Easy At Home Workouts

Regardless of whether you have a significant other or not, the demands of motherhood alone are enough to leave you wanting to lay out, relax, and even sleep as soon as the little ones are off to bed. And really, you deserve it! However, I find that I experience better rest and higher energy levels when I get at least 30 minutes of exercise per day.  Wait!!!

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Before I lose you, let me breakdown how I get this done in a day without much effort. Quick reminder, exercise is simply just a session of movement.  I’m not necessarily trying to build a booty and abs with most of these workouts.  Weekdays when I have to work, I walk across campus to my building instead of taking the shuttle, which is about an 8 minute walk.  I also aim to take at least one 15 minute walk per day. Most days I’m able to get 20+ minutes of power walking in before I get home.   At the time I am putting this out, I am now working from home due to the 2020 Coronavirus Pandemic. Taking two walks per day around my neighborhood has been working well and a great break from the house and boredom.

For the nights and weekends where I do not hit my 30 minute mark, I like to do one of the following: 

  1. Take a walk with the family or friend. I bought a pre-owned jogging stroller from Once Upon A Child.  It gets dark around 8, so there are days when we’ll get home, change clothes, throw Harlem in the stroller and head out for a 30 minute walk.  Some days I meet up with one of my best friends and fellow mom to walk outside or run on a treadmill.  Be sure to throw on some sunscreen and a hat to block the sun. I like wearing the TRESS hat with mesh for curl protection and airflow.

  2. YouTube gets me right.  I have 2 favorite video types through this medium: dance and 7 minute workout videos. Links to my favorite channels and videos: 

  3. Instagram Fitness Gurus. Okay so I usually end up watching the videos more than I actually do the workouts but this might work for you. Some of my favorites are listed below:

  4. Black Girls Workout Too. This is an oldie but goodie and it’s definitely an ab and booty builder. I originally owned the 2nd DVD and donated it to Goodwill like an idiot, people are selling this DVD on Amazon for $50+. I scored the 1st DVD on EBay for $19.95. Update: Since I wrote this I found the second DVD on EBay for $40 and had to have it again. Check out other workout DVDs if you can’t find this one.

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Taking a walk with the family on the weekend.

I share all of this to say, do your best to incorporate activity in your day in a very non-intimidating way, especially if you haven’t been doing much at all. Don’t go kill yourself in a cycling class or Orange Theory if you are barely walking everyday.  And do what YOU actually enjoy doing. I also like to attend a hip hop cardio class. It’s a challenging class and I LOVE it because I love to dance.  It doesn’t feel like a workout.

I hope I have helped to get you thinking about how you can incorporate exercise in your daily routine (even with “the rona”). Any ideas, fave at-home videos, or IG accounts you can share with me? Tell me in the comments below. 

Xo- Ashley

Ashley G Lewismom self care, weight loss tips, self care, lifestyle1 Comment