Fitness for Working Mums: Fit It Around Work and Nursery
You leave the house with a laptop bag, a nursery bag and a half-eaten piece of toast. You spend the day answering other people’s questions, then you race back for pick-up, tea, bath and bed. By 8pm the idea of a workout feels like a joke. If that sounds familiar, this guide to fitness for working mums is for you. It is not about squeezing in an extra hour. It is about using the shape of a working week, office days, home days and nursery runs, so that exercise happens almost by default.
I coach plenty of working parents around Archway and Highgate. What I have learned is that the plan has to fit the diary, not the other way round.
Start with your week, not a workout
Before you pick exercises, look at a normal week and sort your days into three types:
- Office days: commute, desk, fixed hours. Little control over your time, but a natural chance to walk.
- Home days: no commute, more flexibility, but easy to sit for nine hours straight.
- Weekend days: more time, but full of family plans.
Each type of day gets a different job. That is the whole secret. You stop trying to do the same workout every day and start matching the session to the day you are having.
Fitness for working mums: what to do on each type of day
Office days: make the commute do the work
On office days, your main goal is movement, not a sweaty session. Ideas that work:
- Walk the nursery drop-off briskly, then walk part of the way to work. Getting off the bus or tube a stop early adds 10 to 15 minutes. I wrote more about this in get off a stop early.
- Take the stairs at the station and at work wherever there is a choice. Stairs are free training.
- Use part of your lunch break for a 15-minute walk outside. Daylight helps your mood too.
That is enough. Do not try to fit a gym session around a commute and nursery pick-up unless you genuinely enjoy it.
Home days: two short strength sessions
Hybrid working is a gift for fitness if you use it. The time you would have spent commuting can become a short strength session. Try this 20-minute routine, either before you log on or at lunch:
- Goblet squat holding a kettlebell, dumbbell or a full water bottle, 3 sets of 10.
- Incline push-up on a desk or worktop, 3 sets of 8 to 10.
- Romanian deadlift with whatever weight you have, 3 sets of 10. Push your hips back, keep your back flat.
- One-arm row supported on a chair, 3 sets of 10 each side.
- Side plank from the knees or feet, 3 holds of 20 seconds each side.
Rest about 45 seconds between sets. Two of these a week, plus your walking, covers the strength part of the NHS physical activity guidelines for adults. On home days I also suggest standing up every hour for a few minutes. My post on working from home fitness has more ideas for breaking up long desk days.
Weekends: one session that is just for you
Weekends are where you can protect one proper session. Agree with your partner, family or a friend that one slot a week is yours. Make it something with other people if you can, because you are far more likely to turn up to something you booked than to a plan in your head.
A sample week for a hybrid working mum
| Day | Type | Movement |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | Office | Brisk nursery walk, stop early, lunch walk |
| Tuesday | Home | 20-minute strength routine before logging on |
| Wednesday | Office | Stairs and lunch walk |
| Thursday | Home | 20-minute strength routine at lunch |
| Friday | Office or home | Easy walk, early night |
| Saturday | Weekend | Your class or session |
| Sunday | Weekend | Family walk or park time |
If you work full time in the office, swap the home strength sessions for two short evening sessions after bedtime, or one class and one home session.
The things that quietly decide whether you keep going
Pack the night before
Lay out your trainers and kit with the nursery bag. If the plan needs a decision at 7am, it will not happen.
Eat to get through the day
Many working mums skip breakfast, graze on biscuits at 3pm and then feel too wiped out to move. A breakfast with some protein makes a real difference to energy. My list of high-protein breakfasts for busy parents has quick options.
Drop the all-or-nothing mindset
Nursery will call because your child has a temperature. A deadline will move. You will miss sessions. A week with half the plan done is still a good week. If guilt about taking time for yourself is the thing that stops you, you are not alone, and it is worth remembering that a fitter, calmer you is good for the whole family.
Where a bootcamp class fits
For most working mums, the hardest part is not knowing what to do. It is having the energy to do it alone after a long day. A small-group class takes the thinking away. You turn up, a coach tells you what to do and adjusts it to you, and 45 minutes later you are done. If your workday leaves you drained, my SYP Recharge energy and focus class is designed for exactly that feeling.
FAQs
How do working mums find time to exercise?
By matching sessions to the type of day. Walk on office days, do short strength sessions on home days and protect one session at the weekend. Small, regular sessions add up.
Is 20 minutes of exercise enough for a working mum?
Yes, if it is consistent. Two 20-minute strength sessions a week plus brisk walking most days meets the basic NHS guidelines for adults.
Should I exercise in the morning or evening?
Whichever you can repeat. Mornings work well for people who get derailed later in the day. Evenings suit people who are not morning people. Pick the slot that survives your real week.
What if I am too tired after work?
Go for a short walk or 10 minutes of easy movement instead. Often you will feel better after starting. If you are tired all the time, it is worth speaking to your GP to rule out anything medical.
Book your first class
If you want one session a week where someone else does the planning, come along. SYP Bootcamp runs 45-minute small-group classes in a church hall in Archway N19, indoors and weatherproof, with no more than 10 people and £15 a class. You get the timetable when you book. Book your £15 class here or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215. If your schedule needs something more flexible, you can also look at online coaching with 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.
