Suggestions on getting in exercise.

nsalley99

I'm up at 630 and get off work at 4. By the time I'm home, cook and take care of house stuff I am beat. Getting up early is a challange. I am not complaining I am just at a loss. Suggestions on how you get yourself/ make yourself get moving when exhausted.

Edie30

Hmmm it's a toughie... I work shifts so if I have 2 12 hour days in a row I don't exercise for that 48 hrs but I can go on the morning of my 12 hr night and all the days off inbetween.if you work 5 days a week why don't you leave 30 mins earlier and park 30 mins away from work and walk or jog it... Or do you get an hour lunch break? You could fit 30 mins in there... Or go out at 7pm and exercise with say a couch to 5 k style app...it's hard but I guess you just have to find the time somewhere... It also helps to have a supportive family I guess. You gotta be creative with that time eh ! :-)

PokeyBug

I'm probably going to get a lot of flack for saying this, but I'm a regular drinker of 5 Hour Energy.

I had a car accident many years ago, and I've battled lethargy caused by a brain injury since then. The doctors put me on a variety of different meds, like Ritalin, but that stuff always made me feel a bit off. For a very long time, I drank a pot of coffee per day, but I chose to give that up when I saw it was one of the reasons I was gaining weight. (Not really the coffee, but all the other crap I put in the coffee to make it potable.) So, I changed from drinking around 1180 mg of caffeine per day to drinking a bottle and a half to two bottles of 5 Hour Energy and drinking only 311-414 mg per day. In a twisted way, it's actually better for me, lol.

WildOkapi

I work 5 to 6 days a week 6a to 4p or later and make it a priority to go for a two-mile run at least two days a week and to do a 30 minute HIIT video another two days a week. It helps that I have to hold my husband accountable for our exercising, but really I don't care for excuses so I don't make them. I just do it. If I don't exercise one day, I'll fit it into another

dbmata

nsalley99 wrote: »

Suggestions on how you get yourself/ make yourself get moving when exhausted.

The exhaustion doesn't stay long once you start getting into better shape.

I find where I can cut, and cut. I have cut out most gaming time. I've cut out a lot of social time (which is easy living on the red *kitten* end of a purple state), and replaced a lot of hobby time with working out. I decided living longer was kind of a neat idea, so I'm making it a priority.

briaggressive

I know your struggle. My day starts when I wake up at 5:30 AM. I then commute an hour and a half to work, work an 8 hr, then commute the same time back, usually arriving home at around 6:30 PM.

It sucks. The exhaustion of that is what has kept me back for so long. I'm now really pushing myself, and I know I will have good days and bad days.

Things that are working for me:

- Assembling a home gym. So much easier to stay motivated when you have it right there.

- Having work out partners to keep you on track. My boyfriend and our roommates are all trying to get into shape, so when I come home and they are working out it reminds me to hop onto the elliptical!

- Be prepared. Try and pre cook meals when you can, and eat a snack on your way home so you can wait until after work out for dinner.

- If possible, try to get some activity in at work. Depends on your job of course! I work with young children, so for me this looks like playing tag more!

- Don't be too hard on yourself! You work hard hours and you are doing the best that you can. Make baby steps.

Hope this is helpful

Feel free to friend me if you want some support from a fellow early bird!

yoovie

Cut out TV, boom - tons of time.

Old_Man_McGucket

yoovie wrote: »

Cut out TV, boom - tons of time.

Or watch TV while you work out. I stream shows to my phone while doing indoor cardio.

yoovie

^ this totally. just whatever you do - dont sit on the dang couch!

IvyLuci

It is mostly easier to just not let yourself stop moving :-)
Arrange to go to the gym straight after work. It will help you clean your head from work issues if there are any, and then you can go home and be done for the day.
Cook big batches of food in advance, and freeze them in serving size portions. Reduces day-to-day cooking to a minimum.
Clean as you go. If everything is put in its place immediately after use, cleaning is mostly reduced to a minimum.

jemhh

dbmata wrote: »

nsalley99 wrote: »

Suggestions on how you get yourself/ make yourself get moving when exhausted.

The exhaustion doesn't stay long once you start getting into better shape.

I find where I can cut, and cut. I have cut out most gaming time. I've cut out a lot of social time (which is easy living on the red *kitten* end of a purple state), and replaced a lot of hobby time with working out. I decided living longer was kind of a neat idea, so I'm making it a priority.

Pretty much this.

You have to decide it is going to be a priority and then just treat it that way. It might be tough at first but within a short period of time, it gets easier. When I've gotten out of the habit of getting up early to exercise in the past, it has only taken a couple of weeks to get used to getting up early again. And getting into better shape does give you more energy plus seeing good results gives you a push to work toward more.

Right now I either get up at 5:15 to get everything in before work or I fit in my exercise at 8 p.m., which means I end up exercising, eating a snack, and then going right to bed after a shower. I very rarely watch TV (that was my main evening activity in the past.)

cwolfman13

You're up at 6:30...FYI, that's not early...and you get off work at 4? You just need better time management...there's plenty of workout time in there. I'm assuming you go to bed around 10 or 11...just from the time you get off at 4, you have 6-7 hours...you can't tell me you're doing "house stuff" for 6-7 hours.

A solid workout can be had in about an hour...you could really kill it with 90 minutes...frankly, you have plenty of time.

