How to Get More Steps as a Homeschool Mom

As a homeschool mom, it seems like you’re always on the go, right? But have you noticed that being on the go doesn’t necessarily mean you’re always on the move? 

If you’re anything like me, you struggle to get more steps as a homeschool mom.

What I mean, is that even though you might be perpetually busy driving to soccer practices and homeschool meetups, or juggling lessons and making dinner, you might still be struggling to meet your daily movement goals. 

I know I was.

We all know that movement is essential so we can set a good example, maintain our cool on those especially trying days, and increase our overall well-being. 

I gathered some tips I found helpful when I was planning my schedule and trying to figure out how to get more steps as a homeschool mom myself.

Tips to Get More Steps as a Homeschool Mom

 1. Set a Timer

It’s amazing how quickly the day flies by. Before you know it the whole morning is spent in lesson time and you’ve only moved from the bedroom to your homeschool space. 

Try setting a timer on your watch to ensure that you get up and move around every hour or so.

Even if it’s just for a few minutes, getting up and moving around will help increase your steps.

Your child will follow your example…not your advice!

2. Find Your Tiny Time Slots

Are you an all-or-nothing thinker like I am? I know the goal is supposed to be an hour of movement each day. So I look for an hour time block. But, the thing is, that hour time block is huge and elusive some days.

Instead, snag ten minutes of time throughout your day. For me this might look like:

• 10-minutes after my first cup of coffee
• 10-minutes during morning break
• 10-minutes during lunch
• 10 minutes after lessons
• 10-minutes before dinner
• 10 minutes after the kids are in bed

3. Use an Activity Tracker

Ask for an activity tracker for your next gift. Don’t rely on your phone if possible. Instead, make a pedometer or activity tracker a part of your daily routine.

Seeing your progress can be motivating and help you stay on track.

4. Walk During Park Playdates

Homeschool moms are your best walking buddies! Meet at a park and walk around the playset while the kids play.

You’ll only be a few steps away if anyone needs you, but rather than standing and chatty, move while you’re visiting.

5. Take Family Walks

Chances are if you’re struggling to get enough movement in so are your kids.

Make it a shift in your family time and overall wellness goals.

Go for a family walk after dinner or take the dog for a stroll together. Getting everyone involved will help you all get in some extra steps.

6. Invest in an Under Desk Treadmill

This has helped me so much! As a homeschooling mom who also works full-time, I spend a lot of time at my desk. Both for work and for organizing and collecting lesson plans.

Having an under-desk treadmill has ensured that I easily get my goal in each day. (Here’s the one that I got, and I LOVE it!) affiliate link

7. Schedule Recess

When you’re organizing your homeschool schedule, most likely you include downtime or breaks.

Try renaming those time slots as recess. Time to get outside and play just like kids in public schools would.

I found this to be a really helpful shift in the way I viewed those time slots.

Otherwise, I’d think, “Oh, hey, I have 15 minutes to throw in laundry, catch up on work, or start dinner.” Which are all important things, but really shouldn’t be taking the place of our outside playtime.

8. Create a Family Challenge

Instilling a lifelong love of our bodies and overall health is one of our focus areas here at my house.

But it’s easy for multiplication and proper nouns to take over the day.

Before you know it, no one’s really included any sort of focus on health.

So I created a family challenge to see who can hit their steps goal each week by Friday night.

It took a bit of saving and budget juggling, but I finally worked the Garmin Jr. into our homeschool budget.

I was really hesitant to be honest because I feel the teen years bearing down on us and I desperately want her to have a healthy body image.

But I can tell you that I absolutely love it and so does she! Now we have a weekly challenge to see who can hit their target movement goals.

The winner gets to pick dinner, a movie, or a game to play on Saturday night.

9. Take Lessons Outside

Along with an excellent way to get more nature time in, taking lessons outside can help bump your steps up to 10K.

Have the kids write spelling with chalk in the driveway instead of in their workbooks. Count tree branches or discover ten different nouns, adjectives, or birds.

There are nearly endless ways to move a lesson outside, and you can walk in a circle around your learners while they’re working through the steps.

Consider using a habit tracker to make it routine to head outside daily.

10. Walk Twice

Stretch out your activities. Do you need to put laundry away? Take it from the laundry room to your bedroom one piece at a time rather than in one load.

Cleaning the bathroom or cleaning up your homeschool space? Again, you can simply take everything one step at a time. Or, you can repeat every route you take once more empty-handed.

Related Reading

Looking for more tips to stay healthy as a homeschool mom? Try these:

• 3 Quick Self-Care Tips for Homeschool Moms
• Tips for Homeschooling While Working Full-Time
• How to Thrive While Homeschooling and Working Full-Time
• How to Find Homeschool Mom Friends
• Dealing With Homeschool Criticism

Focus on Getting More Steps As a Homeschool Mom

When you’re juggling homeschooling with the rest of your responsibilities, it’s easy to let your self-care come last.

But, as a homeschool mom, you need to make time for self-care.

Mostly because you need to maintain your mental and physical health to avoid burnout and keep your creativity and patience levels high.

But, possibly even more importantly, you’re helping to lay the foundations for a lifetime of healthy habits for your children.

Do you struggle with getting more movement in your day? What are some ways you’ve found to build healthier habits? Leave a comment below and let us know.

Please follow and like us: