Too Busy to Exercise

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  • work_on_it
    work_on_it Posts: 251 Member
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    diiartejess wrote: »
    I get it! I am a single mother of two. A 7 year old and a 2 year old. I work 62 hours a week and have insomnia. Jumping jacks, squats and burpees before late night showers is all I can get in at the moment. Run in place when reading? Throw in 15 min of power exercise here and there. Drink lots and lots of water!

    +1 here. I try to do 100 crunches or Russian twists before my shower every day. It's not as much as I'd like... but it's something!

  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,442 Member
    edited May 2017
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    When I was working, momming, and going to school for my MBA, I had to get my workout in on my lunch break. That's the only time I could make it fit.

    I still walk on my morning, lunch, and afternoon breaks because I like to get out of my office.
  • veronicav0502
    veronicav0502 Posts: 112 Member
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    Ariberri9 wrote: »
    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    You can always make time for what is important to you. I used to wake up at 5am to exercise. Now I wake up at 4am cuz I can't sleep, but that's a different story. If you don't have time, you have to sacrifice something else.

    I feel that the things I can sacrifice are sleep, work, or class. And I feel like I can't sacrifice any of those, especially sleep (I need sleep to effectively manage my health issues).

    You have to manage your time better. Try working out more during your days off from work. I'm doing all that and I have kids. You can do it. Ya school, work, working out and life isn't always easy, but you just need to make it and feel like it is as important as your work and school. I felt the same way you did in the beginning and somehow I made it work. Good luck to you!
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
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    Ariberri9 wrote: »
    Greetings, MFP community!

    I need your help. I feel like I have no time to exercise.

    I currently work full-time, Monday through Friday, from 8 AM until 4:30 PM. I'm also in school full-time getting my MBA. Every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, I have class from 6 PM until 9:30 PM. Between that, I own a home with my partner and have to take care of the house and our pets. And outside of class hours, whenever possible, I meet with classmates to work on group work.

    By the time I get some downtime, I'm exhausted. If I'm not working, in class, meeting with classmates, or taking care of the house, I'm sleeping because I'm so tired. And unfortunately, I feel like I have no time to exercise.

    Any advice, MFP? How can I get time to exercise?

    Find a gym, or an area you would enjoy running that is located on the route between your job and class (and bring your workout clothes and meals with you to work). Your partner would have to take care of feeding the pets in the evening though. (If you are tired, that time would largely fall to waste if you went home anyway).
  • mandy_godfree
    mandy_godfree Posts: 71 Member
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    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    You can always make time for what is important to you. I used to wake up at 5am to exercise. Now I wake up at 4am cuz I can't sleep, but that's a different story. If you don't have time, you have to sacrifice something else.

    I used to say the same, I work full time shift work and work anything between 10 - 20 hour shifts, and get directed to work on some of my days off. I'm an emergency service worker so I work all times of day and night. I am also a full time carer for my disabled husband. I do everything at home, clean, cook, shop, finances, look after the pets, washing, ironing and sometimes I have to look after my husband's personal care as well. I'm a Trustee for a Charity and on top of that! The last wo years I have been studying for my promotion exams and I am exhausted pretty much most of the time. I still find time to exercise though. For me my local swimming pool doesn't close until 10.30pm so on my days off I poodle off down to the pool at 9.00pm and do an hour or more in the pool. The more I exercise the more energised I get. Exercise increases energy levels even if you're exhausted. Some days I feel like I'm falling asleep on the way to the pool, but on the way back I feel really great. We don't get Duty time to exercise at work so it is all in my own time. I will always find time for what I really want to do if it's important enough.
  • qpmomma1
    qpmomma1 Posts: 220 Member
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    Jthanmyfitnesspal wrote: »
    Ariberri9 wrote: »
    I need your help. I feel like I have no time to exercise.

    If you are moving for most of the day, including just standing, and you are physically tired at the end, then I'm going to give you the radical notion that maybe you don't need to work out. Maybe you just need a fitbit to count your steps. If you are over 5000, you are OK and if you are at 10000, then you are golden.

