Eight months post-partum, and I can admit it: my “exercise routine” currently consists of sprinting to catch my toddler before she climbs the bookshelf, doing squats while bouncing the baby, and the occasional frantic search for matching socks that somehow counts as cardio. Starting back in mid-March, I was managing to get in a jog/walk 2-3 times per week with my baby while she napped in her stroller after getting the big kids off to school. I was even squeezing in an elliptical machine workout here and there and some occasional strength training. I finally felt a little more like myself. Then school let out and that routine went down like a sinking ship. With five daughters ranging from 13 years down to 8 months, summer break has transformed my house into what I can only describe as a cross between a daycare center and a nature documentary about pack behavior.
But somewhere between the 47th request for snacks and the discovery that my 3-year-old has found her sister’s lipstick and made herself “so pretty,” I had an epiphany: I need to move my body for something other than crisis management. The question is, how does one reestablish a workout routine when your audience includes a hormonal teenager, a tween who’s discovered attitude, an 8-year-old who thinks she’s a YouTube influencer, a threenager with the energy of a caffeinated squirrel, and the sweetest, squishiest baby who loves her mama fiercely and needs to be held 24/7 by yours truly?
The Reality Check
Let’s start with some hard truths. That pre-pregnancy body? She’s on an extended vacation, possibly sipping piña coladas somewhere tropical and laughing at my current situation. My abs have been replaced by what I lovingly call “the pouch” – a soft, squishy reminder that I grew an entire human being not too long ago and then underwent my fourth c-section (there’s just no quick comeback from that!). My sports bras are doing their best impression of medieval torture devices, and I’m pretty sure my running shoes have developed separation anxiety from being ignored for so long.
The fitness industry loves to show us those “bounce back” stories with women who are doing burpees at 6 weeks postpartum while their perfectly content babies nap in designer bassinets. Meanwhile, I’m over here celebrating the fact that I managed to drink a full cup of coffee while it was still warm.
The Summer Break Reality
Summer break with five kids is like trying to run a small camp, except the campers are related to you, they know exactly which buttons to push, and they have zero interest in following any schedule you might attempt to create. I started out the summer with laughable plans of keeping some semblance of a schedule but quickly realized that plan was not happening this year. My almost-13-year-old has perfected the art of dramatic sighing and can communicate entire novels through eye rolls. My 10-year-old has appointed herself as the family’s social director and believes every moment should be filled with structured fun; we start one fun activity and she’s already asking questions about the next fun activity. My 8-year-old watches everything her oldest sister does and has decided that she, too, needs an elaborate hair and makeup routine and- oh yeah- needs a phone because it’s not fair that her older sister has one and gets to watch hair and makeup videos on You Tube.
Surviving Summer Break with Kids: A Parent’s Survival Guide – Mind-Full Mama
Then there’s my 3-year-old, who operates on toddler logic where naptime is out, snacks are a food group, and the word “no” is merely a starting point for negotiation. And the baby? Well, she’s basically a tiny, adorable dictator who rules through the power of being impossibly cute while simultaneously being completely unpredictable.
The Great Workout Experiment Begins
Determined to reclaim my workouts and some semblance of my former active self, even the self I’d managed to unearth in the two months before the school year ended, I decided to start small. Very small. Like, “I’ll do jumping jacks during commercial breaks” small. This lasted exactly one day because apparently jumping jacks while holding a baby creates a comedy show that my children found endlessly entertaining.
Next, I tried the early morning approach. You know, wake up before everyone else and get that workout in while the house is peaceful. This proved to be impossible because my baby knows exactly when I’m up, and she decided she’s having none of that early morning exercise business.
The afternoon workout attempt was even more ambitious. I figured the older kids could entertain themselves and the younger ones for 30 minutes while I did a quick HIIT routine in the living room. What I didn’t account for was that my living room workout apparently served as a beacon for every crisis, snack request, and sibling dispute in a five-mile radius.
Love this yoga mat for those rare yoga moments that happen in my life! https://amzn.to/3GmcqjT
Finding Creative Solutions
Desperation breeds innovation, and I’ve become the Thomas Edison of mom workouts. I’ve discovered that lunges can be disguised as “playing horsey” with the toddler. Planks become “tunnel time” where the kids crawl under me (though this only works until someone decides to hang on me like I’m playground equipment). Wall sits turn into “statue contests” where I challenge the kids to stand still longer than me – though they quickly caught on to this trick.
The baby has become my unwitting workout partner. She’s the perfect weight for modified squats, and her unpredictable movements add an element of balance training that no fitness instructor could design. Plus, she’s the only workout buddy who’s genuinely happy to see me sweat.
These resistance bands are great for getting in a quick booty lifting workout! https://amzn.to/443KYAI
My big kids have proven surprisingly helpful, though not always intentionally. My 13-year-old’s natural teenage metabolism means she’s always hungry, making her an excellent personal assistant for bringing me water bottles. My 10-year-old has embraced the role of workout photographer, documenting my journey with the enthusiasm of a sports photographer (and approximately the same level of accuracy).
My personal favorite Stanley! Keeps my water cold and it’s easy to grab and go! https://amzn.to/3TJJR2Y
The Mindset Shift
Here’s what I’ve learned: this isn’t about “bouncing back” or “getting my body back.” This body carried and delivered five amazing humans. It has earned every stretch mark, every soft spot, and every moment of rest it needs. This is about finding movement that makes me feel strong, energized, and like myself again – whatever version of myself that might be at this stage of life. I have to admit I didn’t have this same perspective after my first four kids; I just wanted to get my body back and get it back now. I’ve finally learned to give myself some grace.
Some days, my workout is a 10-minute dance party in the kitchen while dinner cooks. Other days, it’s pushing the stroller around the neighborhood while the baby naps and the older kids ride bikes alongside me, complaining about being tired after 0.3 miles– when it’s not a) raining or b) 120 degrees outside– neither of which has happened much lately. Sometimes it’s doing calf raises while folding the 47th load of laundry this week. And you know what? It’s all okay.
The Support System
The village they say it takes to raise a child? That same village is essential for helping a mom find time to move her body. Whether it’s a partner who takes over bedtime routine so you can squeeze in a workout, a neighbor who offers to watch the kids for an hour, or an online community of other moms who understand why “I did five push-ups today” is a legitimate celebration – support makes all the difference.
Embracing the Chaos
The truth is, working out with five kids around isn’t just challenging – it’s chaotic, unpredictable, and rarely goes according to plan. But it’s also hopefully teaching my daughters that taking care of yourself isn’t selfish; it’s necessary. They’re learning that moms are whole people with needs beyond making sandwiches and finding lost socks.
So here’s to all the moms out there trying to squeeze in movement between snack requests and diaper changes. Your workout might not look like the Instagram version, but it’s real, it’s yours, and it counts. Every single movement counts – even if it’s just dancing to the Frozen soundtrack for the 847th time this summer.
Because at the end of the day, the best workout routine is the one you can actually stick with, even if it involves tiny humans as both obstacles and cheerleaders. And honestly? My current audience gives way better encouragement than any personal trainer ever could. Nothing beats a toddler shouting “Go, Mama!” while you’re struggling through your third burpee.
The comeback is real, it’s just messier than expected. And that’s perfectly okay.
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