7 House Friendly Workouts for Stay-at-Home Moms

You’ve probably been browsing the web—searching for that perfect workout routine to implement into your daily life. But when you’re feeding your little one with one arm, while also balancing your check book with the other, it may feel like there’s not a lot of time left in the day to hit the gym.

Part of you is pining to start improving your health. However, it can be hard to leave your child in daycare or under someone else’s watch. Especially when they’re still young and especially considering how expensive daycare is becoming!

But thankfully, building an at-home fitness routine can give you the best of both worlds.

A Mom’s Checklist to Working Out at Home

Working out at home is substantially cheaper than a gym membership. However, if you want to get the most out of these next few workouts, here’s a list of a few things you should consider buying if you want to see better results in a shorter amount of time.

The added resistance from the bands and weights will sculpt your body in ways bodyweight simply can’t.

If you plan on training consistently, remember that’s only half the battle. Nutrition also plays a significant role, no matter where you’re working out.

Protein helps to build and repair your muscles after they’re broken down from training. Ideally, you want to consume around one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.

If you’re struggling to meet your daily goal, supplementing with a protein powder is a good thing to consider.

So now that you know what you need, it’s time to move onto the workouts!

1. The Complete Lower Body Strength Training Workout

If you want a routine that targets every single leg muscle, give this one a try. Use your dumbbells to up the ante and increase results.

1. Calf Raises

• Perform 4 sets of 15 repetitions

2. Bulgarian Split Squats

• You’ll need a bench or chair for this exercise. Place one foot on a bench behind you and center the front foot so your knee is facing forward. Dip your back knee by bending the front knee, until it’s about 2 or 3 inches from the floor. Ensure your front knee doesn’t track over your toes, then push back up so the front leg is straight again.
• Do 4 sets of 12 repetitions on each leg

3. Goblet Squats

• Do 5 sets of 12 repetitions with a slight pause at the bottom of the movement for extra glute activation.

4. Romanian Deadlifts

• This is the perfect exercise to target your hamstrings and glutes.
• Hold your dumbbells in front of your thighs. Slowly, hinge at your waist and push your hips back, keeping your back flat. You should feel the tension in your hamstrings. Rise back up slowly and repeat.
• 4 sets of 12 repetitions

5. Side Lunges

• Holding the weights up against your shoulders, step out to the side with one leg so you’re in a wide stance. Bend the same leg at the knee until your butt is about level with your knee. Push up again and bring your leg back in so you’re standing.
• 4 sets of 12 on each leg

6. Reverse Lunges

• Stand with your feet together and a dumbbell in each hand. Step out backwards with one foot and drop that knee to within an inch of the floor by bending the front leg. Don’t let your front knee track over your toes. Push up again through the glute and step your back leg forward to meet the other.
• 4 sets of 12 on each leg

2. The Best-Banded Glute Workout

If dumbbells are too much of a hassle—after all, storage and transport can be awkward—you can always purchase resistance bands to increase the difficulty. These bands come in a variety of different resistance levels and can be stored anywhere.

When trying to target the glutes and inner thighs, try this banded glute workout. Roll the resistance band above your knees and rest for 45 seconds in between sets.

1. Tube Walking

• Walk side to side, bending your knees. Walk ten steps each way before switching sides. Do this for an entire minute, making sure to get pretty low to the ground. If you feel like your legs are on fire, you’re doing it right!

2. Jump Squats

• Stand with your feet at shoulder width apart. Drop into the bottom of a squat, before pushing up explosively to jump at the top. Repeat when you land.
• 4 sets of 15 repetitions

3. Fire Hydrants

• Start on all fours, keeping your back flat. Raise one leg out to the side until the knee is a as level with your hips as possible. Return it back to the ground.
• Perform 3 sets of 25 on each leg.

4. Hip Thrusts with a pause at full extension.

• With you back against the sofa or a bench (if you have one), place the resistance band around your knees. Plant your feet flat on the floor. Push your hips up until your body is flat from knee to shoulder, ensuring you don’t let the band pull our knees in. Pause at the top before returning your butt to the floor.
• 4 sets of 20 repetitions

5. Donkey kicks

• On all fours, raise one leg up and back so it kicks higher than your butt. Return the knee back to the floor
• 5 sets of 20 repetitions on each leg

6. Plank With Toe Taps

• Get into a plank position with your elbows on the ground and the trunk of your body raised. Keep both feet aligned with your body, then take one leg and tap it out to the side
• Alternate your legs while performing this exercise.
• Do a total of 4 sets of 20 toe taps before moving on.
• Rest for 30 seconds in between sets.

7. Banded Hip Abduction

• Find a chair and sit on the edge with the resistance band place just above the knees. Open your legs as far as they’ll go out and bring them back in. You should feel the burn on the outer part of your glutes and thighs.
• Do 3 sets of 25 or perform until failure.

3. The at Home Stair Workout

The Stairmaster is an effective cardio machine at the gym, but if you have a set of stairs at home, there’s no reason you can’t utilize those to save you time and money.

This workout should take fifteen minutes to complete. Keep your rest periods no longer than 30 seconds.

