Finding time to workout??

mcd8141984

I am a busy Father of two young kids and my wife and I work opposite full time work schedules. Wondering if anyone else is in a similar situation but has found a good time to workout? Currently trying to do 20 min workouts at home with the kids in the living room but I don't have time for longer workouts or to go to the gym.

I feel like I need to spend more time working out (that I don't have) or get to the gym to get better results.

Thoughts?

Liftng4Lis

Go in the morning before they wake up.

BasicGreatGuy

Can you leave for work a little earlier, giving you a few minutes more to workout?

slaite1

Take the kids to the park and actively play with them for some cardio. Play on monkey bars, do pullups, do burpees (Depending on age of course). My nephew LOVED doing this when he was around 4.

Also going to second am workouts, if you can swing it.

Have you checked out the YMCA? The one by me has free daycare while you workout-and it's super fun for the kids. They can be expensive, but if that's an issue they also have sliding scale payments. If you're in the U.S., I think la fitness has child care as well.

mcd8141984

No wife gets off work at 2am so I have to watch the kids for as long as possible to give her as much sleep as possible. I leave at 7:30 to get to work by 8

mcd8141984

Kids are 1 and 4

BasicGreatGuy

If you can't find an extra 20 - 30 minutes of time in your schedule, try increasing the intensity with the time that you do have, along with changing your routine up to shock your muscles.

Francl27

It's tough. I'm guessing you have some time in the evening after the kids are in bed though?

mcd8141984

Most daycare don't watch kids who are 1. Plus I get to workout for free at our rec center because of my job but no daycare offered there

mcd8141984

I do but after working all day and watching the kids till 8 or 9 pm I am exhausted. Early mornings seem to be the only time I have the energy to put in a good workout

strong_curves

I get up at 5 am to get my workout in. With your schedule it looks tough. Maybe if you have family you can trust nearby, you can ask them to watch the kids for an hour while you get your workout done.

skippygirlsmom

How about lunch time?

mcd8141984

My one year old gets me up at 5am most mornings so I try to work out then but also have a list of chores to get done before I leave for work at 7:15-7:30

mcd8141984

Lunch time we try to eat together as a family since it's one of the only times we see each other

enterdanger

I try to go on my lunch break at work. If that doesn't work, I suck it up and go when kids are in bed. Obviously, you'd have to workout at home if the kids are in bed. Someone else mentioned the YMCA. Once we sell our 2nd home and are actually home on the weekends I plan on getting a membership there so both my kiddos and I get some exercise. I'm in a similar boat as you. I've got a 2 and 4 year old. I'm lucky that husband and I both work the same hours.

Liftng4Lis

Sounds like an early workout at home, before they get up
Also, utilize those weekends. Strap them in and get moving, as a family.

mcd8141984

I know it probably sounds like I'm making excuses but just trying to lay out the facts. Thanks for all the great suggestions thus far everyone!

Francl27

mcd8141984 wrote: »

I know it probably sounds like I'm making excuses but just trying to lay out the facts. Thanks for all the great suggestions thus far everyone!

Haha nope, I totally get it.

Honestly my husband is in the same boat (ok he's actually nowhere as busy as you are, but anyway), but he did use a stationary bike in front of the TV for a while after the kids were in bed. He was going to watch TV anyway, so might as well use that time to workout. Best $100 we've spent, and I use it too.

WBB55

maybe break it up into 2 20-minute sessions? Like something more cardio in the morning when you have energy and then weights at night when you have less energy? If you get a FitBit it can help you just be simply more active overall, and then maybe all you'll need is the weights if you can stay active throughout the day.

jemhh

I would work on an early morning workout before the kids are up. What time do you usually get up and when do they get up?

kshama2001

mcd8141984 wrote: »

I do but after working all day and watching the kids till 8 or 9 pm I am exhausted. Early mornings seem to be the only time I have the energy to put in a good workout

I really prefer to work out in the mornings as well, but if I had no choice, I would force myself to go at night and see how that went. Often the hardest part is getting out the door and it is all smooth sailing after that.

LiftAllThePizzas

mcd8141984 wrote: »

I do but after working all day and watching the kids till 8 or 9 pm I am exhausted. Early mornings seem to be the only time I have the energy to put in a good workout

I think you should try a few times at the end of the day anyway. Give it 5 minutes and if you're still feeling exhausted 5 minutes in then you can stop the workout. (For me at the end of one of those days there's usually a hidden supply of energy that suddenly becomes available when I start working out.)

MHChicago

Maybe for strength training days focus on doing total-body movements at home with dumbbells or bands (e.g. squat with overhead press, lunge with bicep curl, etc.) for time efficiency, and get in your cardio during work breaks somehow? Not sure if you work somewhere you can get in a solid 30 minute walk or jog at lunch, and what you can do about the sweat factor....

mcd8141984

I have a Fitbit and love it. I try to switch between one day cardio/fit star app and weights the next. Trying to do like 4-5 days a week. I think getting my butt up earlier might be the only option but keep the suggestions coming, thank you. Getting up earlier doesn't sound like fun as my Fitbit says I average like 6 hours of sleep a night with me getting up with crying kids in the middle of the night.

mcd8141984

I work in Law enforcement and am in uniform so tuff to find time to workout during work

slaite1

How do your days off pan out? Are they on the weekends or random days?

mcd8141984

Normal weekends off, I watch the kids most of the day Saturday's and take Sunday's off to do other things

slaite1

mcd8141984 wrote: »

Normal weekends off, I watch the kids most of the day Saturday's and take Sunday's off to do other things

If you fit in a solid full body workout on Saturday-you would only really need to fit in two more workouts on work days (for lifting or resistance training). There are lots of programs out there based on 3-full body days a week.

You can most definitely bang them out pretty quickly. You could even do them circuit style and make it cardio and weight training. Then just try to fit in some extra activity throughout the week.

If my schedule was as tight as yours, I would not want to get up super early any more than I absolutely had to.

mcd8141984

Great advice

jemhh

When do you get out of work?

Does your department/station have a workout area? Could you stay after work 30-45 minutes and get a workout in there?

busyPK

I work full-time and have 3 young kids - 5, 4 and 2. I am also divorced and have them with me about 85% of the time when I am not working. The 1 thing that has saved me is investing in a treadmill. I can jump on that for 10 minute joke while the kids are watching a TV show, or a quick 20 minute incline walk right after I put them to bed. I make time to put me in my priority list.