I dont have time to exercise!

24

Replies

  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    Funny, I didn't know you needed a gym membership to work out.
  • shantellrae
    shantellrae Posts: 25
    From my experience in babysitting, being a mom IS EXERCISE! Try including them in your "exercise" by playing games, going on walks, pulling them in a wagon (my mom used to do that and she had amazing legs) or swimming with them in a pool, ride bikes, etc. This also can help your kids to learn to have a healthy, active lifestyle!

    Investing in bikes, a stroller, wagon, etc will be more cost-effective in the long run if you don't already own a few of those things!
  • alpine1994
    alpine1994 Posts: 1,915 Member
    I have 3 kids, a job, and a new baby. I joined a gym but It has been proving near impossible to get there more than once or twice a week. Can i still lose weight even if i cant workout?
    Yes, if you are careful about your diet, you can still lose weight.

    However, I'm a single mother (with 0% support from his father or my family) and my son is developmentally disabled. Even though I work 40+ hours a week and I am busy taking my son to occupational therapy, behavioral therapy, swimming lessons & horseback riding programs for children with disabilities and cancer, I still find a half hour to work out at night. At about 8:00 I make my son go upstairs to his room to watch a movie while I do Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. I wouldn't have thought 8:00 would be a good time to do it, but since it seems to be the only time I can do it consistently, that makes it the best time to do it. I used to say I didn't have time to do it, too, but that was because I didn't MAKE time to do it. Not saying you have to, but you can if you really want to, but you have to actually want to do it.

    Just have to say that I really admire people like you. <3
  • Ronngie
    Ronngie Posts: 295 Member
    Walking is a great idea! Even if you can only steal 5 or 10 minutes at a time, you could walk, or do jumping jacks. Good luck! :)
  • dls06
    dls06 Posts: 6,774 Member
    I lost without exercise. You just have to eat less. Stick to the 1200 calories a day and you'll lose.
  • djc315
    djc315 Posts: 585 Member
    3 kids and a baby?? You are getting exercise hun... lol

    seriously!

    what about going for a family walk? do you have a wii system? you could get that and buy Just Dance and the whole family could play it. Or just play music and have dance parties with the family. if you dont have a radio, pandora.com would be a good place to get music for free.

    I'm sure you never have time to even sit down during the day, so you are doing okay. I sit more than not, just because of work, so...I'm sure you are burning more calories than me even though I do go for walks every day.
  • AverageAngel
    AverageAngel Posts: 123 Member
    You don't need a gym. You need willpower. Look up Body rock.tv on YouTube. I have lost 8 pounds in two months. My husband can't keep his hands off me. 15 min or less. Equipment optional. Stop making excuses. We believe in you. Remember, you are what you eat. Eat beautiful fresh food. Nourish your body. Don't diet. And sweat. Sweat like your life depends on it. Because it does. Goodluck you! I wish you the best. Your kids deserve it!
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
    An easy way to increase activity/workout is the purchase of a pedometer... increase to 10000 + steps per day...
  • djc315
    djc315 Posts: 585 Member
    Funny, I didn't know you needed a gym membership to work out.

    Don't think that was the point of the post. It would be pretty difficult to even get 30 minutes at home to yourself when you have 4 kids.
  • lewcompton
    lewcompton Posts: 881 Member
    Love doing wii fit and wii resort with the family...
  • spikefoot
    spikefoot Posts: 419
    I lost my first 15 lbs on diet alone..

    don't ever tell yourself you are too busy to improve your health by exercise

    but also don't underestimate the amount of moving you do when you don't consider it official exercise.
  • Sagebrush775
    Sagebrush775 Posts: 5
    You can lose weight. You will need exercise; however, exercising can be fun with the kids. making an activity like fun fit time can be fun for your kids too. get them doing jumping jacks and jogging in place for 30 second bursts. doing something like that for a half hour a day will totally work. Diet is the probably 3/4 of the whole puzzle. get inspired and keep up a good attitude. changing your routine is the best way to stick to a life changing exercise meal plan. good luck
  • fit4lifeUcan2
    fit4lifeUcan2 Posts: 1,458 Member
    When my kids were little I used to dance around the house with them while cleaning. One on the hip and the others would dance and pick things up. Thats great exercise! Walk the kids. They love it and you'll get in some great exercise. Play hop scotch with them or hoolahoops, jump rope, jumpin jacks etc.
  • bushidowoman
    bushidowoman Posts: 1,599 Member
    From a busy mom of 6...you *need* the exercise! :wink: I call it "mother's little helper". It's where I get my energy for the day. It improves my mood, makes me calmer and more focused, improves my strength, improves stamina...
    I don't have the time or money for a gym, but I can work out with dumbbells in my bedroom before jumping in the shower. Or 20 minutes of calisthenics...jumping jacks, pushups, squats, lunges, "skipping rope", burpees, jogging in place, planks, etc. If the kids are awake and under foot, they do jumping jacks and pushups with me. I have even held a fussy baby while doing lunges from one end of the house to the other, used her as the weight for overhead presses while doing squats (she always loved that), and other exercises to get my heartrate up. And on the days where 10 minutes was all I could manage...hey, that's better than nothing!
    Where there is a will, there's a way! You can find a solution and make it work!
  • KSCarnivore
    KSCarnivore Posts: 37
    My son is almost 4 years old. I had gained 50 lbs from my pre-baby weight because I "didn't have time to exercise." I've lost my 50 lbs now and attribute it to a combination of diet and exercise. I think that BOTH are important. The exercise will do you more good mentally than anything else you can do. Sit your husband down and tell him that you have to go walk for an hour every night. You'll come back feeling so much better that in time, your family will encourage you to take this time for yourself.
  • devil_in_a_blue_dress
    devil_in_a_blue_dress Posts: 5,214 Member
    Funny, I didn't know you needed a gym membership to work out.

