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While we'd all love to be really consistent on the exercise front, let's be real — unless you have a big chunk of time to do a lengthy workout every day, it’s not that easy for everyone.

Especially women. Especially mums.

In a tireless job that brings about all the biggest challenges, more often than not mums will be found putting their kids, partners and careers before themselves.

Which sucks, because we all know how important moving your body can be for your physical health and mental wellbeing, too.

Real, effective movement can happen in 15 to 20-minute windows, with no equipment, no hectic challenges and no pressure to look a certain way while doing it. So we asked nine women and mums at Mamamia what actually works for them.

Here's what they said.

1. Running.

"A quick, 15-minute run is my go-to workout. I'm out and back before they've even finished breakfast." — Sumi.

"I'm pretty sure getting kids dressed counts as cardio." — Yvette.

2. At-home Pilates.

"I'll do a 20-minute MOVE Pilates class while my one-year-old climbs all over me." — Gemma.

3. Swimming.

"I like to do a late swim with my child after dinner. It saves me bathing her at home. I take her PJs to the pool, and I get to have a bit of a splash around." — Sunny.

4. Cycling.

"Riding my bike to work! It's 10km each way, there are a couple of great hill climbs and it's a commute I obviously need to do, anyway. If I'm running late from school drop off/to school pick up, it's a great cardio sesh!" — Pip.

5. Walking.

"My exercise of choice is walking home from work. I also do a 6am walk in the morning." — Jess.

"I walk everywhere possible in my daily routine." — Amy.

"I like to walk wherever possible." — Belinda.

6. At-home HIIT workout.

"I usually do a garage workout while the small one sleeps (the bigger one gets iPad time with me in the garage)." — Hayley.

Why 'good enough' movement beats the 'perfect' workout.

The thing about all of this: none of these women are training for… anything. They're not chasing a six-pack, a PB or a 'summer body.' Not the vibe. They're just moving, because it makes them feel better (and that's kind of the whole point).

There's a version of fitness culture that tells us exercise only counts if it hurts, if it's tracked down to the calorie, or if it comes with a before-and-after photo. For busy women and mums especially, that version of exercise isn't just unrealistic; it's part of why so many of us stop trying altogether. When the bar is 'one-hour HIIT class or nothing,' nothing usually wins.

The research on this is pretty clear, too: short bursts of movement — a 15-minute walk, a quick Pilates flow, marching around the kitchen while the pasta boils (blinds are down, I've checked already) — genuinely add up.

According to Mamamia's own 2025 research, 97 per cent of Mamamia women say exercise helps their mental wellbeing, and 86 per cent say being active is a top priority in their lives.

And 'exercise' can be a looser category than the fitness industry likes to admit. Pip's cycling commute counts. So does Jess, Amy and Belinda's daily habit of just... walking more. None of that needs a gym visit, a program or a plan — it's movement that was already built into a normal day, which is arguably the most sustainable kind there is.

It's not about doing the 'best' workout. It's about doing something, consistently, in whatever window you've actually got.

Where to actually start beginner-friendly exercise.

If reading nine mums' workout routines has you feeling like everyone else already has this sorted and you're starting from scratch, you're not behind, you just haven't started yet. Here's a genuinely beginner-friendly way in: no equipment, no experience required, and options that are easy on the joints if that's a factor for you too.

If the gym itself is what's putting you off (not the exercise, the place), major feels. A lot of women feel exactly the same way, and there's a reason home workouts specifically solve that.

If you like the sound of that but want a bit more structure than 'figure it out yourself while the toddler is distracted,' that's exactly what MOVE was built for.

It's Mamamia's own home workout app, designed specifically for women who hate the gym, don't have spare hours, and are over the 'bikini body' side of fitness culture. No equipment, no pressure, just short sessions that fit into the gaps busy women actually have, whether that's naptime or the ten minutes before school pickup.

(I'm biased, but at $9.99 a month, or as part of your Mamamia subscription, it's worth checking out.)

Last reviewed: August 14, 2026.

Featured image: Canva.