Can't find time to exercise. Help!

sambo155

I envy you folks that have the time - or rather *make* the time - to exercise. I feel like I just can't fit it in to my day. I work full time, single mom of a 4yr old, taking 2 classes (only on Tuesdays but I have homework to do most nights), and I have normal household chores to keep up with (dinner, laundry, etc.). It seems like I never stop until I go to bed. How do you guys do it?

I have a Wii (that has never been played so I know nothing about it) and a friend has a Wii fit she'll probably let me borrow. I think that might be fun. But again, when the heck am I going to do it???

cristalynn84

On my busiest days (which it sounds like all days are busy for you) I like to work out to Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. It is literally 25 min long with warm up and cool down included. It goes by super quick and you could still be productive afterward! Maybe even do some of your household chores afterward and burn even more calories since your heartrate will already be elevated. I would suggest to you doing this after your kids are in bed. Good luck!

kyrstensmom

I get up early...its the only time of the day I don't have something else planned.

oneIT

Improvise! I had my 2 year old doing P90x with me. Not that I didn't have to stop in the middle of stuff to stop him from doing certain things but I still got a workout in. He got pretty good at lifting weights and pushups too!

lougru

Im exactly the same and could do with some pointers. I currently work 40hours in 4 days and spend one full day in university studying toward my MBA. All my spare time is spent working on assignments or catchin up on sleep. Im also quite prone to becoming ill whe i push myself too hard. i just cant bear the thought of exercise even though i know i enjoy it. x

fasttrack27

I get up at 4:30am. Not an easy thing for me but its the only way to 'make it work'. I run a small business, have 3 kids, and a small hobby farm.

Melis25Fit

Get up early and just DOOOOOO IT! Seriously. No time? You gotta make time. Even if it's way at the butt crack of dawn.. No excuses. You gotta put yourself first. Do the work, otherwise you'll just get back to the unhealthy lifestyle. It's worth an hour less of sleep!

Good Luck!

P.S. My alarm goes of each morning at 4:12am, I have my gym clothes laid out, slide into those, in the car by 4:20, gym by 4:30 latest. There for 45min-hour. Gettin' it done- then you're finished, for the day! It's a great feeling!

DietingMommy08

I am completely there with you.
I am a single mom to a 3 year old.
Work full time and a full time student... I average out about 52hrs a week altogether not counting the homework.
Plus yes the house cleaning, cooking, ect ect.

You have to WANT to find the time. I started getting up half an hour earlier in the morning and doing an exercise from on demand.
Also you can always take your little one on walks with you.
When im doing my videos at night my son likes to join in with me, its usually before bedtime or right after he goes to sleep.
There is ALWAYS time to exercise.
5min here, 5 min there.... it all adds up at the end of the day!!

ladyhunter2011

I am feeling the very same way. Only difference is I have a spouse but he works shift work and is not always home. I do try very hard when the weather is ok to take 30 mins of my hour lunch and walk. I try to get up early to exercise but it all depends on how many times we were up that night if I can make myself do it or not.

I try to make sure that play time includes fun things like dancing or movement with the kids. It all helps a little.

Good Luck!

rosebarnalice

Until my scheduled normalized somewhat so that I could actually GO to the gym or the pool, I relied on 3 or 4 15-minute power walks a day as my primary form of cardio (totalling 45-60 minutes). It was much easier to find 15 minutes to dash around the block or back and forth across campus, and it didnt' requiring changing clothes, showering, etc.

Rheatheylia

Whenever I have a bunch of housework/laundry/dishes to do I'll blast some high energy music and dance around the house while working. It's great exercise, even if it gets me some weird looks from the hubby.

Also: would it be possible to jog/run/walk in place or on a treadmill while studying or doing homework? Multitasking is key for making more time for yourself.

lizziebeth1028

Been there, done that....so glad my kids are grown and out of the house! I did a lot of working out at home to exercise tapes back then! I would suggest investing in some exercise DVD's (like another poster suggested Jillian Michaels is quick and efficient!). I also like Leslie Sansone's walk at home DVD's. Perhaps work a walk in on your lunch break...bring a co-worker along that way your committing to a work out. And sometimes you just have to let the dishes or laundry sit a bit.....your health is important too!

