Fitness for Stay at Home Mums: A Weekly Plan That Fits
If you are at home with little ones, your day probably does not have a single free hour in it. It has scraps. Twenty minutes while the baby naps, if the baby naps. Ten minutes while the toddler is glued to a snack. A walk to playgroup that could be a stroll or could be a workout. Good fitness for stay at home mums is not about finding a big block of time that does not exist. It is about using the scraps on purpose, with a weekly plan that bends when the day goes sideways.
Here is the plan I would give any mum I coach in Archway or Highgate.
Why fitness for stay at home mums looks different
You already lift, carry and push a buggy all day, so you are not starting from zero. What is usually missing is three things:
- Proper strength work, so that all that lifting stops hurting your back and wrists.
- A bit of breathlessness a few times a week, for your heart and your mood.
- Time that is yours, even if it is short, where the movement is for you and not for someone else.
The NHS physical activity guidelines for adults suggest 150 minutes of moderate activity a week plus strength work on at least 2 days. That sounds like a lot until you realise a brisk 25-minute walk to the park on most days already gets you most of the way there.
If you had a baby recently, please get your postnatal check first, which is usually around 6 to 8 weeks after the birth, and ask your GP before you start anything high impact. The NHS page on keeping fit and healthy with a baby explains what is sensible early on. After a caesarean or a difficult birth, recovery takes longer, so check with your GP or a physio before you begin.
The weekly plan: built around naps, playgroups and errands
This plan has three types of session. None of them needs a gym, a babysitter or more than 25 minutes.
Nap-time strength (2 days a week, 15 to 20 minutes)
The moment the baby goes down, do this before you touch the washing up. Do 3 rounds, resting as little or as long as you need:
- Sit-to-stand from a chair, 10 reps. Slow on the way down. Hold something heavy against your chest once it gets easy.
- Incline push-ups against the kitchen worktop, 8 to 10 reps. Body in a straight line.
- Glute bridges on the floor, 12 reps, pausing for a second at the top.
- Backpack rows: fill a rucksack with a few tins, hinge forward with a flat back and pull it to your ribs, 10 reps each arm.
- Dead bugs, 6 slow reps each side, keeping your lower back gently on the floor.
If the nap ends after round one, that still counts. If you want more ideas for that window, my plan for a nap time workout goes into more detail.
Errand walks (3 to 5 days a week, 20 to 40 minutes)
Pick a walk you do anyway, like the trip to the shops or playgroup, and do it at a pace where you could talk but not sing. Take the hilly route when you can. Around Archway that is not hard to find.
Playground circuit (1 day a week, 10 to 15 minutes)
While they play, you train. Stay where you can see them and keep it simple:
- 10 step-ups on a bench, each leg
- 10 incline push-ups on the bench back
- 30 seconds of walking lunges round the edge
- 20 seconds of a bench plank
Repeat 3 or 4 times. If they want to join in, let them count your reps.
A sample week
| Day | What you do | Time |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Nap-time strength | 15 to 20 min |
| Tuesday | Brisk walk to playgroup and back | 30 min |
| Wednesday | Playground circuit plus walk home | 30 min |
| Thursday | Nap-time strength | 15 to 20 min |
| Friday | Errand walk, hilly route | 25 min |
| Saturday | Something just for you, like a class while your partner or family has the kids | 45 min |
| Sunday | Family walk or rest | As you like |
If a day falls apart, do not try to “catch up” the next day. Just pick up the next session. A plan that survives bad weeks is worth more than a perfect plan you drop in week three.
Three things that make the biggest difference
Lift the baby like a weight
You pick up your child dozens of times a day. Get close, bend your knees, keep your back long and stand up with your legs. Swap sides when you carry.
Protect your sleep where you can
When sleep is broken, go easier. Swap a strength session for a gentle walk. Training hard on two hours of sleep rarely helps. My post on exercise when sleep deprived covers how to adjust.
Get one session a week that is just yours
Being at home all day can be lonely. One session a week with other adults helps your head as much as your body.
Where a bootcamp class fits
The home plan above keeps you ticking over. A class gives you the things home cannot: a coach checking your form, other parents to chat to, and 45 minutes where nobody needs you. At SYP Bootcamp, every exercise has an easier and harder option, so you can come back after a baby, or after years off, and still feel in control. If your back and hips feel stiff from all the carrying, my SYP Unlock hip and back mobility class is a gentle place to start. You can also read more about what to expect in my guide to bootcamp for mums in North London.
FAQs
How can a stay at home mum exercise with a baby around?
Use nap times for short strength sessions, make your daily walks brisk, and do simple moves like squats and bridges with your baby nearby on a playmat. Short sessions done often beat long sessions done rarely.
How many times a week should I work out as a busy mum?
Aim for strength work on 2 days and some brisk walking on most days. That lines up with the NHS guidelines and is realistic for most mums at home.
Is walking with a buggy enough exercise?
Brisk buggy walking is good moderate activity and a great base. Add 2 short strength sessions a week so your muscles and bones get the work they need too.
When can I start exercising after having a baby?
Gentle walking and pelvic floor exercises can usually start when you feel ready after a straightforward birth. Check with your GP at your postnatal check, usually around 6 to 8 weeks, before anything more intense.
Book your first class
If you want one hour a week that is properly yours, come and try a class. SYP Bootcamp runs 45-minute small-group sessions in a warm church hall in Archway N19, with a maximum of 10 people and £15 a class. All fitness levels are welcome and the timetable is sent when you book. Book my £15 class or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215. If you would rather have a plan built just for you, see how personal training for women in Archway works at SYP Fitness.
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.