    Let me add that it has been shown that even very short workouts (less than 10 minutes) can significantly improve your fitness level:

    https://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/the-scientific-7-minute-workout/?_r=0

    In any case, you can diet even when you are very busy. Just plan your meals in advance and stick to them. Personally, I lose more weight when busy than not, since I'm distracted. Best wishes on your many activities!

    I second this.

    Also, if you want to work out you don't have to kill yourself doing it. Start small. I started walking around the block.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
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    mandy_godfree wrote: »
    .... The more I exercise the more energised I get. Exercise increases energy levels even if you're exhausted. Some days I feel like I'm falling asleep on the way to the pool, but on the way back I feel really great. ...

    Yes- this. If I were to go home after work (feeling tired) instead of the gym, I would be more likely to nap than get anything done around the house anyway.
  • lisatwin1b
    lisatwin1b Posts: 8 Member
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    I feel the same way! I get up at 7 am, cool breakfast and get the kids off to school. My husband the only one who demand breakfast. I try to tidy up and walk the dig before I leave for work at 8:45. Then I'm home at 5:30/6 and cook dinner, clean up, pay bills, and try to squeeze in one more walk with the dog and get to need by 10pm. What I need to do is make my family help, but that usually takes more time than doing it myself.
  • Angela_does_zumba
    Angela_does_zumba Posts: 31 Member
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    You could do workouts that are short, but intense. For example, tabata works well for those who are busy bees. I know some tabata formats are about 7 min long, each comprising of certain moves that go on for X seconds and rest between for less than X seconds... It can be just as effective as a 45 min workout if you go all out with it. But make sure you ease into this!!! Because if, lets just say, you've never exercised before, doing a 7 min tabata workout would be extremely exhausting. so just work your way towards it.
  • Ironandwine69
    Ironandwine69 Posts: 2,432 Member
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    lisatwin1b wrote: »
    I feel the same way! I get up at 7 am, cool breakfast and get the kids off to school. My husband the only one who demand breakfast. I try to tidy up and walk the dig before I leave for work at 8:45. Then I'm home at 5:30/6 and cook dinner, clean up, pay bills, and try to squeeze in one more walk with the dog and get to need by 10pm. What I need to do is make my family help, but that usually takes more time than doing it myself.

    What does waking up at 7am feel like?
  • CTcutie
    CTcutie Posts: 649 Member
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    Some housework really can wait.
    Your health (physical & mental) cannot
  • sporangia
    sporangia Posts: 50 Member
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    • Adopt a weekend warrior attitude.
    • Walk or ride a bike wherever you need to go.
    • Exercise on your lunch break
    • Exercise with your partner when you're at home
    • Diminish the house work to "maintenance" mode (ie. no projects)
    • Streamline your life in other was:
    • - buy multiple shirts/pants of the same type that you like to wear daily, it eliminates the choice or need to match things
    • - eliminate TV and as much non-productive screen time
    • - avoid friends that are a time drain
    • - make those group meetings "short and sweet", so you spend less time there
    • Remember that diet is a big part of this, which is more about food choices you make than needing to find blocks of time
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
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    Ironandwine69 wrote: »
    lisatwin1b wrote: »
    I feel the same way! I get up at 7 am, cool breakfast and get the kids off to school. My husband the only one who demand breakfast. I try to tidy up and walk the dig before I leave for work at 8:45. Then I'm home at 5:30/6 and cook dinner, clean up, pay bills, and try to squeeze in one more walk with the dog and get to need by 10pm. What I need to do is make my family help, but that usually takes more time than doing it myself.