A lot of people who are crunched for time get up early in the morning to work out.......they're my heroes!..as I've never been able to do this!!

alz6690

You could maybe try and fit in 15 mins a few times a day. On the days I cant fit a trip to the gym or a classs in then I do 4-5 mini workouts. Either find something online or just get up and do a series of exercises for 10-15 mins. My trainer says that something is better than nothing so why not ive it a go even if you only have 5 mins.

kvandenbush

I currently am working full time and am a full time student... I also live with a roommate but I need to keep up with household chores and making dinner and everything as well as doing homework. I tried waking up early before class at 8, but that just didn't work as I would have to wake up at about 6am to work out and come back and shower then get ready for class and work... so now as my job entails traveling quite a bit... when I get finished with work I stop by the gym and get my work out in then head home. I know you have a 4 year old so maybe you could find a fitness center that has a daycare that you could just put him in there while you work out, or like the previous post suggested, you could have him do it with you I know personally from working wiht 4 year olds that they love to copy what the adult is doing, so this might be good bonding time as well as a good workout for you!

priescm

I feel the EXACT same way. I work 40 hours a week and I am taking 17 credit hours of classes online. I'm at work 7-4 and then do homework all night...the only real exercise I have time for is walking my dogs for an hour between 7and 8 and then i'm in bed by 930 or 10. Weekends are spent cleaning my house. I have ALL kinds of gym equipment...I think I just convince myself that I don't have time or that I can't fit it in. I know I make excuses, but on the days I at least TRY to exercise, I usually succeed. I realized that I have a break between 4 and 430 when my husband isn't home so I started doing 30DS during that time. I will occasionally do a 10min break on the elliptical if I remember.

I would say the best option is to plan out your day in advance. Find those 20 minute breaks and do something active. I often catch myself watching tv for an hour and then saying, "oh, I don't have time to exercise now" when I could have been exercising that ENTIRE HOUR WHILE WATCHING TV.

It's hard, though. So I totally understand. I feel like every ounce of my day is planned out and used already...but there are days...not everyday..that I find a little baby gap that I try to fill with SOMETHING healthy like jumping jacks.

sambo155

Wanna know how lazy I am? There is a park with a 1/4 mile walking track literally right behind my house. I can throw a rock and hit it from my yard. Unfortunately I can't walk to it because of a big drainage ditch but it's right there! I went a couple of months ago and it only took 30 - 40 min to do 8 laps. I haven't been back. Hmmm... maybe I need a buddy to go with me. Or just ask my guy to watch the girl for 45 min.

My 1st goal is 20lbs by the end of january. I've been half-assing the diet for a couple of weeks and haven't lost any. In fact, I've gained a couple. (Stupid Thanksgiving!) So, I did the math and to reach my 1st goal, I'm not going to make it without exercise. How often should I do something? Everyday? 3 days a week?

DietingMommy08

I currently am working full time and am a full time student... I also live with a roommate but I need to keep up with household chores and making dinner and everything as well as doing homework. I tried waking up early before class at 8, but that just didn't work as I would have to wake up at about 6am to work out and come back and shower then get ready for class and work... so now as my job entails traveling quite a bit... when I get finished with work I stop by the gym and get my work out in then head home. I know you have a 4 year old so maybe you could find a fitness center that has a daycare that you could just put him in there while you work out, or like the previous post suggested, you could have him do it with you I know personally from working wiht 4 year olds that they love to copy what the adult is doing, so this might be good bonding time as well as a good workout for you!

It couda also be a good lesson for your 4 year old on how to be heathy.

DietingMommy08

Wanna know how lazy I am? There is a park with a 1/4 mile walking track literally right behind my house. I can throw a rock and hit it from my yard. Unfortunately I can't walk to it because of a big drainage ditch but it's right there! I went a couple of months ago and it only took 30 - 40 min to do 8 laps. I haven't been back. Hmmm... maybe I need a buddy to go with me. Or just ask my guy to watch the girl for 45 min.

My 1st goal is 20lbs by the end of january. I've been half-assing the diet for a couple of weeks and haven't lost any. In fact, I've gained a couple. (Stupid Thanksgiving!) So, I did the math and to reach my 1st goal, I'm not going to make it without exercise. How often should I do something? Everyday? 3 days a week?

I personally dont like walking alone either.
Its... well... Lonely. Lol.
I found that having my headphones in and blasing music really does help and it makes the time go by faster.
I personally work out every morning before I wake my son up.
& sometimes after he goes to bed.

The weekends I dont really work out at all. Lol.

priescm

I would personally like to say that I LOVE knowing that all of you are in the same boat as me and are still making progress!

madameduffay

Man, you sound busy!!!!

The only advice that I can offer is to find some short duration but high intensity workouts. One thing I've learned is that a workout does not have to last for an hour or more to be effective.

