Moms and Dads: When do you fit your exercise in?

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Replies

  • slaste1111
    slaste1111 Posts: 1 Member
    Personally, I would nix the hour of TV with the Mrs and exercise then. If that quality time with her is very important to you then schedule it for only once or twice per week on your rest day or something.
  • sarm1977
    sarm1977 Posts: 9
    Awesome feedback all around. I'm really enjoying this message board!

    I may try a 4am wake-up, I'm usually restless those last couple hours of the morn anyway.

    I'm also thinking I could take the 3yo for a walk when he wakes up at 530. I've got a child carrying backpack, and a stroller that's probably sturdy enough to jog behind.

    Love the input!
  • ChristinaOrtiz23
    ChristinaOrtiz23 Posts: 1,546 Member
    I have a 4 year old and work M-TH 830-5 and Friday 830-530. My son goes to preschool so right after work i have to pick him up because they close at 6, so no gym for me, plus i don't have the $ for the gym and don't want to have someone watch my kid when we was at school all day, i miss him while I'm at work sooooo i bought the insanity DVD. I come home and do it right away, the 1st month of DVDs is between 38-42 min the 2nd month can be up to an hr i believe. I'm home though, so when I'm done I'm already home and can start my routine of cooking ( my boyfriend doesn't get home till late from work so i don't have to cook right away), cleaning, bathing my son and me then relax.



    This week though my boyfriend is on vacation from his night job so right after work i have to start cooking then work out, so i cook in my work out clothes so when I'm done i just get to it. So that's how i fit in exercises. (my Saturdays though i do it in the morning)
  • marshmallow8978
    marshmallow8978 Posts: 57 Member
    Maybe join a gym with a daycare? Or buy a peice of equiptment so you could watch tv with your wife and workout at the same time? Its so muchharder to make time for everything with kids and a crazy work schedule
    I workout in the morning around 10am after my 9mo's first nap. I am a SaHm though, with two older kids who help entertain the baby. I will also take kids on walks/bike rides/swiming. Its sometimes easier to include them rather than find time without them.
  • F1TCH1K
    F1TCH1K Posts: 72 Member
    We are members of the YMCA, they have great kids activities (Yoga, Boot Camp, Gymnastics, etc...) so the kids do their thing while my husband and I do ours, and if there is not kids activity for that evening they go to the Kids Zone (which is child care, board games, crafts, sports stuff, etc). My husband and I are both in public safety so our schedules change (days off are different each week) and I used to feel guilty that I was away from the kids all day and then again for an hour in the evening but I know they are having a blast and I know I need to work out to be myself (happy mom = happy kids).

    Could you sign up for a local family oriented gym?
  • TheBitSlinger
    TheBitSlinger Posts: 621 Member
    After work... it's a sacrifice for all of us (wife and children), but they need me around longer and feeling better when I am there.
  • Mama_Jag
    Mama_Jag Posts: 474 Member
    Morning for me, too! Early wake up, but it gets me going. My kids are older, but if your 3 yo is up at 5, get up at 4. :smile:
  • senyosmom
    senyosmom Posts: 613 Member
    I dont think it matters what time of day you exercise as far as getting the burn on - its not like our bodies restart at midnight every day or anything.

    Im mom to a 2 year old and I too find it hard to fit in exercise sometimes. Once a week I have a zumba class after work and my husband has our son. Like you I have to get the rest of my exercise in after my son is asleep.

    Maybe you can try doing activities with them while they are awake - like bike riding. You can get that kind of thing and sit the kids in it and pull them along or something. Or swimming with them at the pool during the summer. Or hiking with them.
  • SchroederNJ
    SchroederNJ Posts: 189 Member
    Beachbody (the company that sells P90x) just put out a new video system called Focus T25 -- it's 25 minutes a day, 5 days a week --- it's by Shaun T, the guy who made the Insanity program --- if you want more info on that or other programs you can check out http://www.thefitcrew.com
  • ThatSoundsHard
    ThatSoundsHard Posts: 475 Member
    Just whenever I find time. I do p90x and a few other videos. Mostly I try to keep it short when I'm with the kids or I'll have to pause a lot and get juice or break up fights or find a toy lol but I get it done. I COULD wake up before everyone but honestly, I'm not going to. Getting up at 4 to beat your 5 year old seems outlandish to me.. Parents get precious little sleep as it is.

    My 5 year old often mimics the workout videos that I do. Often taking the part of the trainer, checking my form and generally being a pain.
  • Iloveeyore78
    Iloveeyore78 Posts: 75 Member
    I work out after my 2 year old goes to sleep (8:30 pm). A few times a week I take him on an "exploring walk". We go through the neighborhood looking for things like birds, cats, people walking, running, bicycling and the like. He knows the difference between trucks, cars, suvs, vans and VW bugs so he points those out. We also have begun counting them. It makes my 4 mile walk about 10 minutes longer but he gets out and is stimulated and I get my exercise as well as we get time together.

