This is a 7-day busy girl workout plan I swear by! If you are a busy mum or a college girl and you don’t have a lot of time and/or energy to spend hours in the gym, this is the perfect workout plan for you.
I recently did an Instagram post on this topic and a lot of you seemed to want to know more so I wanted to provide you with more info and guidance on how to stay fit and healthy while on a busy schedule.
I’m a single mum of one and I run my own business. I think it’s fair to say, I have my hands full most of the time. ;)
I’m currently in a phase where I’m able to get out for walks most days and do 3-4 resistance sessions per week! It really depends on how much sleep I’m getting – Cali, my 3 y/o is still hit and miss at night and sometimes I’m just too exhausted. But I feel like we’re doing better lately!
Tuesdays and Sundays are my rest days as I spend those full days with Cali. I prefer to work out when she’s not around. It’s just easier that way. If you know, you know. :)
IS THIS 7-DAY BUSY GIRL PLAN RIGHT FOR YOU?
This Rachael Attard workout plan is for girls and women who want to be fit and feel good but have a very busy schedule. It’s also for women who prefer lower-impact workouts and who want to be lean and toned.
I can’t stress this enough – your workout routine doesn’t have to be super intense in order for you to see progress.
Matter of fact, chances are that a low-intensity routine will make you feel better, inside and out, in the long run.
This was definitely a case for me… Intense workouts I used to do made me feel exhausted and depleted and exercise should make us energized.
So, if you notice similar symptoms after your workout, maybe that is a sign that your body needs a more gentle routine. And my 7-day busy girl plan is exactly like that.
This workout plan includes both resistance training and cardio (as a fully qualified PT, I firmly believe that a healthy and effective Rachael Attard workout plan should have both).
HOW LONG ARE THE WORKOUTS?
For resistance training workouts, you’ll need up to 20 minute max (there are even just 10-min workouts).
For cardio, you’ll need more if you decide to mainly focus on walking (30-45 min per day). I love walking and I find that it works great for me and my goals. If you don’t have time to walk at least 30-45 min per day, you can also run instead, 20 min per day, 3 times per week.
Of course, this schedule and type of training is what works best for me and my goals and you can always adjust it according to your needs and preferences. But I’m sure this plan will help you get a very good idea on how to get maximum results with the minimum amount of time spent. :)
CAN I DO THESE BUSY GIRL WORKOUTS AT HOME AND WILL I NEED SOME EQUIPMENT?
You can do all of these workouts at home. Some of the workouts include equipment like ankle weights (ankle weights are optional btw) and dumbbells. In case you don’t have the equipment or you don’t want to use it, I provided alternatives. :)
RELATED POST: HOW TO GET LEAN AND TONE – THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR WOMEN
7-DAY BUSY GIRL WORKOUT PLAN
MONDAY – 20 MINUTE FULL BODY WORKOUT + 30 MINUTE WALK OR A 20 MINUTE RUN
As I mentioned, I tend to have a rest day on Sunday so on Mondays I usually feel like I have more energy. Because of this, I always try to do both my resistance training and my cardio.
I’m a huge advocate for cardio, especially walking, and that’s a hill I’m ready to die on. Cardio has so many amazing health benefits – it lowers your blood pressure, increases insulin sensitivity, and decreases your risk of developing cardiovascular diseases, to name just a few.
Also, walking is an amazing workout if you want to slim down your legs. I written a very detailed blog post on why you need cardio for lean legs, so if are interested in that, be sure to give it a read.
On Mondays, I tried to walk as much as I can. Ideally, I want to make around 10,000 steps but on some days is more like 5,000-7,000. And that’s OK, 5,000 steps is better than 0 steps. ;) If this seems like too much for you, you can run instead (20 min, 3 times per day). I personally tend to walk more. I live in Australia, Gold Coast and I love being outside. If you live somewhere where the weather doesn’t allow you to be outside for that much, especially during winter, investing in a walking pad might be a good idea. They are quite inexpensive comapred to treadmills, they don’t take up a lot of space and they are super comnvenient!