    Don't think that was the point of the post. It would be pretty difficult to even get 30 minutes at home to yourself when you have 4 kids.

    I have one child of my own, 3, I watch my niece 2-3 days a week, she's 1, I work one full time job, and own a separate business that employs me part time. I know a thing or two about being busy -- getting to the gym in situations like this is WASTED time. Jog in place for 10 minutes three times a day, have a "dance party" with the older kids, do a Jillian DVD when everyone is in bed. It's entirely possible, you just have to be inventive and give up on the idea for a work out to count it needs to be 45 minutes at a gym.
  • ohh_myy_quad
    ohh_myy_quad Posts: 43 Member
    Our stories are similar....I have a 10 year old, a 5 year old, and a 3 month old, a 30 year old who thinks he's my 4th child, LOL, and a full-time job, aside from "everything else in between." The question is how bad you want this. It's about making healthy eating choices and making gradual changes that add up in the longrun....stairs versus the elevator, parking a bit further to get a few extra steps in, opting for grilled versus fried....small changes at first and try to see what else works for you. Personally, my day begins at 4:30 a.m. That is my "quiet time" when everyone at home is asleep, and I can work out without interruptions. I try to be in bed by 9 p.m. so I feel well-rested when I wake up in the morning. I am doing the Insanity dvd workouts and though it kicks my butt every time, I have to push myself to do what no one else can force me to do. In the evenings it helps to cook simple meals, or cook a few meals over the weekend that can be frozen and reheated during the week. After completing my workout, at about 5:30 a.m. I bathe, get ready, wake the older kids up at 6:15 and leave the house by 7 to drop everyone off to their respective places, and manage to be at work for 8:30. It's not easy, but I promise if you start setting small goals for yourself, you will make yourself very proud when you begin to accomplish them one at a time. YOU CAN DO THIS! :) Your mindset is also very influential....keep in mind no one is perfect, but we can each strive to be better than we were yesterday. If you say and feel you "can't," that is what you are setting yourself up for. If you believe you CAN and WILL, you will materialize what's in your mind as well.
  • PJ64
    PJ64 Posts: 866 Member
    Wow, THAT is a full life! Gym workouts are one way but hell even if you have 20 minutes at work to wlak up and down stairs or power walk outside, anything beats nothing
  • ohh_myy_quad
    ohh_myy_quad Posts: 43 Member
    From a busy mom of 6...you *need* the exercise! :wink: I call it "mother's little helper". It's where I get my energy for the day. It improves my mood, makes me calmer and more focused, improves my strength, improves stamina...
    I don't have the time or money for a gym, but I can work out with dumbbells in my bedroom before jumping in the shower. Or 20 minutes of calisthenics...jumping jacks, pushups, squats, lunges, "skipping rope", burpees, jogging in place, planks, etc. If the kids are awake and under foot, they do jumping jacks and pushups with me. I have even held a fussy baby while doing lunges from one end of the house to the other, used her as the weight for overhead presses while doing squats (she always loved that), and other exercises to get my heartrate up. And on the days where 10 minutes was all I could manage...hey, that's better than nothing!
    Where there is a will, there's a way! You can find a solution and make it work!

    RIGHT ON! You are so on-point and prove IT CAN BE DONE! The only thing getting in the way of our goals sometimes is oneself :)
  • impyimpyaj
    impyimpyaj Posts: 1,073 Member
    You can lose weight without exercise. But you should still exercise for your heart, muscle, and bone health. You don't have to dedicate hours and hours, or even a full 30 minutes all in one chunk. Do a minute here, two minutes there, whatever. Check this out:

    http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2011/03/10/angry-birds-workout-plan/

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