Between school runs, meal prep, after-school activities and the demands of your job, exercise often falls to the bottom of the list – or is forgotten entirely. However, beyond physical wellbeing, exercise boosts mood, sleep, energy levels and our general ability to cope with the day. The problem is finding the time.
All Movement Counts
The good news is that it doesn't take as much time as you may think. You don't need a gym membership, a free hour or a rigid routine. You just need to rethink what exercise can look like when life is this full.
If your days involve picking up toddlers, squatting to retrieve toys, chasing little ones around the garden, carrying shopping and hanging up laundry, you’re moving a lot more than you may realise. And this is all functional exercise, which is more beneficial than training single muscles in isolation at the gym.
Beyond these daily tasks, there are plenty of ways to build movement into the time you’re already spending with your children: games of tag, a sprint down the beach, a brisk circuit of the park while they play. All of this counts – and it’s free.
“Movement doesn’t have to be a full workout”, says Laura Ribbins, owner of Fitness Connection. “It can be walking while the kids ride their bikes, or a family dance to start the day. Small moments create big energy – and that’s how you show up stronger for your family.”
Making the Most of Home Workouts
The time it takes to get to and from a gym or class, plus the need to arrange childcare for that time, is a real stumbling block for many. But between YouTube and a wealth of free fitness apps, you can find online workouts of virtually any length, intensity and style that you can do at home. Bookmarking a few favourites in advance means you’re not wasting precious minutes finding a suitable option.
When time is tight, consistency matters more than duration. “Prioritise frequent shorter sessions over occasional long ones”, says Justin Wight of Great Wight Fitness. “If half an hour feels ambitious, aim for 8–12 minute bodyweight circuits – push-ups, squats, lunges, planks – between chores.”
Research suggests that if you can fit in three 10-minute bursts of activity, this ‘exercise snacking’ actually keeps your metabolism elevated for longer and sustains higher energy levels than a single longer workout.
And if even that feels hard to plan for, a few ‘micro workouts’ during or between tasks – toe raises while brushing your teeth, single leg balances while dinner is simmering, or a set of lunges during TV ad breaks – still count. Practised consistently, these small efforts genuinely add up.
Taking It Further: The Gym and Personal Training
If you can allocate an hour or two a week for the gym, Justin recommends focusing on resistance training. This maintains muscle mass, bone density and metabolic rate in a way that cardio training alone does not.
For those unsure where to start, whether at the gym or at home, a personal trainer can set you on the right track (and keep you there!). Trainers will tailor workouts to your needs, injuries, energy levels and available equipment, and ensure your technique is sound. But their value goes beyond that:
“Every minute of a personal training session has a purpose, so you can achieve more in 35 to 45 minutes than in a longer unstructured workout”, Erika Abbruzzetti of Elite Fitness explains. “For busy parents in particular, this level of structure reduces mental load. They have guidance, accountability and consistency without having to think about it.”
While many trainers work from fitness centres, some will come to your home or work with you online, making it easier to fit into your schedule.
Helpful Tip
If you don't have time for the gym, don't stress, vacuuming, vigorous gardening and carrying shopping (and toddlers!) all counts as movement!
Making It Stick
Even when you know what to do, exercising consistently is the hardest part. Having a workout buddy – whether that’s a friend, partner or personal trainer – keeps you accountable. When you have a regular arrangement to exercise with someone else, you’re far less likely to cancel.
Whether you’re working out alone or with someone else, having a clear plan for what your workout will involve is also invaluable. It eliminates the guesswork, the aimless wandering between exercises, and the time spent on workouts that don’t support your goals. With a clear plan, you can just get straight to it.
It's also recommended to build habit cues; attaching a movement to something you already do, such as following your morning coffee with 20 squats, or a set of lunges before your daily shower. This stops it from feeling like a separate task and more like part of your day.
Fitting exercise into an already full life is possible – it just might look a little different to what you would expect. It’s about finding what is manageable for you, starting small and staying consistent.
A Note on Parental Burnout
If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed, physically exhausted or emotionally distant from your child, you’re not alone. Up to two-thirds of working parents report symptoms of parental burnout – hardly surprising given the relentless demands and responsibilities of parenthood. The irony is that self-care is precisely what helps, and yet it’s the first thing most parents drop.
- Ask for help. There’s a reason ‘it takes a village’. Calling on friends, family or fellow parents for support isn’t a weakness, it’s how it’s supposed to work.
- Take micro-breaks. Self-care doesn’t have to mean a spa day. A few minutes of mindful breathing, a brisk walk or a call with a supportive friend can do wonders for your mood.
- Be kind to yourself. Despite what social media might lead you to believe, no parent is perfect. Recognise that what you’re doing is hard and give yourself some grace.
