip hinges with hands on hips.

Main block (10 minutes):

• Round 1: farmers walk for 30 seconds, rest 30 seconds
• Round 2: 10 squats holding one bag at your chest, rest 30 seconds
• Round 3: suitcase carry (one bag in one hand only) for 20 seconds each side, rest 30 seconds
• Round 4: 8 to 10 push-ups against the worktop, rest 30 seconds

Go round twice, or three times if you are feeling good.

Finish (2 minutes): shake out your hands, stretch your forearms by gently pulling your fingers back, and do a slow chest stretch in a doorway.

How heavy should it be?

Start with a weight you could carry for about a minute without your posture breaking down, then do 30 seconds. When the 30 seconds feels easy, add a little weight or a little time, not both at once. The suitcase carry (one side only) is lighter but harder than it looks, because your core has to stop you leaning.

Making it work with kids around

• Let them be the timer. Kids love shouting “go” and “stop”. Give them the phone stopwatch.
• Make it a “delivery game”. Carry the bags from the kitchen to the “shop” in the hall while they run the till.
• Do the real thing better. Next time you walk back from the shops, split the bags evenly, stand tall and walk with purpose. That is a farmers walk with a purpose.
• Keep little ones clear. Never carry weights over or near a crawling baby or toddler. Do this one after bedtime if you need to.

For more ideas on fitting workouts around solo parenting, see my main single parent fitness guide. And if your hands give out before anything else, my post on grip strength exercises will help.

Where a bootcamp class fits

Carries are a regular part of my classes because they build such useful strength. In a class you get a coach watching your posture, a range of weights to choose from and someone to tell you when to go heavier. My SYP Built To Last functional strength class is built around real-life moves like carrying, lifting and getting up off the floor, for people 35 and over.

FAQs

What muscles does the farmers walk work?

Mainly your grip and forearms, shoulders, upper back, core and legs. Because you have to stay upright while walking, it also trains your posture and balance.

How far should a beginner do a farmers walk?

Think in time rather than distance. Start with 20 to 30 seconds of walking, rest, and repeat 3 or 4 times. Build up slowly to 45 to 60 seconds.

Is carrying shopping bags the same as a farmers walk?

It can be, if the bags are balanced and you walk tall with control. The difference with training is that you choose the weight, the time and your posture, rather than just getting home as quickly as possible.

Can I do farmers walks every day?

Light carries most days are fine for most people. If you go heavy, give yourself a day or two between sessions so your grip and back can recover.

Book your first class

When you have a free evening or a morning with cover, come and train with other parents who get it. SYP Bootcamp is 45 minutes, indoors in a church hall in Archway N19, with no more than 10 people and £15 a class. All fitness levels are welcome, and every exercise has an easier and harder option. Book your £15 class or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215. If getting to classes is tricky with your custody schedule, my online coaching at SYP Fitness gives you a home plan you can follow around the kids.

About the author

Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.