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Working out never used to come easy to me, but it turns out it can be quite fun. Now that I have two kids, it feels even more important to keep fit. They watch and copy everything we do, so I want to pass down good habits, but I also need to keep up with them, to be honest. 

Of course, I knew working out could bring many benefits, but I massively underestimated how much it would change my life. 

As life got busier in my 30s, my fitness and health were always the first things to go on the back burner. Our 30s and 40s have been called the rush hour of life, and it truly feels like it. That’s why I started focusing on small, manageable changes.

These are seven tiny health habits I used to simplify my fitness, and that might help you, too.

Keep reading below or watch the video:

1. The identity shift

I came across this idea in the book Atomic Habits. When we give ourselves an identity in our minds, the way we perceive ourselves can greatly impact the actions we take.

I used to tell myself I could never be a runner and that I could never lift heavy weights. Then I read about the “identity shift” and it really made me check in with the things I used to tell myself, especially those “I can’t.” Because, in reality, there are very few things that we truly can’t do.

After years of infertility and baby losses, I went through a phase of being really angry at my body for not doing what it was supposed to do. That’s when I started running as a way to cope with everything that was going on. It was also a way to shift my perspective on my body and to feel stronger and less powerless. And it helped more than I thought it would.

Now I’m 2 years postpartum after our second baby, and I’ve recently just started strength training. I’m really trying to rebuild my fitness as a mom after dealing with years of infertility, after multiple baby losses, and after two full-term pregnancies. 

I realised I don’t want my pre-baby body back. My body has been through a lot. It’s changed, and it will probably never be the same. And that’s okay. My goal doesn’t need to be the ever-so-advertised “bounce back after having a baby.” Instead, my new goal now is a strong body, one that remembers everything it went through, every little stretch mark and C-section scar that tells a story, and a body that perhaps I love more than I ever did before.

2. Simplify working out

I’ve learned that if I want to have any chance of working towards my goals, I need to simplify it all. And three things have helped me stick to my workouts. 

Number one is making it fun. Working out now really does feel like a break, a chance to detach from everything else in my life.

Number two is playing an epic Spotify playlist to hype me up and get that good feel going. 

And number three is chatting to Jill. Who’s Jill, you might ask? She is my new fitness bestie and personal trainer over at Trainwell. 

(*AD: This post is sponsored by Trainwell)

When I read the book Feel-Good Productivity by Ali Abdaal, it really opened my eyes to how much accountability can help stick with forming habits that support our goals. 

I’ve always struggled with consistency when it came to workouts, so I thought a personal trainer was a great idea. But, honestly, going to the gym in person doesn’t feel very attainable in my current season of life, with two small children and very limited free time in my day.

I had bought weights too, but I didn’t really know what to do with them. Of course, I could’ve browsed online for ideas, but it wouldn’t have been really personalised to me and my own journey and goals. So, I started working with Jill at Trainwell as my personal trainer, but with the convenience of an app.

If you too want to get started, you can take a quick quiz that will help pair you with the perfect trainer for your needs. And you can always switch trainers later on if you want to. I’m sticking with Jill as she’s awesome. I’m really not a fan of those hardcore trainers that yell at you. If I’m going to do gentle parenting, I need gentle training. Jill is the kind of trainer who gently encourages me and cheers me on. She’s also all about female empowerment, and I just love that. 

When I first started, I had an onboarding call with Jill where we went through my history and where I was then. We also set some goals together, knowing that things are flexible and I can always change the schedule or my goals as needed. 

The goals we’ve set together for now are to do three workouts a week, 30 minutes each. This feels very sustainable for me. I want to keep it simple because I know the second it feels overwhelming, I’m less likely to stick to it. I’ve been able to keep up my streak without missing any workouts so far. I’ll let you know how I get on in the future. 

We also went through where I prefer to work out. I mentioned that I like to do home workouts at the moment. I also shared with her the equipment that I already had at home, but I could’ve started with just bodyweight. 

She then created all of my workouts based around the weights that I own, any limitations that I may have, and I can always ask for changes to any workouts.