    What does waking up at 7am feel like?

    seriously...its 7:30 here and I've already been up nearly 3hrs - with an hour commute to work
  • MontyMuttland
    MontyMuttland Posts: 68 Member
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    As you can see from the community response, plenty of people are in similar circumstances to yours and they've found ways to include exercise into their busy schedules, so there is no need for me to make further suggestions on that side of things.
    However, if it's the case that you feel you need to exercise because the pounds are going on (or they are refusing to come off), then you're starting in the wrong place for the solution.
    The first place to look, and something you are in control of no matter how busy you are in life, is how much you eat and drink.
    Simple basic fact, if the pounds are going on or won't come off, it's because you are consuming too much, and you need to start fixing that before worrying too much about how much exercise you can squeeze into your day.
    Most people's workouts actually amount to just a few hundred calories burned, which whilst in itself is great, it's not much compared to the many many hundreds of calories you may be consuming in poor food and drink choices.
    I'm not saying you view it like this, but the mentality of "If only I could find the time to exercise then I'd be able to lose some weight" is widely believed but completely wrong.
    There are just two things to keep at the front of your mind when it comes to successful weight-loss:
    1. Consume less calories daily than you burn.
    2. Eat less and move more.
    Good luck !
  • Theo166
    Theo166 Posts: 2,564 Member
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    Watch this BBC video, you can get benefits with modest time
    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x37mmsz_bbc-horizon-the-truth-about-exercise-bbc-documentary-films_sport
  • CSARdiver
    CSARdiver Posts: 6,252 Member
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    If you're going for your MBA I'm sure you've studied the Pareto Principle by now - sit down and identify the 20% that matters and intentionally neglect the other 80%.

    My wife gets up at 3:45 am to run/TRX every morning and works from 6 am- 3:30 pm. Picks up our three kids from daycare at 4:30 pm and manages homework and the early evening schedule. I get up at 5 am and do calisthenics/aerobic workout, wake up the kids at 6:30, do light calisthenics with them and get them ready and off to school/daycare at 7:30, work 9 am- 5 pm. Hit the gym on the way home for weight training, then we all get together and do something - walk around the neighborhood, ride bikes, etc.

    At work we eat lunch at our desks typically and use this hour break to work out. Most of my 1 to 1 meetings are walking meetings or something active. I purchased Varidesks for my team. Every now and then we do pushups, squats, etc in the office. You just make time.

    From personal experience - I used to sacrifice health/family for work and saw no results. Extra work was rarely appreciated and rarely rewarded. Since I focused on that critical 20% my outlook and that of my peers has increased in a positive regard immensely.
  • ritzvin
    ritzvin Posts: 2,860 Member
    edited May 2017
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    CSARdiver wrote: »
    If you're going for your MBA I'm sure you've studied the Pareto Principle by now - sit down and identify the 20% that matters and intentionally neglect the other 80%.
    ..
    From personal experience - I used to sacrifice health/family for work and saw no results. Extra work was rarely appreciated and rarely rewarded. Since I focused on that critical 20% my outlook and that of my peers has increased in a positive regard immensely.

    Yes. And if in a position with good benefits at a smaller company where boss=owner, they will tend to look with a positive light at an employee making an effort with their health and fitness (they're likely paying 2/3 of your health insurance premiums after all).

  • cherrypalmosa
    cherrypalmosa Posts: 11 Member
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    Doing household works for me is already an exercise. Just tune up the radio and move with it. Its also a good way of exercising though. Its not really a matter of solely exercise that you will give up anything for the sake of exercise. You can do multitasking if you want and the act of moving around, walking on the patio, cleaning the house is already a good cardio exercise. I think its enough already and if you have time walking in or out of your office, then do it. Just keep dehydrated. Its also important to watch your diet and prepare a healthy snack so that you will not force to buy unhealthy snacks at your office/school.
  • girlycanuck
    girlycanuck Posts: 4 Member
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    It does sound like you have a full schedule. What are you eating? If you are eating healthfully and consuming whole REAL foods ( not processed, pre made stuff) you're energy will sky rocket... that would help with the tiredness and youbwouldnt need so much time to rest. As others have mentioned - a walk around the block, taking the stairs instead of elevators, park further away from the front door. There are lots of people who don't "workout" as in go to a gym or do specific exercises but they are very active in the number of steps they take every day, by doing housework, playing with kids in the park or back yard, gardening etc and they can be very fit.

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