According to the Pew Research Center, 80% of women with a PhD that have reached the last years of childbearing have had children.

Modern motherhood has shown more women with higher education becoming mothers.

The studies also indicated that women are waiting to become mothers later in life, this is partially due to the fact that more women are pursuing higher education.

This also means that moms are spending more time in the workforce.

Moms do a lot for others but should also be taking care of themselves. A healthy mom is crucial to having a healthy family.

Keep reading to learn the steps you should take to become the best mom you can be:

1. Make a Game Plan

As a mom, you probably know the importance of having a plan in every situation. Getting healthy requires the same effort and planning.

If you don’t write things down or make a schedule, you’ll never be able to commit to doing the things that will help improve your health and life.

You’ll want to buy a planner where you’ll be physically writing out your goals for each week.

You can also schedule the meals you’ll be making for the family, plan your exercise routine, and track your to-do list for the week so you’re meeting every goal you’ve set for yourself.

When you make a plan it’s much easier to follow through and complete a task. It’s also easier to track all the progress you’ve made along the way.

2. Make Changes to Your Diet

There’s no way to prioritize your health properly without making some changes to your diet.

Changing the way you eat to include more well-balanced meals will make a world of a difference in your life and in the energy you have to devote to your family when they need you.

A great plan for making healthier food choices includes meal prepping. By planning what you’ll be eating each day you won’t rush to find simple and often unhealthy choices for mealtime.

It’s important to start your day off right with a good breakfast and pack your lunch and snacks for work. This will keep you from snacking more than you should and making bad food choices.

Make sure you’re adding more dark, leafy greens and whole grains to the meals you prepare as well.

If you’re afraid you’re not getting the necessary nutrients from your food, you can always try adding a supplement.

There are some great healthy vegan supplement options out there. For example, vegan multivitamins are the perfect way to make sure you’re getting the right nutrients to maintain your health.

3. Find the Time for Staying Active

Being a mom is a lot of work and requires a lot of energy, finding time for even the smallest things can be hard.

Spending an hour at the gym each day might seem impossible but there are other ways to fit a workout into your busy schedule.

Cutting down your workouts to 5 to 10 minutes a couple of times throughout the day might be the best option you have.

ou can park further away from places and walk a couple of extra minutes or you can take the stairs at work instead of the elevator.

Doing some kind of fun, physical activity with your kids is also a great way to get in a workout and teach your kids the importance of staying active.

4. Hold Yourself Accountable

Healthy moms will always hold themselves accountable and have good people in their lives who’ll do the same.

The only person keeping you from achieving your health goals is yourself. Check-in every week to see what goals you’ve accomplished and which ones you fell short on.

Accountability will keep you motivated to keep working hard on improving your health.

It’s also a great idea to share your goals with the important people in your life, they’ll help motivate you as well.

5. Use Your Creativity

Moms are some of the most creative people. They can take an idea and turn it into something wonderful for their kids. Use this same creativity to help meet your healthy lifestyle goals.

If you haven’t had time to get the groceries, use whatever you have in the fridge to make a healthy dinner. Maybe some black bean tacos topped with some avocado.

If you don’t know where to exercise, take your baby out for a stroll. If you live near any hills pushing the stroller up the incline is a great way to get your cardio in and work on those leg muscles.

6. Take Some Time to Unwind

Healthy mothers know the importance of taking some time for themselves. Resetting, at least once a week, will make you a more productive person for everyone that depends on you.

Most importantly, it’s crucial for your mental and physical well being.

What you do to unwind isn’t as important as taking the time to do so each week.

Whether you spend 20 minutes taking a bath on Sundays or reading your favorite book out by the pool, taking the time to do something you enjoy for pure enjoyment can set you up for a successful week.

7. Schedule Some Time Away From the Kids

Your kids should always be your first priority but sometimes it’s important to spend a small amount of time away from them.

Like taking time to unwind, scheduling some kid-free time will help you reset from the long days and help you be more present when your kids need you.

Scheduling some time away from the kids can mean having a date night with your partner or planning a girl’s day with some of your best friends.

This time away will help you realize that being a mom means taking care of your kids and taking care of yourself as well.

8. Give Yourself a Break

Part of your journey towards a healthy life includes realizing that even the best moms make mistakes. It’s perfectly normal if you don’t meet every goal you’ve set for yourself each week or month.

Don’t be too hard on yourself if you overindulge a bit on one of your cheat days. Learn from your mistakes and find ways to improve.

Many moms think that if they’re not doing it all they’re failing but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Give yourself a break when you fall short of your goals, no one’s perfect.

9. Never Compare Your Journey

As humans, we tend to compare ourselves to others all of the time. Social media can be especially toxic when you’re trying to lose weight or adopt a healthier lifestyle.

But everyone has their own journey and pace, your journey towards health isn’t wrong because it’s taking longer.

Doing what’s right for your life is the best thing you can do to achieve the success you want. Go at your own pace and you’ll start to see the results you’ve always wanted.

10. Moderation Is Key

For most changes to stick they have to come gradually. When you make drastic and sudden changes, things might become too overwhelming.

If you’re taking on a lot of new activities to try to get back into shape, you’re likely to start feeling burned out and might return to some bad habits.

Gradually adding some physical activity to your day will help turn the routine into a lifestyle change that comes more naturally as time goes on.

Make some changes with food as well, making healthier choices will become easier with time.

11. Ask for Help

Moms tend to put a lot on their shoulders and often feel like they have to do everything on their own. Asking for help with your children and with your health goals will help you feel more supported.

You want your kids to come to you when they need help, don’t forget that you deserve the same.

The support of friends and family can make planning workouts and healthy meals more enjoyable and easier.

12. Sleep Is Crucial

Sleep is one of the most important components of a mom’s health.

You can be eating all the healthy meals or getting some great workouts but if you aren’t getting an adequate amount of sleep, your health will continue to suffer.

Getting between 6 to 8 hours of sleep is important for your physical and mental health and will give you the energy you need to get you through your busy day as a mom.

The Steps You Should Take to Become a Healthy Mom

The road to becoming a healthy mom might be difficult but if you follow these steps you’re on your way to success.

The key is to make small changes each day that will give you the results you want to see.