    He now gets so excited I almost can't get the stroller set up quick enough! ;)
  • cathymarie75
    cathymarie75 Posts: 222 Member
    I have to do it before they wake up. I have a 4 and 18 month old
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    If your a stay at home parent, I would join a gym and bring them to the childcare. Thats what I do. If you work out of the home your options are limited to before and after wakeup, unfortunately.
  • mkakids
    mkakids Posts: 1,913 Member
    I work out after my 2 year old goes to sleep (8:30 pm). A few times a week I take him on an "exploring walk". We go through the neighborhood looking for things like birds, cats, people walking, running, bicycling and the like. He knows the difference between trucks, cars, suvs, vans and VW bugs so he points those out. We also have begun counting them. It makes my 4 mile walk about 10 minutes longer but he gets out and is stimulated and I get my exercise as well as we get time together.

    He now gets so excited I almost can't get the stroller set up quick enough! ;)

    This is good advice. My 5 year old keeps a nature journal, so sometimes I put the 2 and 3 year olds into a stroller and we go for hikes while keeping an eye out for cool things to document in the nature journal. Not as many calories as an hour of jogging, but still sone. Maybe push the 3 year old in a jogging stroller and let the 8 year old bike or roller blade?
  • Booksandbeaches
    Booksandbeaches Posts: 1,791 Member
    I work out mostly in the evenings or nights. On the weekends, I get my exercise in the morning or afternoon. Sometimes I'll go to a gym near my child's extracurricular activity. That way I'm not just sitting and waiting for her to finish her activity. I also accomplish something in the same time frame. If I can't get to a gym for whatever reason, I pop in a good exercise DVD (I like P90X, Power 90 by Tony Horton, Jillian Michaels..) at home. We have a good set of weights and bands at home.
    Another poster once told me somewhat harshly that I had to make time. Everyone has the same 24 hours. I also have a child with a serious disability, so I have to find and make time otherwise it's easy to let it slip. If a person has 1 hour to watch American Idol or Dancing With The Stars, they can use that one hour instead to exercise.
  • JenRunTriHappyGirl
    JenRunTriHappyGirl Posts: 521 Member
    I have a 10 yo and a 3 yo who is attached to my hip as well! My husband loves to workout so we try to take turns in the evenings and on the weekends. Since your wife gets up at 6 pm, can you go then? I also workout at home and do it in the living room where my kids watch TV... that way the little one still feels close to me but is entertained by something other than me. This works esspecially well if I do it as soon as we get home. Get the boys a snack, turn on some Spongebob and boom I have 20-30 minutes of workout time!
  • gsop22
    gsop22 Posts: 84 Member
    I'm a soon to be dad and I was wondering about when to work out once the baby arrives also. I am currently doing Insanity and it is great. I do it once I get home from work first thing. I tried to workout in the morning and wake up early but am not a morning person and always feel drained. I also tried P90X for a while and thought it was great but the videos are too long. I think what I will do is get the T25 videos in a few monthes and do them right after work and hope I can squeeze that in. Good luck to you
  • HollyTsab
    HollyTsab Posts: 120 Member
    How are you liking Insanity? I can't wait to start T25 but I want to finish P90X first. You're right...too long. But I skip over Tony's talking a lot and just move on. (I want that tshirt though LOL) Congratulations on your expecting baby!
  • gsop22
    gsop22 Posts: 84 Member
    How are you liking Insanity? I can't wait to start T25 but I want to finish P90X first. You're right...too long. But I skip over Tony's talking a lot and just move on. (I want that tshirt though LOL) Congratulations on your expecting baby!

    Thanks, I think Insanity is great so far, the only thing it's missing it the upper body workout(only an through half way so ill have to finish to know for sure). I would love to try a p90x hybrid but one thing at a time. . When I did p90x I use to skip over some of Tony's talk too.
  • Jcao1214
    Jcao1214 Posts: 19 Member
    I usually work out in the evenings, often after the kids go to bed. On the weekends however I will bring my kids with their toys and iPads to the basement to keep them occupied while I work out. My 3 year old is actually pretty good about not interrupting me too much during a 30 minute workout. If you're looking to mix things up I also recommend t25. Not quite as intense as Insanity but still a very good workout. As my once a week treat I also work out with a personal trainer for an hour. With all that you do with the kids during the day sounds like you definitely deserve to treat yourself for an hour also!
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
    I'm a single mom of a 3 yearold and I work full time. The little one and I also commute together by subway for an hour each way so time is tight. We are gone from 7:30 to 7 each day. So I fit my workouts in when I can. I run 3 days a week on my lunch break. I do body weight strength after my daughter is in bed and chores are done using the You Are Your Own Gym app. The program is 20-30 mminutes 4 or 5 days a week, but I usually combine 2 to workout for an hour 3 days a week instead. I recomend it because it isn't ahuge time commitment and using the app, I do it while watching tv (the only time I watch tv) so I don't find it boring like I do workout dvds. And you don't need equipment just stuff you have in your house.

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