How to stay balanced when mom-life gets crazy! (how online yoga classes saved my sanity)

It’s been a crazy week, you’ve been running around like a crazy person, but your kids are all alive and they’ve been fed (more or less) 3 meals a day and the house is a step down from hurricane mess status on the interior. So things are going well, right?

Wait! What about that workout you tried to fit in the other day….Tuesday was it? Holy crap, it’s Friday already?!? Did you fit in ANY workout this week? OK, so it looks like your priorities fell by the wayside.

Does this sound like your life?

It does for me, and I realized it was happening way more frequently than I thought. Sometimes the whole week would fly by and my idealistic goals of working out just somehow never played out. I found it especially hard to find time for fitness classes. Think about it, you have a 1-1.5 hour class, plus driving time to and from class (add another 30 minutes?) and we are talking almost 2 hours out of your day. And I didn’t even add time for a shower!

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Taking an online yoga class with my toddler.

Why moms should workout (no matter how busy they are)

Before I tell you my ONE thing, let me tell you why moms should find the time to workout on a regular basis.

(These are just my top 5 picks from an amazingly long list.)

1. We all want to look good. I have no shame in speaking to the vain side in all of us. Exercise improves skin appearance, helps us maintain or lose weight if needed, and improves muscle tone. Hey, if vanity helps motivate you to move your body for reasons 2-5 then that’s great. Whatever moves you. pun intended :)

2. Regular exercise improves sleep. Better rested people are usually better at everything, especially mothering!

3. You get smarter. Well, at least your brain functions better! There are countless studies on this. Basically, this is what happens. You breathe more and increase your heart rate, you get more oxygen into your brain and it functions better.

4. You stay healthier. Actually, researchers aren’t sure exactly why this works but exercise does boost the immune system. Perhaps it is because working out helps reduce stress-related hormones in the body, or maybe it is because we are flushing out waste and bacteria from the body, or maybe it is a combo of those two reasons and many more. Whatever the reason, I will opt-in for increasing my likelihood of staying healthy, especially in the winter with two little germ incubators kids sticking their fingers in my face and lavishing me with open-mouthed kisses. (I don’t understand how licking my face is fun for them?!? Ewwww)

5. It gives you an energy boost. Although it might seem counterintuitive, regular exercise can give you an energy boost. “I don’t need more energy”, said no mother ever.

Great, I get it. Working out regularly is good really, really important for me.

But how do you find the time you ask? For the million-dollar question, I have an answer that is roughly the cost of 4 cups of coffee a month.

Answer: streaming online yoga classes.

Streaming my online yoga classes outside on a beautiful fall day.

Streaming online yoga classes

When I first discovered this phenomenon I was a new mom and felt like I could never get anywhere, let alone a yoga class! But I could lay down a yoga mat in my living room and choose a class that fit my schedule. My baby would often nap for at least 30 minutes so I could stream a 20-minute yoga class. If it was after the baby’s bedtime I could stream a longer class. The thought of schlepping to a yoga class downtown was just too much for me at 8pm.

Now there is no excuse!

I don’t believe anyone who tells me they don’t have time for a workout. You can take a 15-minute walk, a 20-minute run, or find a Pinterest graphic that shows you how to do a 15-minute circuit training workout. Or, my favorite, stream a yoga class! Not only does this do wonders for my body (I often have chronic pain in my neck and shoulders) but it leaves me feeling kind of “blissed out”. Granted, sometimes that feeling leaves me within a few minutes as two kids and reality knocks hard on the door but I’m still in a better mood for it.

Which service?

There are quite a few online yoga streaming services now. When I first started there were only a few. I used YogaToday.com back when it was free, and it was a good service. I think they’ve come a long way and they offer so many more classes now but they do charge a membership fee. (Which is totally worth it.)

I currently use MyYogaWorks.com and I absolutely love it. I can stream it anytime, anywhere. My only wish is that they would offer a way to download a class so you could play it when you don’t have wifi. (I’ve been known to travel with a yoga mat and pull it out at airports on layovers. It’s pretty easy to do when your daily uniform is yoga gear!)

ALERT! As a gift to my readers, MyYogaworks.com is offering a special deal. Get 3 months of online yoga classes for only $1/month!

Doing online yoga classes with my 4-year-old.

I’ve done everything from 5-minute tutorials or meditations to 90-minutes “I’ve got the time” classes. Although I think there is still irreplaceable magic in attending a yoga class in person that you can’t get online, I’ve still learned so much from streaming MyYogaWorks classes. Classes I would never have taken if I couldn’t just open up my laptop or iPad or even my iPhone and start. They even have series collections to keep you motivated and goal-oriented or to gradually teach you how to do a pose you may have thought impossible.

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Here's what another mom said:

"I’ve heard for so long, “Own the morning, own the day.” A friend who shares the same passion I do - making healthy easy for mamas - shared an online resource for yoga classes you can do at home [MyYogaWorks]. You select the length, the level, the teacher etc. it has completely changed my morning routine, which has, in turn, changed my day. Own the morning, own the day. Thanks Lunch with Leah for sharing this with me ❤️❤️."

   - Caitilin P.

Here is how you can get 3 months of online yoga classes for #3

Click this link to treat yourself to 3 months of premium online yoga for just $1/month following a for a free 14-day trial at MyYogaWorks.com. There’s no extra cost to you but you help me earn a small commission to keep producing free content for you! Yup, that’s an affiliate link. I only recommend products and services that I use and truly love. 

Whatever you do, do SOMETHING! Don’t let the days and weeks run away from you without you running as well. Or doing yoga. Or walking. Make yourself a priority!"

I love streaming yoga classes because it both keeps me fit and offers me a little chance at meditation. That is the ONE thing I absolutely need in my life or I will LOSE MY $%&# and streaming is the one way I can fit it in on those crazy weeks.

What is your one thing?

toddler doing online yoga classes with mom

Yoga isn't just for moms!

For the young kids, check out Cosmic Kids Yoga on YouTube. My 4-year old and 7-year old love it and have streamed it for years. They can be Very Hungry Caterpillars, Star Wars characters, Elsa and Anna from Frozen and much more.

Now go grab your FREE trial and... Happy Streaming!

P.S. If you liked this blog post, you will love to Learn How To Meditate with Your Children! and also Motherhood: I Feel Like My Life is Crazy!