Finding time to study, raise children and workout

halimaiqbal00

I will be starting a PhD in October and am nervous about being able to balance my studies/home life (2 children under 5) and working out. I can't compromise any one of these things so am curious how others balance life without neglecting working out

Any advice?

dawn_westbury

I’d say having 2 children under 5 can be added as a workout!! Maybe start by focusing on your studies and home life first to start then see where you might have extra time for an actual work out.

deputy_randolph

I took extra graduate courses when my kids were 2 & 4...

I woke up at 5am, started on school work, 7am woke up kids, 9am dropped off 1 kid a pre-k, took other kid with me to gym for 2 hrs (gym with childcare), picked up pre-ker at noon, took kids home for lunch/naps, squeezed in school work; then on kid duty, dinner duty, house work duty until my husband got home around 6pm, he put kids to bed, and I either went to class until 9pm (got home by 10pm) or picked up house and did school work from 7-8pm...was asleep by 9pm on those days.

Waking up super early and drinking a pot of coffee before 7am helps...

impyimpyaj

You can consider including your kids in your workouts. Take walks with them or put them in a jogging stroller and go for a run. Bench press the little one or do yoga in the living room with both of them. You also could consider a standing desk for when you're doing your homework. Some people get little treadmills or steppers to use while they're standing at their desk.

Redordeadhead

I would say it's the same as working full time, having kids and working out. Just try to find what suits you.

For example, I tried going to the gym after work but found I was too often tempted to say I was tired/had a hard day/had to get dinner ready etc. and not go. Now I go early morning before work and it suits me personally much better.

At home workout DVDs/YouTube could also be an option. Just experiment a bit with timing and see what fits your schedule.

sfa90

I am single mom that studies and works and my son is 8. I work out early in the morning and often at home. Invest some money in a few weights and a cardio machine so you can work out at home.

shaunshaikh

I used my kids as an excuse for getting out of shape and not eating well for a long time, but in reality it is very possible to balance both if you cut out all the noise in your life and just focus on your health, kids, and school. Working out only needs to take 30-60 minutes and what I learned is that exercising and eating healthy was giving me MORE energy to raise my 3 kids under 4 and keep up with my job with long hours. For me, what has worked is going on a run or doing a calisthenic workout after my kids go to bed and I strictly do not let myself sit down. After I finish I stretch, shower and sleep.

I think the most important thing is finding a plan that works out for your lifestyle that you can sustain not just while you're losing weight but forever. The reality is that a lot of us are here to lose weight but we also should want strong healthy bodies so we can be around to see our children grow up and guide them through life.

zjpq

Hiya, I'm a full time student with theory hours and 32+ hours of clinical placement a week. I meal plan and prep on sundays so I have my shift meals done. I also bake muffins, hard boiled eggs, carrot sticks etc for the kids lunches so I can just throw those at them when they're hungry I squeeze in a couple good workouts on the weekend, try to get extra steps throughout the week and just stick to my cal limit. I have been known to put a movie on for the kids and do a workout on my laptop behind the couch (fitness blender on youtube is great, I also use T25). I have lost just over 6lbs in the last month, it can be done!

Ainadan

I don't have kids, but I am working on my Ph.D (dissertation stage, yay!) Working out is essential for me to have the energy and clear head I need to study. Additionally, several of the professors I know say that their best research breakthroughs come when they are running. Although the Ph.D program takes all of your time and then some, a lot of that time is "unstructured" which means you have to figure out how to best utilize it. Part of that time will just be spent thinking about the literature, so read a journal article, and then go work out and let your brain work through the information while you are working your body.

Also, it is best to view the Ph.D program as a job. Work on it solidly for 40-50 hours a week, and then leave your research at work. But truly work on it during those hours, no facebook or other distractions. During coursework, this may not be completely possible (I took 4 classes and taught 2 during my second year, so I was working 80+ hours a week) but you should develop a work/life balance as soon as possible.