I also have a treadmill so I sometimes walk inside while watching Netflix. It saves time and it helps me relax. :)
Plus, on Mondays, I also try do a full-body 15-20 minute workout, like this ones below. The first one is a full body pilates inspired, no quipment workout and the second one is a no jumping HIIT workout. Wheter you do a pilates tsyle workout or HIIT, depends on how much energy you have. In general, I recommend HIIT 1-2 times per week. :)
20 MINUTE FULL BODY PILATES STYLE WORKOUT
15 MINUTE FULL BODY NO JUMPING HIIT WORKOUT
This a no jumping, no quipment HIIT workout is suitable for all body types. HIIT is a great way to sneak a quick full body workout into your busy schedule. Another thing I also love about HIIT is the fact that it increases your metabolism even after you’re done with your training. This study shows that women burn more calories post exercise when they do HIIT than when they do areobic training (cardio) or intense weight training.
TUESDAY – REST DAY OR A 45 MINUTE WALK
On Tuesdays, I usually tend to have rest days (well, as much rest as I can with a very active 3 y/o ;) ). If I can, I will go for a 30-45min long power walk. If you can, go for a walk, if you are too busy that’s OK.
WEDNESDAY – 15 MINUTE LEG AND BOOTY WORKOUT + 30 MINUTE WALK
On Wednesday, I usually do a quick leg and booty workout like the one I added for you below. Besides being quick, this one also includes what I like to call a “busy girl workout hack”. ;)
I’m all about efficiency so I love doing workouts where you don’t have to change the position and move around a lot. This leg and booty workout below is a perefct example!
15 MINUTE LEG AND BOOTY WORKOUT – ankle weights are optional
Besides doing a lower body workout, on Wednesdays, I also try to go for a 30-45min power walk. In general, the more walking you can do, the better!
THURSDAY – 10-15 MINUTE FULL BODY WORKOUT + 30 MINUTE WALK OR A 20 MINUTE RUN
On Thursday, I usually do another full body workout. I love full body workouts because they are a
I’ll add 2 options for you – one is more advanced and you’ll need some equipment for it (the first one). The other one is a quick 10-minute busy girl workout with no equipment.
Just one heads up. The first workout includes handstands. Handstands are an amazing workout! They will work your shoulders, arms, and upper back primarily but also your core, hip flexors, hamstrings, inner thigh muscles, obliques, and lower back. However, they are more well suited more intermediate to advanced fitness level. If you cannot do a handstand you can replace it with a good old plank. :)
As I mentioned, I tried to walk as much as possible. So I also try to sneak in a good power walk on Thursdays as well. I actually try to walk whenever I can – catching up with friends and family – let’s go for a walk, running errands – I’ll walk, going shopping – I’ll walk.
Walking is super easy to do, it’s good for your physical and mental health, and it’s also good for the environment. What’s not to love?!
15 MINUTE BUSY GIRL WORKOUT WITH DUMBBELLS
10 MINUTE BUSY GIRL WORKOUT – NO EQUIPMENT
FRIDAY – 10 MINUTE ARMS AND ABS WORKOUT + 30 MINUTE WALK OR A 20 MINUTE RUN
Friday is usually my upper body and core day. I love planking and all its variations so I’m sharing an amazing 10 minute plank-based workout with you below.
Even though it’s very quick (you’ll need just 10 minutes for this workout), it’s still quite challenging. But I promise, you will get amazing results! It will strengthen your core, and tone your abs and arms.
Besides doing a full body workout, on Fridays, I usually also try to go for a 30-45 minute power walk.
SATURDAY – 45 MINUTE WALK + STRETCH
On Saturdays, I usually try to stay active but take it easy. I usually go for a longer walk (45 minutes to an hour). I also love doing deep relaxing stretches. I’ve linked some of my favorites below. I hope you like them!
LOWER BODY STRETCH
These are my favorite lower body stretches. I do them whenever I go for a walk or do a lower body workout. These moves will give you a really nice, deep stretch for your hip flexors, quads, glutes and hamstrings.
FULL BODY STRETCH – PERFECT GOOD MORNING STRETCH
SUNDAY – REST DAY (YOU’VE EARNED IT!)
