They say the work of a mother never ends. It’s down to mom to pack up lunch, do the laundry, take the kids to school, find missing toys and clothes, and be there for the big events. Given everything a busy mom has to pack into her schedule, it feels impossible to also find the time to fit in exercising and being healthy. Here are 7 workout tips for busy moms to stay in shape.

Create a Schedule
Don’t forget that failing to prepare means preparing to fail. Be sure to create a schedule and plan ahead with your workouts. Put them down in the house schedule or in a calendar so you know when you’ll be working out. Don’t just wait until you have the time for a workout; make time for it.

Prepare a Lunch
Consider preparing up a lunch for yourself as you work on one for the kids. This is especially important if you like to pack lunches so you know exactly what your kids are eating. If you wouldn’t give your kids a ton of preservatives and additives, why would you eat them yourself? Take the time to put together a nice organic lunch for yourself so you’ll eat right during the day. Eating right also gives you the energy you need to get through a tough workout.

Do Burst Training
The key to working out on a busy schedule is to go for quality over quantity. You don’t need to work out for half an hour if you can get the same results in five minutes. Burst training is super effective and efficient. Burst training tears through calories in a matter of minutes, which is just perfect for the busy mom. Burst training workouts last up to fifteen minutes at the very most but burn off plenty of calories in that time. But there are also many other fitness programs you can check out to get the sweat going.

Sleep it Off
Resting is one of the most overlooked aspects of staying healthy. You need to get enough sleep. Aim to get at least 6-8 hours of sleep in order to stay in peak physical and mental condition. It’s all too easy to get caught up using your phone or computer at night. Make sure that you turn things off early and get to bed on time to wake up feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the day.

Get Everyone Involved
You should discuss your plans with friends and family and get them involved. Let people around you know what you’re doing and hope to achieve by exercising. Your family will no doubt be very supportive of you and help you to succeed however they can. You can also get your kids involved and encourage them to exercise as well. You don’t need to worry about exercising instead of caring for the kids when you can combine both. Take walks together as a family or go on bike rides.

Stay Hydrated
We all know that we need to drink plenty of water, but not everyone understands just what water does for you. Staying hydrated keeps your immune system going and helps to lose weight in lots of different ways. Drinking water pushes your metabolism to work harder so you have an easier time losing weight. Drinking water forms the heart of any plan to stay in shape. No matter how busy you are you can always make time to drink some water.

Get Up Earlier
While you should make sure to get to bed on time, waking up a little earlier is one of the easiest ways to fit in a workout as a busy mom. No one wants to have a workout after putting the kids to bed. It’s just too tiring. So, why not get it done first thing in the morning, before they even wake up? That way, you don’t have to worry about it. Getting some exercise in also releases endorphins and makes you feel better, so you’ll start your day off just right and be ready for anything life can throw at you.

Final Thoughts
The busy mom has just as much of a right to stay fit and healthy as anyone else. If anything, it’s more important for busy moms. Taking the time to stay in shape and be healthy is a great sign of how much you love your family. You’re showing them that you want to be active and healthy and with them for as long as you can. It can be a struggle to find the time to work out while juggling family life, but these tips can help even the busiest mom stay in shape.