5 Tips to Actually Stay Consistent in a Fitness Routine (Even as a Busy Mom)
Staying consistent with fitness sounds simple, until real life gets involved.
Kids wake up early. Naps get skipped. Work runs long. Someone (everyone) needs you. And suddenly, that workout you planned for feels impossible to fit in! If you’ve ever felt like you’re constantly “starting over” with a new fitness routine, you’re not lazy and you don’t need more motivation. And I’m saying this now, because I know at some point in your life as a woman, someone probably made you think or feel that way, but trust me, that ain’t it.
More often than not, you just need an approach that actually fits your current season of life. An approach that isn’t trying to pretend or ignore the fact that you are indeed a mother, with other responsibilities and time constraints.
As a mom of 3, pelvic floor physical therapist, and someone who’s had to rebuild my own routines through pregnancy, postpartum, and motherhood again…and again, I can tell you that consistency does not come from doing more. It comes from doing what you can repeat not just on ideal days, but on the most unideal day!
I’m going to share with you 5 things that have helped me (and so many women inside Mind Body Core) to actually stay consistent with movement long-term.
consistency does not mean perfection
Before we jump into the 5 tips, I want to make one thing clear: consistency does not mean showing up at 100% every single day.
Some days you’ll have energy, motivation, a full night of sleep under your belt, childcare, a clean kitchen, and a workout that goes exactly as planned. Other days, you’ll have a toddler climbing on you, a short nap window, interrupted sleep the night before and maybe 15 minutes…if you’re lucky, to try to squeeze something in to the chaos of the day.
Both days count, and not only that, but both are normal in certain seasons of life!
Consistency isn’t built on your best days or the most ideal day (as I phrased it earlier). It’s built on the days where you show up anyway, even if it looks different than what you originally planned. And those “I only have 20% in me” days…those are often the days that build the strongest foundation long-term. Why? Because if you can do it on THAT day, you can do it on any day.
tip 1: stop waiting for perfect conditions
If you’re waiting for the perfect day to start working out, or really get serious about the fitness routine you’ve had in the back of your mind for who know’s how long…for the kids to start sleeping in, the kitchen to be clean, your inbox to be empty, your energy to be high, your sleep to be undisturbed, your husband to pick up the slack…you’re going to be waiting a long time. Well, okay, maybe not for ALL of these, but I think you see my point!
Because life doesn’t magically pause so you can prioritize yourself. Especially not in motherhood. And when they say “if it’s not one thing, it’s another.” dang it do they mean it! Because I don’t know about you, but I can, in fact, verify that statement!
One of the biggest shifts I made was realizing that consistency is not built when everything goes right. It’s built when life is messy, imperfect, and unpredictable…and you choose to show up anyway. Not in some perfect, unattainable way. But still showing up none the less.
That might look like a full 30-minute workout one day. Or it might look like 10 minutes between naps, a quick mobility flow while your toddler climbs on you, or a few sets while dinner is cooking.
It all counts. It all adds up. And it DOES NOT have to be perfect! Because the goal never was, and never will be, “perfect” workouts. The goal is keeping the habit alive.
tip 2: make your workouts short enough to be repeatable
One of the fastest ways to become inconsistent? Setting unrealistic expectations. If 60 or 90-minute workouts don’t fit your life right now, stop trying to force them! Maybe, back in the day, this was your standard. But now, things have changed! And your “standard” needs to change with you.
This is exactly why most of my workouts inside Mind Body Core are around 30 minutes. Long enough to be effective, short enough to actually fit into real life, and also, the ability to build in an extra set if the additional time happens to be there on any given day.
And the focal points of ALL workouts? Strength. Deep core. Pelvic floor. Mobility. And done efficiently.
