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Best strength exercises for busy parents: 7 moves and a sample week

You lift a child, a car seat and the shopping every day. Train for it. Two 20-minute sessions a week, plus a few short snacks, is a real start.

By Susmit Jalan, coach at Online Fitness Worldwide.

You want to get stronger. You have children, a job and about 20 minutes. That is enough to start.

You're not imagining the drop. A review of 25 groups of adults found parents with children at home were less active than adults without children. Mothers were generally less active than fathers.[4] Most of those studies were snapshots and self-reports, so read the size loosely.

WHO advises muscle-strengthening work for all the major muscle groups on 2 or more days a week.[1] The NHS counts lifting and carrying children as muscle-strengthening activity.[2] You already do some. This list makes it count.

You need a bit of floor, one dumbbell or a backpack with books in it, a sturdy chair or the kitchen counter, and a nap time, an early morning or a bath time.

See also: Best home workouts with one dumbbell: 7 exercises and a sample week · Best exercises for getting back into exercise after a long break: 7 to start with

The 7 best strength exercises for busy parents

  1. Goblet squat

    Why
    Down to the floor and up again, all day. The squat trains it. Legs, hips and trunk in one move.
    How
    Hold a dumbbell or a backpack at your chest. Feet a little wider than your hips. Sit down between your heels, chest up. Stand. No weight yet? Squat to a chair and stand up again. Hold a weight, not your child. Children wriggle.
    Dose
    2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12.[8]

  2. Hip hinge, then Romanian deadlift

    Why
    The lift for the car seat, the laundry basket, the toddler who sat down in protest. Hips back, back long.
    How
    Feet hip-width, knees soft. Push your hips back and let your hands slide down your thighs. Back long. Stand up by squeezing your glutes. Learn it with a broomstick along your back. Then hold a dumbbell or the backpack.
    Dose
    2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12.

  3. Push-up: counter, then floor

    Why
    Pushing strength for the pram, a heavy door, and getting up off the floor after play.
    How
    Hands on the kitchen counter, body straight from head to heels. Lower your chest to the edge. Push away. 12 feels easy? Go lower: a sturdy chair against a wall, then a step, then the floor.
    Dose
    2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12. Move lower when you beat 12.

  4. One-arm row

    Why
    Every pick-up is a pull. Rows train your back, and balance all the pushing and carrying you do in front of you.
    How
    One hand and one knee on a sturdy chair or bench. Or one hand on the counter, feet staggered. Dumbbell or backpack in the other hand. Pull it to your hip. Lower slowly. Back flat.
    Dose
    2 to 3 sets of 8 to 12 each side.[8]

  5. Reverse lunge

    Why
    One leg at a time, like the stairs with a child on your hip. It shows you your weaker side.
    How
    Stand tall. Hold the counter if you need to. Step one foot back and lower the back knee towards the floor. Push through the front foot to stand. Do all the reps on one side, then the other.
    Dose
    2 sets of 8 to 10 each side.

  6. Suitcase carry

    Why
    A bag on one shoulder, a child on one hip, a car seat in one hand. Carrying on one side trains your trunk not to lean.
    How
    One dumbbell or a heavy bag in one hand. Stand tall, shoulders level. Walk slowly. Don't lean away from the weight. Switch hands.
    Dose
    3 walks of 20 to 30 metres, or 30 seconds, each hand.

  7. Dead bug

    Why
    Trunk work on your back, with no strain on your neck. It teaches your ribs and pelvis to stay still while your arms and legs move.
    How
    Lie on your back, arms up, knees bent over your hips. Breathe out and press your lower back gently into the floor. Slowly lower one arm and the opposite leg. Keep your back still. Return. Switch sides. Had a baby recently? Read "Before you start" first.
    Dose
    2 to 3 sets of 6 to 10 each side. Slow.

How little is enough, and how to fit it in

The week counts more than the day. A review of time-efficient training found weekly volume matters more than how often you train. Its minimum: at least 4 sets per muscle group a week, with a load you could lift 6 to 15 times.[5] Two short sessions of this list get you there.

The same review names a minimum menu: one leg-pressing move like a squat, one upper-body pull and one upper-body push.[5] Really short on time? Do items 1, 3 and 4.

Work in pairs. A set of squats, then a set of push-ups, then rest. Pairing moves like this (supersets) roughly halves training time compared with traditional training, with the same amount of work.[5] Warm up with a light set of the first move. Long stretching first isn't needed unless flexibility is your goal.[5]

Small doses still work. A review of minimal-dose training found that short sessions, or short, frequent bouts with little or no equipment (exercise "snacks"), can improve strength and function in younger and older adults.[6] Ten squats while the kettle boils counts.

How much is worth it? In a review of 16 cohort studies, muscle-strengthening was linked to a 10–17% lower risk of death from any cause, heart disease, cancer and diabetes. The biggest drop showed at about 30 to 60 minutes a week.[7] That is a link from observational studies, not proof. But it points to two or three short sessions, not hours.

