Family Owned 
Meet Claire Toone, the wellness cupid that will make you fall in love with your body by inspiring you to move it! Traditionally trained over the past decade, Claire is a pilates instructor, yoga teacher, certified health coach, mentor and – most recently – mama.
Her mission is to empower time-poor women with accessible exercise so that they can live their lives with confidence, balance and energy. She truly believes everyone deserves the access to brilliant health; especially new mothers!
Since the arrival of her son, Claire discovered how hard it can be to fit in fitness when you are juggling a small human. This common struggle was the driving force behind her launching her online personal training. Claire’s bespoke exercise + wellness programs (as well as her innately supportive nature) have helped her clients achieve bodies, attitudes and lives they love.
She has taught clients from all walks of life (and all over the world) utilising her powerful mix of pilates, yoga, functional fitness, nutrition and coaching techniques.
Now she is sharing with us here at Raw Blend how to make time for exercise in your everyday life!
Making Time To Exercise
As women, we are busier than ever before. We have as many opportunities as we do responsibilities and it can be really hard to find the time and energy amongst it all to exercise.
But before you do convince yourself that you have no time at all for exercise, think again.
Making time and investing in your health and fitness will give you more energy and more clarity, helping you to achieve everything else you want in your day.
So how can you make time to exercise? Here are a few tips that have helped me along the way.
Put times in your calendar
Schedule in your exercise as part of your day and make it non-negotiable. If you have a normal appointment on your calendar you show up, so this should be the same for your exercise appointments. I write in times in my calendar and they feel more like commitments that I have to keep. I also find this motivates me and I love it when I can see exactly how much exercise I have managed to fit in for the week.
Have a Plan
Once you’ve scheduled in your workout, make sure you think about how you are going to use the time and what exercise you’ll be doing. I will always have an idea of what I am doing otherwise when the time comes it can be hard to find the motivation to think of something! If I know exactly what I plan to do beforehand it makes me feel more focused and I have a better workout. You can make things easier on yourself by sticking to a weekly schedule so you don’t have to come up with new stuff every week. Start with a couple of walks and throw in a weekly pilates or yoga class (either at a studio or streaming online when it suits you) and you’ve got a great start to your schedule.
Set realistic goals
If you haven’t exercised for a long time, or have recently had a baby, don’t start out with an intense exercise schedule, such as six days a week or for more than an hour at a time. If you do this, you’re less likely to stick to your planned exercise and reach your goals. If you push yourself too hard you could even injure yourself. Start out slow and build up to a longer/more challenging exercise routine. I also would recommend trying out some private sessions with a trainer. They can help you ease your way into exercise and help you with your correct form. They will also create a program suited for you and your body.
Busy mum? Let your children join in!
For the mums reading this, don’t use the excuse that you have to look after the kids and there is no time to exercise. I have a 10 month old baby and I quickly learnt that I wouldn’t always get my alone time to workout, which forced me to get creative with my time.
I often roll out a yoga mat and have my little one next to me playing. I also love walking and my little man loves getting outside so it is a perfect way to keep him entertained and gives me time to move my body.
Create your own workout space/gym at home
When you do have that precious hour to workout you might not want to waste it travelling to and from a class or the gym, and the truth is you don’t need to.
I use what I have at my disposal and so a chair, couch or table has become my gym equipment. My bath tub is the perfect height for tricep dips and my kitchen bench is the perfect length for some barre class moves. Don’t feel you need to have the best equipment or be at the hottest new studio to work out. You can have an equally effective workout on the lounge room floor.
Fuel your body before your workout
It’s one thing having your workout organised and time set, but you want to make sure you can get through it. You need to fuel your body to give you the energy it needs to work hard. I like to have a smoothie about an hour before or a piece of fruit such as a banana. You want to have something that is easy to digest but releases energy slowly.
If you do miss a day, don’t stress.
Maybe you have had a rough day at the office or maybe your child is sick, or maybe you are too busy running errands. It’s all right to miss one day of exercise. Life happens and sometimes you just can’t fit it in.
You just want to make the time to exercise on a regular basis so it becomes habit.
You can find Claire at her website www.clairetoone.com or come get personal with her over on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter