Workout advice for a mother of a one year old

bc2061

I hardly ever post of these forums, but I'm looking for a little advice or iput from others that are dealing with what I deal with.

I'm a first time mom, my daughter is about to be a year. I would 45-50 hours a week in a sometimes high-stress job. Before she came along, I found it much easier to work out. I was a member of a gym and LOVED their group workout classes. I'm fairly competative in settings like that and hate to be a straggler, so I push myself to give it my all.

Now I really struggle to find time (ugh, I hate that I even find myself saying those words) or energy to squeeze in any form of consistent workout. My stamina is down to ground zero (I used to be able to go for short jogs, do a bootcamp class, etc) and I'm somewhat lost. I would love to start running- I'm always so inspired by the folks on here that do- but I feel like that's leaps ahead of where I'm starting at right now, fitness-wise. The only consistent exercise I get right now are 20-30 minute walks with my daughter 3-4 times a week. This isn't cutting it anymore.

Moms- tell me what you do. How do you squeeze in your workouts? What's your routine? How do you keep motivated to give yourself the time to workout?

lucky77sevens

I would use my kids as weights sometimes...lay on your back and put baby on your shins for leg lifts, play airplane in the same position, squats while holding her, lift her over your head a few times, ect...not only a work out but playtime she'll love as well

RTricia

The best thing you can do at this moment is get adequate sleep.

Everything else you do with fall secondary to adequate sleep for weight loss/health efforts.

Good luck!! :flowerforyou:

I'm talking to myself as well on this!

liveletl0ve

ill keep it simple. get up earlier, 15 minutes is not hard in the morning. 15 minutes on a lunch break, even if its just a high impact walk, 15 minutes before you go to sleep. thats 45 minutes a day at the least and THAT is wonderful. also eat healthy!

jljohnson

I have 2 boys - 3 years, and 19 months.

I get up early. 5am or 5:30, depending on what workout I want to do. Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred is a great option for busy moms (only 25 min, and a great total body workout). If you have a spouse/partner at home, going for an outdoor run is great - give them some quality time with the baby (or sleep if it's early). Couch-to-5K is a great program to follow if you want to get into running. I also go for a 30minute walk on my lunch break at work. You can also workout while baby naps, or find a gym with child care services.

Also, sleep is important too, so take things day by day. If baby wakes you up in the middle of the night, turn off your alarm and get the extra 30-60 minutes of sleep. If you're honestly tired - not just feeling lazy - take a nap when baby naps.

Hope this helps! :flowerforyou:

miller1208

Congrats on your baby girl. I hear you about the inability to find time. Kiddos are quite needy until they are about 2 or 3, but it does get better! I have a 15 month old who is into everything. Luckily, he loves being outside, so stroller and wagon rides are fun for both of us. When my older daughter was little and we lived in a subdivision, I purchased a bicycle wagon (?) to pull behind my bike. She really liked it.

I also started walking at work like another member suggested. One lap around the building is about a half mile, and I go for 1 or 2 laps, 3 times a day. It's a good stress buster. Also, you may benefit from hiring a trainer. I did that for about 10 months, and it helped having the appt. time so there were no excuses. I'll admit I struggle now that I don't have that now. If those options don't work, google "office
exercises." There are all sorts of tips out there. Good luck to you. She's your biggest fan.

renee474

I am a mom to a 9 month old and a 4 year old and I also work 45+ hours a week at a demanding job so I can totally relate. Recently I have really started to focus on my health. I exercise at night after the kids go to bed for 20-30 minutes using workout DVDs. There are also some good short, yet intense, workouts on Exercise on Demand if you have cable. Sometimes it is late when I finally get a chance to workout but I force myself to do it because I know it's the only option that works for me. In addition to logging my exercise on this site, I also keep a calendar of planned workouts vs completed workouts and this helps to motivate me (I'm metrics driven).
Hope this helps. Good luck!

catherine1979

Congratulations on becoming a mother! As for working out, I get up 30 minutes early to run, or I go to yoga at 8:30, after my son has gone to bed. I work 50 hours a week as well, so I hear you. My son is almost four and it does get easier as they get older.