Sundays are my reset and rest days. It’s really important to have those days. I know a lot of women who don’t prioritize rest and are always on the go. And I get it. It’s hard to juggle a career or study or being a mother (or all!), with eating healthy, exercising, maintaining relationships and social life, looking after a household, and then making time for yourself to relax as well.
A lot of us were taught that you should always work hard and be as productive as possible. I was like that too, I used to always feel like I was stressed, rushed, and tired – not a good way to live. (I feel like I am better when it comes to finding time to rest but I’m still trying to unlearn my old busy ways.)
Rest is super important for both our physical and mental health. Studies indicate that our body needs around 24 hours to restore the muscle glycogen reserves we spend during the workout. Muscle glycogen is what our muscles use as their main fuel. To put it simply no glycogen=no energy. And when it comes to muscle recovery (our muscles tear when we exercise and our body needs to synthesize protein to be able to recover them), protein synthesis is at its peak 24 hours post-workout.
This is why I always space out my resistance training sessions. I try not to do them on 2 consecutive days to allow my body to restore its carb store and to allow my muscles to repair themselves. And this is what I would recommend to you too. :)
FINDING THE RIGHT PROGRAM FOR YOU
I’ve tried EVERY type of workout you can imagine – Les Mills classes, boot camp, CrossFit, heavy lifting, triathlons…You name it, I’ve tried it!
I generally love any type of workout that I do, and I used to love all of these. But none of them got me the long-term results that I wanted nor did they fit into my lifestyle. They often took too long to or they were too intense (they made me too exhausted and put a lot of stress on my body) or they made me look too muscular for my own liking. I know this last one can be a bit controversial but some women, myself included, prefer a more slim and toned look. If you are similar, this will be a perfect workout regime for you. :)
Eventually, I found what worked for me, which was low-impact resistance training. This type of training is actually quite similar to Pilates, but the structure of the training is more like weight training.
This type of workout makes me lean and toned on the outside, and happy and confident on the inside.
After training hundreds of women as a personal trainer and hearing your similar concerns, I designed my own programs that actually get the results you want, that are fun, and that you can do from home!
So if you are looking for a well-structured workout plan that won’t take up too much of your time, maybe one of my programs is the right option for you. All of my programs are full-body programs and they are focused on getting you lean and toned in all the right places. You can check them out here.
SOURCES:
- Cardio Benefits – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6172294/
- HIIT Helps You Burn More Calories After Exercising – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27747847/
- Muscle Glycogen – https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23509-glycogen
- Restoring Muscle Glycogen After Exercise – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3905295/
- Post Exercise Muscle Repair – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8563679/
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2 Responses
Hi Rachael,
I’ve been reading through all your blog posts and following your Instagram and as someone who studied nutrition in school and science at university, I can already tell you know what you are talking about and I really like your advice. I was travelling for a couple of months and I’m between jobs at the minute so I’ve been trying to do Pilates and walking as much as I can but I haven’t been able to keep a consistent routine but I am looking forward to starting a diet and exercise plan in the new year. I enjoy cardio and soemthing I have done a lot of in the past is skipping. I was wondering what your thoughts are on this as a form of cardio and in relation to bulking legs? My legs are quite short and although I have a lean figure, I have always found my legs to be quite bulky. After reading through your advice, I know that things like cycling, squats, lunges etc which I had done a lot of in the past have partly contributed to this so I was wondering if this is the same for skipping and running 5km/10km frequently?
Thank you so much for all your help already!
Hey lovely, we’re thrilled to hear you’ve been enjoying Rachael’s content! <3 Skipping is an excellent form of cardio that generally doesn't contribute significantly to leg bulkiness. It's dynamic and targets overall toning without major muscle gain, although we highly recommend power walking instead as this is the most effective type of cardio to slim down your legs. To avoid excessive bulkiness, consider a balanced routine with cardio, strength training, and flexibility exercises. Incorporating activities like Pilates and walking, which you're already doing, is also fantastic!
Remember to enjoy the process and find what works best for you. You're on the right track, and we're here to support your health and wellness journey. Best of luck in achieving your fitness goals in the new year! xx