It seems that when you become a parent all your free time goes right out the window.

Whether you’re up all night with a newborn, chasing a toddler around or playing Uber shuttling everyone back and forth to their activities, it can be challenging to find time to focus on your own health and fitness. Luckily, taking care of yourself doesn’t have to mean dropping the other important things on your to do list.

Below, we’ve collected tips (as well as some local fitness center recommendations) to help you make time for some much needed exercise.

Join a Gym or Fitness Center That Provides Child Care

“I don’t know how you find the time to get to the gym,” is a refrain I hear constantly. Do you want to know my secret? I take advantage of the free child care my fitness center provides. At the Bucks County YMCAs, this convenient service is free to members with adult and family memberships, ensuring you have the peace of mind to focus on your workout while your children are supervised in a safe and enjoyable environment. So whether I’m in the fitness center or soaking in the hot tub, Mama gets some time to herself and the kids have a blast playing and making new friends.

Focus On Making Every Minute of Your Workout Count

After work, you may only have an hour (or even less) to devote to your fitness before it’s time to make dinner. The instructors at Barre3 understand this, which is why they pack in what’s essentially three workouts in the time it takes to complete one. Inspired by ballet barre, yoga, and Pilates, Barre3 tones and lengthens all major muscles, revs your heart rate, and strengthens your body. Check out their Doylestown or their Newtown location and, when available, take advantage of their new member deals.

Make Yourself a Priority

Sometimes us moms are so busy making sure that everyone else is taken care of that we neglect ourselves. We find that we don’t have time for our own health and fitness because we simply don’t make the time. Make a commitment to yourself by adding your own wellbeing to your “to do” list. The Strong Mom Project knows that moms are busy, which is why they offer practical fitness solutions for expecting, new and experienced moms. Whether you’ve kept at your fitness goals throughout pregnancy or are just starting out, The Strong Mom Project is your one stop shop for safe prenatal exercise and postpartum strength rebuilding.

Exercise As a Family

Make exercising a family affair! Exercising as a family, besides being a great opportunity to bond with your children, teaches them the importance of fitness from a young age. Check out The Yoga Gnome in Doylestown, Bucks County’s first ever children’s yoga studio. While the studio is first and foremost a studio designed for children (from babies to teens), it’s a place where everyone, whether they’re a kid or a kid at heart, can find their inner light. Yoga Gnome frequently hosts family evening yoga, prenatal sessions, as well as baby and me classes so hurry over and sign up, as classes fill up fast!

Get In An Online Workout

Sometimes the biggest barrier to working out at the gym is getting to the gym. A membership to the Edge Fitness Club Warrington location gives access not only to their fitness center, but its online classes, both live streamed and recorded. Now you can sign up for classes like BODYBALANCE yoga and Zumba from the comfort of your own living room.

Make It Fun

I used to think that working out meant sweating it out on a treadmill (running is one of my least favorite activities) before I learned that just about any type of movement is considered exercise. Choose activities that move you. Maybe you like to dance? Give Zumba a try. Interested in martial arts? Give karate or martial arts a try at The Solebury Club in Buckingham. Bring a friend and you’re certain to have a good time.

Use It As Your “Me Time” to Relax and Destress

Many local fitness centers are more than just a place where you can get your sweat on, they’re community centers that function as your hub for health. At the Newtown Athletic Club, you can enjoy elite amenities, such as their indoor and outdoor resort style relaxation, therapy and swim services. Take advantage of their spa, which includes a hot tub, massage therapy, steam rooms, locker rooms with complimentary towel service and more!

Photos Courtesy of Pexels