Full-time Working Moms Only!!!

pmkelly409

When do you work out?

I have to go directly after work and the guilt associated with this is incredible!

My husband has to leave for work at 5am so I have morning duty getting them ready for school. So I figure I have 2 hours with them in the am and he gets an hour or two with them in the evening.

Problem is we never sit down and eat dinner together as a family but all the good classes at the gym are at 5 and 6pm.

pmkelly409

When do you work out?

I have to go directly after work and the guilt associated with this is incredible!

My husband has to leave for work at 5am so I have morning duty getting them ready for school. So I figure I have 2 hours with them in the am and he gets an hour or two with them in the evening.

Problem is we never sit down and eat dinner together as a family but all the good classes at the gym are at 5 and 6pm.

JMAMA

Maybe on some nights instead of going to the gym you could involve your kids in your exercise-outdoor sports, kick ball, tag, jump rope. Then on the nights that you go to the gym (for some much deserved you time) you won't feel so guilty

jenken99

i know how you feel. except i have to work 2nd shift so i have the mornings to my self afterthe kids go to school, my husband works 3rd so i see him hardly..
i enjoy walking with people but unfortunalty i have no-one excpet my self unless my hubby has the night off. when i do go to the gym i feel guilty , becuase my youngest son lovesto go,, so on my days off he goes too so he can play in the kids gym..

GonnaDoIt

I bought this stroller/bike trailer about a year ago and I love it! I am not sure how old your children are and how many you have, but this might be a good solution. It hold like 2 big kids or 3 small ones....I put my daughters DVD player in this stoller and her sippy cup and she is good to go while I walk. This would be a great morning excersise for you. I found a stoller much like this one at Walmart for about $99 instead of the $200 + prices you see online and it glides on the street and sidewalk like butter (sorry to make you hungry anyway....just a thought.....
http://www.instep.net/Product/Bicycle_Trailers/Detail/32_Mark_2_Bicycle_Trailer_13-SC766/

CyclingDiva

I am a full time working mom. My kids are now teens, but no matter what age they need that parental supervision, as they would disagree :laugh:
Anyways I ride my bike to work and hit the gym or go for an hour bike ride after work everyday. This way I'm home an hour after they are.
Over the years I have always adjusted my workouts according to what worked best for the family.
When they were little I would take them to the local track at the school (it was fenced in) I would let them play and I would run the track, do squats, step ups on the bleachers and push ups.
I would bring the kids balls or their bikes to keep them busy,
The park is also another good place to go. The park near our house has a side walk that goes around the park. The play ground is in the center so I could run and keep an eye on the kids.
Be creative and everyone is happy quilt free :bigsmile:
But if you love your classes at the gym split it up and do those 2 or 3 days a week as well.
best of luck to you,
Kelly :flowerforyou:

103annie

I take a 2 mile walk during lunch with a coworker and I walk with a neighbor after the kiddos are in bed. I also have a treadmill that I picked up at a yard sale for $20. I also like to do Yoga poses when I watch TV and I have some cardio tapes that I will do after the kids are in bed. I don't like them watching me so I wait until I have time alone. On the weekends I take them to the park and swing on the playground or take them on a hike in the woods.

We have a unique hobby that we do as a family called geocaching so it give us a reason to get out and hike. I haven't joined a gym yet because I thought that if I didn't utilize what was free and around me than why would I use a gym membership? Alos the childcare hours didn't work with my schedule very well.

Hope that gives you some ideas. I feel your pain!!! :flowerforyou:

Cristy

103annie

Regarding dinner....I make it the night before and that help ALOT. :bigsmile:

foxfire9372

Don't feel guilty, but are you going every night after work or only a couple. Although I am doing the stay at home thing now, I have the same problem. I don't like the wait times at the gym for daycare, so I go two nights a week and first thing in the am on the weekends. This gives me my time, daddy gets "daddy time" and then we have the rest of the day for us.

jamie77

Being a single mom of a 19 month old makes is very hard to find time to work out. The only time I have is at 3:00 am. Yes, I know that sounds crazy, but it works(Once you get used to it).
You would be amazed at how great you feel all day when you make yourself get on the treadmill or do a work out dvd first thing in the morning. Get it out of then way, then all you have to do after work is spend time with those precious babies!

pmkelly409

Thank you all for your input and support. I have some ideas now about how to shake things up a little in my household - once again, the key is sacrafice on the mothers part!!!

My kids are 7 and 5, so strollers are not an option and to boot now they are playing baseball twice a week (on different nights!) - so that is 4 days a week that they spend on the baseball fields from 5:30-7:30! Life is just so hectic!!!

Where there is a will there is a way, right!?!?!?!

GIGINATOR

I work 3 12 hour shifts a week, 7a-7p. So on my works days I get up at 5am and work out. Then on my days off, I take my 4yr old to preschool and then work out while he's there. My 19month old just runs around in the basement while I work out. Also since the weather is finally nice we have been doing a lot of bike riding, have a trailer that my toddler rides in behind me. Somedays it's hard to fit it in but I like to get it over with early so I can't make an excuse not to!

annhjk

Thank you all for your input and support. I have some ideas now about how to shake things up a little in my household - once again, the key is sacrafice on the mothers part!!!

My kids are 7 and 5, so strollers are not an option and to boot now they are playing baseball twice a week (on different nights!) - so that is 4 days a week that they spend on the baseball fields from 5:30-7:30! Life is just so hectic!!!