Progress like any strength work. When you beat 12 good reps by 1 or 2, add a little load: 2 to 10%.[8] No heavier weight at home? Lower more slowly, move to a harder version, or add a set.

A sample week for a busy parent

Sample only. Not a prescription. Adjust it to your body, your health and your history.

  • Monday, 20 minutes (nap time, or before the house wakes): squat with push-up, then hinge with row. 2 to 3 rounds of each pair. Finish with a carry.
  • Tuesday: a walk with the pram, or to school and back. Brisk if you can.
  • Wednesday: snacks only. 10 squats while the kettle boils. 5 counter push-ups before lunch.
  • Thursday, 20 minutes: lunge with push-up, then row with dead bug. 2 to 3 rounds of each pair. Finish with a carry.
  • Friday: rest, or snacks.
  • Saturday: something active together. The park, a swim, a long walk.
  • Sunday: rest. Or a third short session if the week went well.
  • Missed a session? Let it go. Don't double up the next day.

Want it coached live?

Return is 45 minutes, 1:1, 12 alternate-day sessions a month. Made for when a baby, a job or a long break put training on hold. We build the base first.

Iron Hour is 60 minutes, 1:1. Set-up at minute 0: camera placed so I can see your whole body. Warm-up from minute 4. The primary lift at 14. Accessories at 28. Cool-down at 50.

Lean Reset is 20 sessions a month, 1:1. Open Floor is a small group.

Coached live on Google Meet, Zoom or FaceTime, in your own living room. In Hindi or English. On IST. Not sure yet? Start with a 30-minute consultation. It is a conversation, not training. Booking holds a time. The fee is agreed directly.

See the programsAsk on WhatsApp (opens in a new tab)

Before you start

General information, not medical advice. ACSM's screening model says: if you are inactive, have no symptoms and no known heart, metabolic or kidney disease, you can start light to moderate exercise without medical clearance and build up gradually. If you have one of those conditions, or symptoms, get medical clearance first.[9] Had a baby? The NHS says to match your activity to how active you were before pregnancy, and to include strength training. After your 6- to 8-week postnatal check you can do more intense activity if you feel able. Vigorous activity is not recommended if you were inactive before pregnancy.[2] With separated stomach muscles, the NHS says to avoid sit-ups, planks and high-impact exercise to start with. If the gap is still obvious 8 weeks after the birth, or you leak urine or feel heaviness between your vagina and anus, see your doctor (GP) or health visitor. They can advise you and refer you on if needed.[3] After a caesarean or a difficult birth, ask your doctor when to start. Train where small children can't walk under a weight, and keep weights on the floor, not on a shelf. Breathe out as you lift. Stop if you get chest pain, dizziness or sharp pain.

ASCA Level 1 (strength and conditioning) and ACE (anatomy and biomechanics). These are credentials held by the coach. Neither body endorses this business or this article.

Sources

  1. [1] World Health Organization. WHO guidelines on physical activity and sedentary behaviour. Geneva: WHO; 2020. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240015128 (opens in a new tab)
  2. [2] NHS. Physical activity guidelines for adults aged 19 to 64. nhs.uk. https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/physical-activity-guidelines-for-adults-aged-19-to-64/ (opens in a new tab)
  3. [3] NHS. Your post-pregnancy body. nhs.uk. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/baby/support-and-services/your-post-pregnancy-body/ (opens in a new tab)
  4. [4] Bellows-Riecken KH, Rhodes RE. A birth of inactivity? A review of physical activity and parenthood. Prev Med. 2008;46(2):99–110. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ypmed.2007.08.003 (opens in a new tab)
  5. [5] Iversen VM, Norum M, Schoenfeld BJ, Fimland MS. No time to lift? Designing time-efficient training programs for strength and hypertrophy: a narrative review. Sports Med. 2021;51(10):2079–2095. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01490-1 (opens in a new tab)
  6. [6] Fyfe JJ, Hamilton DL, Daly RM. Minimal-dose resistance training for improving muscle mass, strength, and function: a narrative review of current evidence and practical considerations. Sports Med. 2022;52(3):463–479. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-021-01605-8 (opens in a new tab)
  7. [7] Momma H, Kawakami R, Honda T, Sawada SS. Muscle-strengthening activities are associated with lower risk and mortality in major non-communicable diseases: a systematic review and meta-analysis of cohort studies. Br J Sports Med. 2022;56(13):755–763. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2021-105061 (opens in a new tab)
  8. [8] American College of Sports Medicine. Position stand: Progression models in resistance training for healthy adults. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009;41(3):687–708. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e3181915670 (opens in a new tab)
  9. [9] Riebe D, Franklin BA, Thompson PD, et al. Updating ACSM's recommendations for exercise preparticipation health screening. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2015;47(11):2473–2479. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0000000000000664 (opens in a new tab)