1. Start with a warmup

• Walk up and down the stairs for about for 3 to 5 minutes. Or an entire song if you’re playing music.

2. Calf Raises

• Next, stand with your toes on the edge of the first step and dip your heels down, then push up to perform calf raises. Pause at the top of each repetition.
• 3 sets of 20 reps

3. Jump squats

• 3 sets of 12 reps

4. Lunges

• Start with both feet on the first step. Lunge backward, making sure to alternate your legs every rep.
• 3 sets of 15 repetitions on each leg.

5. Jump Squats

• Jumping at a fast tempo, hop onto the first step and then hop immediately off.
• 4 sets of 15 repetitions

4. Dance Cardio Workout

We should be getting around 120 minutes of cardiovascular exercise weekly. But if running, or biking don’t sound like appealing ways of training your heart and lungs, give dancing a try for your cardio fix.

Play a dance video tutorial on YouTube and follow along, or dance to your own rhythm and make up new moves as you go. This can be as structured or as wild and fun as you like.

Make a playlist filled with songs that get you moving, and dance like no is watching for 20 minutes. You’ll be shocked how effective this is when implemented 3 to 5 times a week.

Try to incorporate some lunges, stretching, and light weightlifting as you move. Or strap on some light ankle weights and get lost in your favorite song.

The beauty is, you can even get your little ones involved so they can burn off their never-ending energy and hopefully go down for their afternoon nap without any hassle.

5. The Essential Upper Body Strength Workout

For an upper body day, use a set of moderately heavy dumbbells. Rest for 60 seconds in between sets. When you see the word superset, perform both of the exercises listed back to back with no recovery time.

1. Hammer Curls

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand with the palms of your hands facing inwards. Keep this hand position and keep your elbow and shoulder still as you raise the weight up to your shoulder. Return your arm to a hanging position and perform a rep on the other side.
• 4 sets of 12

2. Overhead Press

• Hold both dumbbells in a front rack position and push directly upwards until your arms are straight. Return them to the start position.
• 3 sets of 10

3. Triceps Kickback

• Taking a dumbbell in one hand, bend over so your back is flat and steady yourself against a chair or sofa with the other hand. Raise your elbow up so your upper arm is aligned with your flat back. Hinging at the elbow, raise the dumbbell up and back until your arm is straight. Don’t swing your arm, then bring your hand back down with the elbow still in place.
• 3 sets of 10 on each arm.

4. Chest Press

• Lie on the floor and take a dumbbell in each hand. Resting your elbows on the ground with your forearms going directly upwards, push up until your arms are straight and above your shoulders.
• 4 sets of 12

5. Superset: Front Raises with Lateral Raises

• Hold a light dumbbell in each hand. Keep your arms straight and raise them both up in front of you until level with your shoulders. Return them to your sides, then raise both arms out to the side until they’re level with your shoulders. Return them to your sides and start again.
• 4 sets of 10

6. All About the Abs

For this workout, all you’ll need is an exercise ball and a pair of ab slider discs. Try to work out your core once or twice a week using this quick routine. Only rest for 30 seconds.

1. Russian Twists

• Tuck your feet underneath your couch for extra support. This is not necessary but is helpful if you don’t have anyone to hold your feet down. Get into a crunch position and twist side to side.
• 4 sets of 12

2. Yoga Ball Pass

• Lie down on your back and place the yoga ball in between your legs. Gripping the ball, raise it up and pass it from your arms to your legs and back again.
• 5 sets of 10

3. Yoga Ball Plank

• The instability of the yoga ball makes this exercise harder than a traditional plank on the ground. Dig your elbows into the ball and hover over it. Keep your back straight and your neck neutral.
• 4 sets of 60-second intervals

4. Mountain Climbers

• Place your feet on the discs and perform 4 sets with 30 seconds of activity followed by 30 seconds of rest.

5. Leg Lifts

• Lie on your back with your hands beneath your butt. Keeping your legs straight, raise your feet up until they’re perpendicular to the floor. Lower them back down until they’re about 5 inches from the floor, the raise them up again. Don’t let your feet touch the floor for maximum contraction.
• 3 sets of 20

7. Full Body Circuit

The goal of this workout is to jack your heart rate up and burn as many calories as you possibly can. Set a timer for twenty minutes and keep your rest periods around 30 seconds.

1. Superset: Mountain Climbers with Burpees

• 30 seconds of each for 4 sets

2. Superset: Jumping Jacks with Running in Place

• 30 seconds of each for 4 sets

3. Banded Jump Squats

• 5 sets of 45-second intervals

4. Weighted Lunge to Overhead Press

• 3 sets of 15 repetitions

5. Superset: Push-ups and Planks

• Do 10 push-ups followed by a 60-second plank for 5 sets.

Conclusion

It’s no secret that being a mom is tough. But with all the things you do for your family, you’re most likely a superhero in your kid’s eyes.

Why not train like one? Working out at home will give you an extra boost of energy and confidence.

The next time you set your child down for a nap, plug some headphones in, forget about the world and sweat, sweat, sweat!