ROAD TEST: I’m a mum of 2 with no time to exercise. So we tried Optus Sport Fitness workouts for a week.

Exercise. Ugh. We have a love/hate relationship these days.  

By the time I strap my breastfeeding boobs into a sports bra, cover my tummy with a loose fitting tee, pull on my tights, tie up my hair, find a pair of matching, hole-less socks and shove my hooves into my joggers, I’m already exhausted.

This has only really come after having (and keeping) two tiny humans alive – my 10-year-old daughter who thinks she’s 18 and my 1-year-old daughter who thinks she’s a puppy. 

With work, sporting commitments, flute lessons, cooking, cleaning, play dates, sleepovers, lions, tigers and bears (oh my), my head, heart and body come last. Every. Single. Time.

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I used to be super fit before having my kids. I ran walked a half marathon, went to the gym a thousand times a week and was player of the year at my soccer club at the ripe old age of 25. 

I actually lost 21 kilos after deciding to dedicate my life to exercise and a healthier lifestyle. 

But then that dedication had to shift and so did my time. Work, babies, my motivation slowly melted away and I didn’t feel like I had the time anymore. 

The motivation is what I really want back – to find energy and use it for myself! I want to feel alive again, have endorphins swimming around my body producing mental clarity and a proper sense of enjoyment. But without it having to take so much time, money and effort to get ready to walk out the door.

And just like pure magic, Optus Sport Fitness came into my life. It’s literally fitness at my fingertips and doesn’t require a tight french braid, matching activewear or iPod arm band (or whatever the latest thing is these days, I can't keep up!). 

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There’s no spin instructor yelling at me for making my bike easier to peddle, no sweaty bum-marks on the weight machines and definitely no hurried water breaks (I’ll drink when I need to, thanks very much!). 

With a whole host of appearances from well-known faces and experts, I can stream daily workouts and express content to do in my own time from the comfort of my living room, study or even the garage. I love that I can choose to move on Mondays, get zen on Wednesdays, dance on Fridays and get stronger on the weekend. It’s all flexible, not to a gym timetable which was the biggest appeal to me as a mum with too many things on my plate.  

I've been with Optus on a Postpaid plan for over 15 years, so I was able to just download the Optus Sport app for free and get stuck in, as it's already included. Who knew!? But if you’re not with Optus, that’s all good too, as you can still download it by purchasing for $14.99 a month to enjoy all of the same features as Optus customers can.

Once you've got the Optus Sport app and you’re all logged in and ready to go, it’s super easy to navigate thankfully. Things can be so confusing to me when there's too many bits and pieces to try and find. But this one had a clear dashboard of all of the available videos for me to choose from. 

I was impressed to see too that I can stream it on our TV, a tablet or just my phone. So all I really need then all is my comfy (non-matching) clothes to get sweaty in, a little water nearby and a let's-do-this attitude. 

So, how did I go using Optus Sport Fitness for the week? 

On Monday, I can confirm that I did indeed move, but not in your typical exercise fashion. I spent the afternoon jumping from my couch with my daughter. And it was SO. MUCH. FUN.

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My eldest daughter, Summer, and I are super competitive so a competition to see how far we can jump was perfect to start the return-to-school week. It might sound silly but honestly, my legs have never worked so hard! 

And my belly hurt more from laughing. 

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This was such a great way to spend time with Summer but also get our bodies moving while our veggie soup was safely bubbling away on the stove. And I can confirm that I lost; I didn’t jump the furthest. 

But because Summer must have cheated. Obviously.

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Now: booty talk. I love the word booty. It’s so fun to say and instantly makes you smile – that’s what made me try the Tabata Booty Blast on Tuesday. And girrrrrlllll, did my booty BLAST.

Super easy to follow, this quick 12-minute workout had me working up a sweat. Jade from The Healthy Mummy was a great instructor – really easy to understand and made the transition from one exercise to the next uncomplicated which is great for someone like me to who hasn’t done a gym class in a while.

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OMMMMM. Wednesday is a good day to re-set and re-balance so I set my yoga mat up outside and got comfy for a session of Pilates.

I don’t work Wednesdays so this workout was the perfect fit for me noise and movement-wise while my littlest babe slept soundly upstairs in her cot.

Those who know me know that I’m a pretty boisterous and all-over-the-shop kind of girl so slowing down is something I definitely need to do more of. This pilates lesson hit all the right notes and this little yogi definitely found enough zen to take on the picnic basket.

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"Logging off for a while team, I’m having lunch with Thorpie today!" I shouted at the open work Slack channel on my computer. It was Thursday, and Ian Thorpe had an express workout ready for me. Who am I to say no to a 5x Olympic Gold Medallist? 

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Very candid about his current physical ability which I appreciated, Ian (yes, we’re on a first-name basis now) showed me how to strengthen my upper back with Banded Bent-over Rows which, as mum to a bub who wants to be carried around all day, is exactly what I need. As part of Optus Sport Fitness' express offering in the Optus Sport app, this workout is a great one to add to a circuit or routine.

Then just like that: it’s FRIYAY people! I'll never stop using that word, it really captures that almost-weekend mood for me.

Time to get down after a busy work (and mumming) week. And with COVID not allowing any dancing, singing or fun in groups, there was no better way to satiate my (past) party-girl appetite than with some Step action!

Not quite a dance routine (sorry Queen Bey, you’ll have to wait), but just as much fun, Jade from The Healthy Mummy again took this mama to funky town with some nostalgic step moves. I didn’t use a step as I haven’t got one but I still got all of the vibes and benefits from following along without it. 

And my daughter also decided to join in in her PJs which made for a bit of Friday family fun before the footy started.

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Saturday, I got STRONG. Not keen on watching TV, I set myself up in my bedroom and busted out 15 Minute Legs and 15 Minute Abs with Olivia Ippoliti as well as the Express Workout with Madison de Rozario.

It was a really great workout, even with the small interruption from my curious bub. I had a shower that night truly burning, it felt so good to feel like that again!

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Sunday, I did nothing. Ab-so-lutely nothing. Literally…

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So, my verdict? 

Optus Sport Fitness is so great, it surprised me. I didn't even know it was there for starters, and I'm already with Optus. Who knew?! I've already texted my friends about it in case they've missed it too.

Optus Sport Fitness has such an awesome variety of workouts that you can do with or without equipment, and the flexibility of all the video durations means that if you have a solid 30 minutes or only a quick 10, you can pick whatever works and fit something in between all other to-dos in the day. 

So that I can access everything quicker for the days that I haven’t got time to browse, I actually created my own circuit-style routine to follow which includes a heap of different exercises that I can do over a half hour (after bub has gone to bed and before I'm cuddling up to a glass of rosé) – easy!

And when you download, I would definitely recommend: don’t forget to turn on your notifications. I like that the Optus Sport app dings me every time a new workout is added so I can choose to jump in when I have a minute, or remember to check it out a little later.

I don't see a need to pay for an expensive gym membership or any other fitness apps to have a good workout and move your body, when I've got this bad boy handy. 

Optus Sport Fitness has everything I basically need to get my motivation back and really lift my mood to help me move more (and at my own pace). It’s the perfect option, especially I would say for busy parents who really need the flexibility and convenience to work out at home. Absolute favourites of mine are definitely the 10 minute express workouts, as they allow me to do short bursts whenever I feel the burn to do so.

I'm actually hopping back on now, Thorpie's waiting for me.

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