Several times, I also sent her pictures and videos of me working out so that she can check my posture and make sure I’m doing the exercises correctly. Honestly, the human aspect of the training, having this personalised feedback, help, and ideas is what really makes Trainwell work great for me. 

I love it even more because it’s not one of those quick diets or extreme challenges to lose X pounds in X days apps. I can focus on building those long-term sustainable habits. And I believe that’s where I will see real results that last. 

So, I encourage you to take the quiz to find your perfect trainer and enjoy 14 days of free training using this link.

3. Never miss twice

This habit is also from the Atomic Habits book and it’s something I apply in many areas of my life, like my business and my health. 

Basically, when we try to create a new habit, it’s fine to miss once. We all have busy lifestyles. Things happen. Kids get sick. It’s okay. But I try my best to never miss twice on a goal that I set for myself. Because once we start missing once, then twice, then three times, that’s the start of another habit that might not support the goals that we have. 

For example, if I miss one workout, that’s okay. But if I start missing a lot of them in a row, that’s not going to support my goal of being fit and strong, and it’s not going to take me to where I want to be. So, I love this habit because it’s easy to remember, and it’s really helped me be consistent. 

4. The no-zero rule

I try to not have any zero days, meaning days where I don’t move my body at all. And it doesn’t really matter how big or how small the action is. It really depends on the day and how busy I am. But I find that even on my busiest days, I can find a way to move my body in even a little way. 

It might be choosing to walk for the school pick-up instead of taking the car. Maybe it’s a summer evening walk with my family after dinner, something we really enjoy doing right now. Or it can be a quick stretch in the morning. Sometimes it’s a quick run at lunch.

Whatever it is, I try to make sure every single day I get steps in and get my body moving. It’s so beneficial for physical health, but also for mental health. I really enjoy listening to a podcast if I’m on my own or chatting with my hubby and catching up with my kids on our family walks. It’s such a great time to connect, too.

5. No coffee after 2 p.m. 

I am someone who loves her coffee, and even my website is named after it. However, I try to limit my daily caffeine intake. To do so, I have a rule for myself not to have any caffeine after 2 p.m. 

Studies have been made on the topic, and they show that the half-life of caffeine is 5 to 6 hours. That’s the amount of time it takes caffeine to leave our bodies and not affect our sleep.

So I generally will have the last cup of coffee around 1 p.m., and definitely no caffeine after 2 p.m. This way, I’m making sure that I’ll be able to go to bed at a decent time and have a restful sleep instead of a disturbed one or a restless night. This has been a really helpful habit for me.

6. Eat three proper meals

Being a busy mom with two small children, I sometimes overlook my own needs. That’s why my goal now is to always make sure that I have three proper meals a day. Even if I often forget to have snacks in between. Plus, I’m not the kind of person who can skip lunch, as I get grumpy if I do.

For those three meals, I make sure my plate is balanced with protein, carbs, veggies, and fruit. This is really important to me because I want to stay as healthy as possible. Most of all, I want to stick around for a long, long time—for my kids and my husband.

7. Hydrate

One thing I’m particularly bad at is hydrating. I constantly forget it. I’ll be doing school runs and soft play with my toddler and running around town. Then I get back home. I put my toddler down for a nap, and only then realise I haven’t had a drop of water all morning. That’s not ideal. 

I mentioned this to Jill, my personal trainer, and she helped me track my hydration inside the Trainwell app. This process made me realise I tend to skip drinking enough water, especially in the mornings. I often forget during most of the morning, then try to catch up in the afternoon. But, obviously, it often isn’t enough; I still don’t reach 2 litres a day.

What I’m doing now is making sure I carry my water bottle with me, especially in the mornings. I take it around the house and keep it in my bag. This way, I make sure I get those 2 litres of water a day, and I’m noticing the benefits already. I feel like my skin looks more plump when I hydrate better, and my energy levels have improved, too.

Yes, working out never came easy to me, and I never thought I would actually enjoy it. But here I am, a few years later, and I crave working out. I crave going for a run. 

So, here’s to a body that’s not only strong enough to keep up with my kids but hopefully strong enough to run after my grandkids one day, if we do have them.

I hope you found some inspiration in this article, and remember to check out Trainwell.