Because the “best” workout isn’t the longest one or the hardest one, it’s the one you can come back to again…and again…and again.
tip 3: remove friction before you start
Do you know what I mean by this? The friction…the things that keep you from doing what you know in your heart you want to do. And they aren’t just physical barriers, in fact, many times the mental side provides just enough friction for you to want to throw your hands up before you’ve even started! Because a lot of times, the hardest part of a workout isn’t the workout itself…it’s everything that comes before it.
The planning that goes into it, the time it takes to get dressed and to the work out location, the actual workout itself…the questions that pop up when you start to actually try to plan your fitness into your day:
→ What should I do today?
→ What equipment do I need?
→ Do I have enough time?
→ Should I just skip it and try again next week?
→ What am I even wearing??
That decision fatigue adds up and it adds up fast! One of the best things you can do for consistency is remove as much of the “friction” and as many of the barriers as possible. Here’s a few examples:
Lay out your dumbbells the night before.
Keep your bands where you can see them.
Have your workout already picked out.
Put on your workout clothes first thing in the morning
Put the time you set to workout into your calendar (and bonus points for setting a 5 min reminder before you start!)
Make it EASY to start. And best case scenario? You have the workout you’re going to do as easy a clicking a start button on your device. Decision fatigue no more! Because remember that consistency usually isn’t about motivation, it’s about removing friction.
tip 4: train for the season you’re in right now…not the season you wish you were in
One of the biggest mistakes I see women make is trying to train like the version of themselves they either used to be or the version they wish they were, but not the version that they currently ARE.
Past you or ideal you doesn’t really matter when it comes to your current fitness. What matters is where you are at in the here and now. Because guess what? Your current season matters! It affects EVERYTHING. Your energy, your responsibilities, your recovery, your priorities…all of that is affected by the season you are currently in and the way your body is going to respond to it.
Your fitness routine should support your life…your real life…not fight against it!
That might mean shorter workouts. More mobility. More deep core work. Heavier strength training. More rest. Starting with lighter weights than you did last time or “before”. Adjusting your approach doesn’t mean you’re doing less. It actually means you’re training smarter and smarter ALWAYS wins out in the long run.
tip 5: build habits that support your workouts
Consistency doesn’t just happen during your workout. It starts with the small things you do before your workout even begins.
For me, that looks like:
Filling my water bottle + electrolytes every morning
Prioritizing protein, especially at breakfast
Sneaking in movement throughout the day…”snack” workouts, as I like to call them
Keeping my equipment accessible and ready to go
These little habits might seem small, but they create momentum. And momentum makes it a whole lot easier to keep showing up…even on the days you don’t feel like it.
consistency is built in the middle of real life
If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this, it’s this: you do not need more motivation, more discipline, or more time to stay consistent with fitness. Because you know what? We don’t always have those things…and truly, we can’t decide to rely on them with our fitness consistency.
What you need is a system that supports the life you’re living right now. Not future you or ideal you. Just you living in the here and now. A system that works on the good days, the chaotic days, the “my child hasn’t left my side for 3 hours” days, and even the “I barely slept last night” days.
Because consistency isn’t built outside of real life…it’s built right smack dab in the middle of it.
ready for a fitness routine that actually fits your life?
This is exactly why I created Mind Body Core. Inside MBC, you’ll find workouts built for real women living real life. Not random workouts. Not all-or-nothing programs. Not workouts that leave you burned out after 2 weeks.
Just smart, effective movement that helps you build strength, confidence, and consistency in a way that actually fits your season of life. When you join MBC as a monthly or annual member, you get access to:
Weekly workouts with 5 workouts/week (plus 3 workout/week options)
30-minute strength workouts with built-in deep core + pelvic floor cueing
Mobility, cardio, and mini workouts on demand
Exercise swap-outs, form videos, and equipment alternatives
Prenatal, postpartum, women’s health, pain relief, and nutrition programs
And most importantly…a community of women who are all showing up, learning, and growing together
Because consistency isn’t about finding the “perfect” routine, it’s about finding a system that supports you long-term.