how do i find time to exercise

Chiquita_Banana

so my day starts at 5:30 am get ready for work, make breakfast for my husband and kids, get the kids ready for daycare, and out the door by 6:50. drop the boys off at daycare then i drive about an hour and a half to work, get out around 5, then off to pick the boys up and get home about 6:45, then dinner, get the boys ready for bed read them stories, and that's all done by 8:30 - 9pm. then i get lunch ready for my husband and kids and clean up by the time everything is all done its about 10pm. normally i'm pretty exhausted by that time and just want to get ready for bed to wake up in 7 hours. i know i should get sleep but i would also like to get some exercise in. i'm a nurse so i used to get a lot of activity, but now i'm a nurse manager so i'm mostly at a desk. the only activity i see is running after my boys for a little bit and climbing 3 stories up to my condo. any suggestions?

christan04

When I was working I got a group of ladies together and we walked at lunch. We would spend the first half walking and the second half back at our desks eating our lunch.

KellyBurton1

Is there anytime while your working you could do some sqats, leg lifts etc. Stand up next to your desk and do it for a couple of minutes each time.

meggonkgonk

I think part of the stregth of this site is that it allows you to match your food intake to your current activity level. It sounds, to me, like exercise doesn't fit into your life at this stage. The only way I can see for you to find workout time is if hubby starts taking over making lunch at night or breakfast in the morning. Maybe he could do one and you could do the other?

There's also little things you can do throughout the day- find stairs to take, park far away from your building, walking during lunch break. That kind of stuff

hroush

You could do some of the things at www.hundredpushups.com as they only take at most 10 minutes to do. Should you decide to do a couple of them, pushups, situps, and squats, you can interleave them for maybe a total of 15 minutes. you only do these 3 days a week, so you could do them wed, fri, sun, or something like that. maybe include some cardio on the weekends, if you're not as busy then.

P.S. Where's the husband in this picture? Why isn't he helping with some of these chores?

Chiquita_Banana

unfortunately i cant leave for lunch, but doing some exercises at my desk might work, not to mention entertain some co-workers lol. thank you!

JStarnes

Make time. Give some of the night time responsibilities to your husband. Trade off nights, tonight you do the clean up & the next days prep work and tomorrow when he does, you can work out (or trade off mornings). Or like others have said, use your lunch hour.

crystal9999

Maybe your husband could pitch in with the cooking or getting the kids ready for school or bed. If he could give them their baths or something like that maybe you could get in about 20 minutes or so.

groucherella

squeezing in even a walk at lunch is good. Don't sacrifce sleep, it's important, but maybe you can sacrifice tv time through out the week? Or work out on the weekends and maybe one day during the week? That will start you off with 3 days/week and once it becomes a habit, you'll find ways to sneak it in other days as well. Just remember you owe it to yourself and your family to find the time somewhere/somehow. Tomorrow starts today!

jillybeanruns

I get up at 5AM to exercise, and although it's not ideal I do get my workout done in the morning and feel a lot more energized during the day. Try it for a week and see if it works for you.

themommie

that is exactly what I was going to suggest , was walking during lunch.If that is not possible then maybe you could find a 15-20 min dvd to work in after you put the kids to bed and delay cleaning up for 15-20 mins 3xs a week. On your days off you can possibly walk to the park with the kids . I often walk to the park with my kids and walk laps around the playground while they are playing. Good luck sounds like you are plenty busy

thehagins

I agree with the previous posters. If you can't get to a gym or walk in the am, try to incorporate exercise into your day.
Park far away from the entrance to the building, take the stairs instead of the elevator, and walk on your lunch hour if possible.
If you are in a climate where it gets cold in the winter, try walking up and down several flights of stairs on your lunch hour.
Even 15 minutes is better than nothing.
Try wearing a pedometer and aiming for 10,000 steps per day. It can be done, even if you just leave your desk for 5 minutes and take a spin up and down the stairs before or after your bathroom break.
And before you get ready for bed, take 10 minutes to do some crunches and push ups, as well as some good stretches.

And also; why are you making breakfast for your husband and kids and doing all the cleaning etc.? He should be pitching in with all of the chores.
Time for a discussion with him about this!
Good luck! You can do it.

kmtetour

I would suggest trying to walk on a break at lunch. Or, is there a way your husband could take over one of the things you do in the evening?

Chiquita_Banana

my husband does help ... cooking not so much his forte. but he does help me get the kids ready for school but he also has to get ready for work, he leaves the house at 6:30am, and some days doesnt get home until 10 pm...

heathercrist1

What about waking 30 minutes earlier and doing a run or dvd before the kids get up at 530? Then add in a 30 minute walk at lunch. Do an hour saturday and sunday and then take off a day or 2 during the week. It is difficult to squeeze in exercise when you are so busy, but it can be done! What about after dinner taking a walk with the family or taking the kids to the park and doing a park workout (pushups off park bench, pullups on the monkey bars, etc. I know you think you'll look silly, but at the end of the day who cares what other people think!). A girlfriend of mine as 3 kiddos and I asked her how she manages to get in her workouts everyday. She told me that she schedules in her workouts just like an appt she must do.

I know these suggestions are easier said than done, but you and your health should be a priority. If mom isn't happy and healthy, the family suffers! Be creative, but you can do it!

thehagins

Another suggestion. It sounds as if you and hubby both have good jobs and maybe could afford some help?
Look into hiring someone to come in and clean house and do laundry once or twice a week as well as preparing some meals.
This is about your health after all and that of your husband and children.
You might find that the cost is not that much compared to the time and stress you will save.

MiloBloom83

This sounds selfish, but someone once told me "you have to make you a priority". I get my exercise in the evening. It's usually 9:00pm or later when i go for a run. Why are you making breakfast & lunch for everyone? If you can get help in the morning, you should be able to squeeze in a work out dvd before breakfast. Or take care of lunch/breakfast at the same time and free up your evening for a walk or run.

jbootman

I know it is fashionable to exercise, and I know its health benefits, but I also have had years of being a busy mother and have joined, participated in and led dozens of womens and mothers groups of all topics, and the single thread is lack of proper sleep,

I can remember on one hand the number of mothers I have met, from the hundreds, who are properly rested,

there are very recent studies that have correlated lack of sleep alone and weight issues,

and recent studies showing the importance of just getting your diet in line,

my humble suggestion is that you concentrate on getting a master food list, master menu, and take your extra pounds off with good heathy diet, something you can really live with, something you can do with your children and your schedule,

the opportunity for exercise will come later,

mothers beat themselves up constantly because the feel the need to be perfect and do it all,

for now eat and sleep

klstarks

Hi my name is Kimberly, Do you get any breaks at work? if so try to start off getting 30 min of walking in each day so at your break walk 10 min brisk walk and at lunch walk 15 min brisk walk if you only get get one break if you get 2 breaks and lunch then break it up into 3 10 min walks. This is a good start and it is getting you walking. I hope this helps.

fitnewlife

I know you say you get in 7 hours of sleep. Maybe you could get 6.5 hours of sleep and do a 30
minute workout.
I typically get 6 to 6.5 hours of sleep. Its a sacrifice to get up extra early to get in a workout but its the only time thats convenient.

I hope you can figure it all out.

unfortunately i cant leave for lunch, but doing some exercises at my desk might work, not to mention entertain some co-workers lol. thank you!