A lot of people are impressed wtih Jillian Michaels. Tabata is another option. I'm sure there are lots of others.

good luck.

kcmomof2

During the week I have to get up at 4:30am. It's the only time I can do it. On the weekends I sleep in a little later, and my 2 will attempt to workout with me. They think it is fun to workout with Mom.

emily2tx

What are you doing on your lunch break? For a long time, on my lunch break I would walk every day. Then I started lifting weights in my office every other day and walk or run the other days. Now, I go to the gym on my lunch breaks. Sometimes I have to work early or late or take a vacation hour, but it is well worth the effort. I also am able to go to the gym before my 3 children get up in the mornings, but I don't get up until 5am. I never thought that I would be a person that could get up and do it, but now, if I miss a day, it isn't because I was too tired to go!!!!! I love it! When I was a single parent I joined a gym that had free childcare, so I could pop in right after work and get a good hour in about 4 days a week(I can't do this now, the kids are older and they have practice and other activities that don't mesh with gym class times). Bring snacks for your kiddo ahead of time. I always have more energy for housework after I have been to the gym! Hope this helps!

woou

Just came in to say y'all are some superwomen in here. :flowerforyou:

sambo155

I'm impressed with how early some of you get up in the morning! What time do you go to bed??? I try to crash around 10:00 and asleep by around 10:45. My alarm goes off at 6:30 and it's a struggle to crack open my eyeballs. I like to lay there for about 15 min, watch the news and think about what I have to do for the day. Then it's off to the races! Time to eat bfast, get in the shower, wake up my girl, feed her bfast, get me and her both ready and out the door, take her to daycare and get to work by 8:10 or so. Sorry, I like my sleep tooo much to be gettin' up at 4:30! I won't say I can't - I just don't want to badly enough.

I like the idea of thinking of it as fun time for me & her. I'll have to move some furntiture but it can be done!

How often should a person exercise a week for it to be effective? I heard once that 20 mins is the magic amount of time; that if you don't keep your heart rate up that long then it's doesn't really do much good. Is that a myth?

sambo155

What are you doing on your lunch break?

I don't get a lunch break. It's a small biz.

gumigal82

I envy you folks that have the time - or rather *make* the time - to exercise. I feel like I just can't fit it in to my day. I work full time, single mom of a 4yr old, taking 2 classes (only on Tuesdays but I have homework to do most nights), and I have normal household chores to keep up with (dinner, laundry, etc.). It seems like I never stop until I go to bed. How do you guys do it?

I have a Wii (that has never been played so I know nothing about it) and a friend has a Wii fit she'll probably let me borrow. I think that might be fun. But again, when the heck am I going to do it???

I certainly can't say that may schedule is as busy as yours (you are a super woman/ mom!) However, I would find a very short workout routine and do it before your daughter is up, or later at night. Some workouts are only 15-45mins long. Other days that are nice out, go for a face paced walk or jog. (I love Turbo Fire, as there are shorter high intensity workouts. Others like JMs 30min Shred, etc...also I think there is a workout plan that involves10min workouts with Tony Horton?)

fasttrack27

I'm impressed with how early some of you get up in the morning! What time do you go to bed??? I try to crash around 10:00 and asleep by around 10:45. My alarm goes off at 6:30 and it's a struggle to crack open my eyeballs. I like to lay there for about 15 min, watch the news and think about what I have to do for the day. Then it's off to the races! Time to eat bfast, get in the shower, wake up my girl, feed her bfast, get me and her both ready and out the door, take her to daycare and get to work by 8:10 or so. Sorry, I like my sleep tooo much to be gettin' up at 4:30! I won't say I can't - I just don't want to badly enough.

I like the idea of thinking of it as fun time for me & her. I'll have to move some furntiture but it can be done!

How often should a person exercise a week for it to be effective? I heard once that 20 mins is the magic amount of time; that if you don't keep your heart rate up that long then it's doesn't really do much good. Is that a myth?

I certainly dont mean to downplay your hectic schedule - I applaud you for all you do. I see a lot of very good replies and am sure you can make some of them work if you want to bad enough. Regarding your comment above, we'd all LIKE more sleep. I seldom go to sleep before 10pm either but have simply MADE myself start the day at 4:30am. Your whole day is better after a good workout - kicks the metabolism in gear. Also, hasnt been much mentioned here about the weekends but unless you also work Sat/Sun there's no reason you cant make an hour to excercise. We all have 24 hrs in a day. You CAN do this!

mlb929

I'm always somewhat entertained by the excuses people come up with to NOT work out. Start with some of the 10 minute solutions videos - do 10 minutes at a time, you CAN get up 10 minutes early right? Then you will find you really want to do 20 minutes - etc etc.

We are ALL busy. We all have lives that our work schedules are hectic, we have other commitments, I could go on and on, but will spare you. The point is - only YOU can commit to YOU.

Here is what I find - the more you find time to exercise, the better you will feel and the more time you will have to do it. You will have better quality time with your child, you will want to eat healthier, and you will overall feel better, which will lead to you sleeping better, getting up earlier and making more time. I cook on weekends and meal plan for the week, to avoid any last minute meals, and more time to get my workouts in.

One of my favorite motto's - Find the busiest person to get the job done! The busy people will make the time for the things to commit to.

wells0707

Try workout dvd's. They come in all kinds of different lenghts. Also, maybe if you cook dinner using the crockpot it would allow time for at least a 30 minute workout. Or if you made extra dinners and freeze them for quick reheats it would save time also. Good Luck!