Where there is a will there is a way, right!?!?!?!

Does your job offer any wellness incentives? Some places let you go a little late, leave early if you are going to a gym. Would they be willing to start?

Can you do something during baseball? I know you don't want to miss the games, but maybe once or twice wouldn't hurt.

We belong to a great gym - it's actually called Family Wellness :happy: There is so much for the kids to do there that it's hard for me to find an excuse not to go with them. I do workout 2 mornings a week, but otherwise I fit it in after school (I'm a teacher so I have a little time between after work and supper) or I'll go a little later after supper. We had a while in there that we weren't eating supper together either.

What time are you done with work? Does it bother you to exercise after eating? I can usually go 30-40 min after eating and be fine.

The other thing that helped us (when we didn't belong to a gym) was getting a treadmill at home. It's nice to use it when I have time instead of using time to go somewhere and wait to get on a machine and more time to get home.

I guess the positive is that baseball can't last forever and school will be out soon, and it won't be long til you can leave them home alone (sleeping) and workout whenever you can.

I'm sure it'll work out. I think 2-3 short workouts are just as valuable as 1 long workout.

lietee

my shedual is the same evrey month

Mondays i work 7am till 3 pm
tuesdays i rotate 7 am till 3 pm then 3 pm till 930 pm
wednesdays 3 till 930 pm
thursdays 3 till 930 pm
fridays OFF
saturdays is 7am till 3 pm then rotated off
Sundays is 7 am till 3pm then rotated off

at least every second week i get the weekend off

KrisKabob

I am also a full-time working Mom. My husband has a crazy Police Officer schedule so I am often the mirror of a single mom.

I have found that doing an A.M. workout is perfect for me! I do have the luxury of not having to leave my house until 8 am so I get up at 6 am do my workout then get myself and son ready to go. This way it's done and I can spend the evening with my little guy when I get home.

Plus, on the nights when my hubby is home we can eat dinner together (which I think many folks who have that option take for granted - no offense to anyone, I just miss my hubby).

amylynne26

The only days I really get to work out are Saturday and Sunday.... I get up at 7 am to go for a 30-45 min. bike ride on the trail behind my house. My husband and kids get to sleep in, I'm usually back before they are awake. The downside is I NEVER get to sleep in..... I'm up no later than 6 during the work week to get the kids off to daycare and myself to work! Kids are 2 and 4 so now that the weather is getting nicer I'm hoping we can start going for walks after dinner or something.... it's frustrating I feel your pain!! :frown: I've thought about getting up just a half hour earlier during the week to at least do a cardio DVD or SOMETHING but can't quite motivate myself to crawl out of bed any earlier than absolutely necessary.... any suggestions anyone????? :ohwell:

cwjett

my husband is a police office as well and he works 5:30 pm to 5:30 am and I get up at 6 am and come home at 6 pm! lol
So our schedules are very different, we never see each other. the nights that he is off and will be at home sleeping in the mornings I wake up at 5am to go to the gym before having to get my kids up and start getting ready! That is only a few days a week and i have only been doing it for 2 weeks!

It was very hard to wake up extra early to go to the gym but what made me start doing it was when my husband would see me setting my alarm he would just chuckle and say "you know your not gonna wake up that early and go to the gym!" LOL
Well that did it for me, I was going to prove to him that I COULD do it and I WOULD do it!!

It has been so nice getting it over with and getting my day going. On days that I don't get to go to the gym because of hubbys schedule i try to take my kids to a local track in the evening with the stroller. (we don't live in a neighborhood so we have to go somewhere to walk!)

If its a pretty day while i'm at work and not too hot i will walk around the block at lunch a few times. Anything to get me moving!

Good luck to everyone! for those of you feeling guilty about working out and not spending as much time with the kids just remember that if you are healthy and in shape you can enjoy them more and have more energy to do things with them!! you are doing them a favor too!

pmkelly409

Wow, this has all been so great!

I am such a night owl but I think getting up earlier and running while he gets ready for work is a definite - that will happen! I love the idea of getting it out of the way in the am but I have always been a night exerciser!! Then I can do my weights at night after they are all in bed.

Second, I was thinking about what I can be doing while they are playing baseball. I went into the old posts and found the boot camp style workout the Banks posted about a month ago. I can start doing that while they are practicing! Wow! See all I needed was a little encouragement!!

Third, i just wrote a 'nice' letter to my gym asking them to start some kids/family style workouts. The one thing my kids hate about going to the gym is that it is just a big daycare with primarily toddler toys. They want to to exercise like Mommy!

one more question, does anyone use one of those little trampolines to workout? I have one and NEVER use it!!

KrisKabob

Instead of taking them to the gym maybe you all could go up to the local park and "play". My son loves to be outside and he will do whatever it takes to be outside! Haha! :laugh:

cwjett

i think the little trampoline would be fun! I bet my kids would love it, the only problem is having a place to keep it. I don't want a trampoline in my living room the whole time! LOL

The gym I belong to doesn't even have a daycare so I can't even go there and bring them. my oldest is 12 but you can't go and work out until 14. you would think that they would want to encourage health and fitness at an early age by letting them come work out with me.

lina1131

I am a full time working mom to a 18 month old. I workout during my lunch break at work. I come back sweating like a mofo, but I can close my office door and stink to myself. I just take a shower with my daughter when I get home and spend the evening with her!