RavenLibra

I am up at 4... get home at 5... do cardio at lunch 3 days/week and lift on alternate days when I get home... If you view exercise as a necessity, like, food, or breathing, (which it pretty much is if you want to live a long healthy happy life, sans someone changing your diapers at some point) THEN you'll stop with the lame excuses and do what needs to be done.

sllm1

I plan/cook for the week on Sunday so that I can eat dinner quickly during the week without spending an hour cooking it.

Make exercise a priority and work around it. Don't sit down when you get home from work until you've completed your exercise. You won't get back up.

SLHysell

My work schedule is nearly identical. I work out right after work on Tuesdays and Thursdays (this includes a 2+mile run). I don't eat supper until I get home. My wife takes care of the kids so I can do this. On Wednesdays and Mondays, I do the same for her. On Sundays, I do longer runs and another workout. Since my gym is open 24 hours on week nights, I'm thinking about starting to do the workouts on non running days after the kids go to bed at 8. I'm currently working out a schedule with my wife to see if I can do a Friday run as well. I'm training to do a half-marathon and need to get an extra running day in. It's tough, but if it is important enough, you make time.

EDIT: I just re-read this and it sounded like my wife and I are separated. We aren't, we just share children responsibilities equally during non-work hours.

JenSD6

It sucks getting up early when you're not a morning person, but I have found it so much easier to make exercising a daily habit by getting it done first thing in the morning. I workout at home, so it really only adds 45-60 minutes to my morning. I just go to bed a little earlier to make up for it. It's very rare that I wake up with excuses to not get it done.

sjaplo

I'm up at 4 - make lunches, work out from 5:30 to 6:30 and then off to work after breakfast by 7:00. Now admittedly - I'm in bed before 8:30

sarrah_n

I work 8-5 and coach 6-9 twice a week and all day saturdays. On my non-coaching days, I don't let myself eat dinner until I have done my workout (I eat better afte a workout anyway). On my coaching days, I work out when I get home at 10pm. Is it ideal? No, but it's the best option that I have.

You just have to find a way to MAKE IT WORK. I struggle with early mornings too, so I have to SUCK IT UP and do evening workouts even though I may be exhausted before I even start the work out.

Once you get into a routine, it gets easier.

TeaBea

Start with small regular workout sessions. Your family will come to accept this as "your" time. Gradually make the sessions longer. You have to want to do this for yourself.

I'm not a morning person. So morning workouts don't work for me. I workout when I get home from work. I either put dinner in the oven & go workout, or I workout and then make a quick dinner (like stir fry). Would I rather come home, sit on the couch, and put my feet up....sure. But I want to be healthy, I want to be more fit.

As previous posters said.....getting more fit will reduce the fatigue factor. If you are trying to lose weight too quickly, lack of food can contribute to fatigue too. Make sure you have enough "fuel in the tank" to support a workout.

mes1119

Here are my suggestions:

1. Try squeezing in a small workout while cooking dinner. Sometimes it takes 30 min to bake chicken so drop down and do some burpees, pushups and body weight squats while its baking. Also, consider investing in a crockpot. Instead of getting up early to workout, get up 15 min early to throw some dinner in a crock pot so its ready when you get home.

2. Try working out on the weekends. Thats two extra days a week that you can get a workout in without worrying about being tired after work and then maybe try to squeeze in 30 min 2-3x during the week.

3. Try doing 10-15 min of exercise here and there. Go for a brisk walk during your lunch break at work. Do some yoga/stretching right when you get out of bed in the morning. Do some body weight/light weights while watching tv at night. For me, it doesn't feel as daunting when its broken up, and half the time you forget you're "working out." You can get a very effective workout in 15 min if you push yourself.

4. Being active is a lifestyle. The more you do the better you'll feel and look forward to working out everyday. Personally, I need exercise everyday in some capacity to deal with mental distress and stress relief. I have an alarm set on my phone for 9pm to exercise (when I'm usually in front of the tv) to make sure that I do a little bit everyday. So when that alarm goes off and I haven't done anything that day, I'll get up and do a mini 15 min workout and I ALWAYS feel better afterwards.

Best Wishes.

NoelFigart1

nsalley99 wrote: »

I'm up at 630 and get off work at 4. By the time I'm home, cook and take care of house stuff I am beat. Getting up early is a challange. I am not complaining I am just at a loss. Suggestions on how you get yourself/ make yourself get moving when exhausted.

I also tend to be exhausted in the evenings. That's why I exercise in the AM. Up at 5, hit the gym by 5:30, work out, come home, have breakfast, then go to work. Then, if I've had a hard day and feel like a slug, I don't care. I've worked out, dammit.

And sometimes, I don't feel like such a slug.

kikontx

What type of exercise do you want to do?

I don't get home until 6:30pm and then after helping my girls with their homework (my husband normally cooks dinner), it's probably 9:00pm or later before I can go out for a walk or jog which are normally 2.5 miles long each. On days I do a walk, I'll also do a simple circuit training afterwards - lunges, squats, pushups, etc.

If you do go walking/jogging at night, I would recommend getting a high visibility vest and carrying a flashlight - even if you are in area that is well lit. Unless of course it is a school track or something similar without any vehicle traffic.

throoper

I drink a cup of coffee 45 min before I leave the office and go directly for my run or bike ride or to the gym. Or I go out on my lunch break. If I get home at night and get settled in, no way am I leaving again to work out.