How to fit in exercise? Please help

TrishJimenez

I am a slow morning person more at my best in the afternoon and evening. I wish I could work out right after waking up but I can usually barely walk with out running into walls Unfortunately my new job requires me to clock in on a "computer" at the beginning and end of every break in my cubicle so leaving work is not an option with traffic in las vegas as I am downtown. and I can not eat at my desk no food allowed on the "production floor" I wear business casual to work a long with heels but am ok with squeezing in a work out before work maybe if I left an hour earlier for driving So I could leave at 6 am maybe it is a thought. I also like the idea of working out after work one day, before work another and on the weekend before or after work on my second job so I am not spending to much time away from my kids. I already work 60 hours a week with two jobs. I hate to be away more. But my apt is to small for more then a yoga mat to work out on and that gets cramped. So working out at home other then yoga and stretching has not really worked for me since I moved into this apt. I used to do 30DS at my old place. But I kept hurting myself here and moving all the furniture was a real pain Thanks you guys! You have really helped getting the brain juices flowing with ideas Oh and my kids are pretty independent. A little two much in my opinion. Maybe that is why I feel bad spending more time away from home.

My oldest is 17 and she cooks dinner pretty much every day unless I am home in time to get it started at a reasonable hour which is not often. And she helps my son with his homework though he has a learning disability so it is not very productive or easy. They help with keeping the laundry washed and we all fold it together in the evenings or on my day off. And they are pretty good with keeping the house picked up. We have what they call cleaning days where we all work together and do the scrubbing. It is really the 2-3 hours it takes to get my son to finish his homework that takes up most of my time. But they got so independent when I worked evenings and weekends for years waiting tables this is really my first time getting a regular schedule home with them every night for dinner and bed times. And not being in a Coma while getting my son ready for school in the morning because I worked till 1 am the night before. It is kind of nice so I guess I was using that as an excuse to neglect myself

TrishJimenez

Go after work and get home an hour or so later. Problem solved. Your kids are old enough to help out getting dinner ready if needed and are you really spending 4 hours helping with homework, eating dinner, paying bills (every day, really?), and getting your clothes ready?
You only need to add an extra day or 2 at the gym if you are going on the weekend.

My M-Thursdays looks like this:
8:15 up
9:30 leave for work
work until 6:30 earliest, sometimes until 8.
Get home 30 min later approx.
Go to gym for avg 70 min, on a late, (getting home at 8:30 +) night I`ll go for a short 35 min session.
Get home and cook dinner, I may not finish with that until 11pm.
Shower. Bed.

Friday no gym, Sat-Sun I`ll go during day, or at night, more leeway

I really do spend that much time paying bills and cant be done once a month cuz it requires creative accounting I didnt have a regular income that was the same all the time. It fluctuated with how many days I would receive and how much in tips I would make and there is not enough money to go around and it comes in sporadically. I probably spend to much of that time stressing. But some of it is making phone calls to work out payment arrangements and such. This is why I now have the two jobs And took one that was lower paying because the hours are regular and it will be money I can depend on.
As for getting work clothes ready I only own about 2 pairs of slacks and 3 blouses so I have to hand wash them and hang to dry and then press them so I dont pay for a dry cleaner and I have to figure out a new combination so maybe no one notices I wore that pants or shirt already in the week.
My son has a learning disability. He has a special teacher at school to help with school work but for a few months his homework was taking from 5 pm till 11pm and then get up in the morning and try to get it finished before school sometimes not all would be done. I called a meeting with his teachers and principle last month to complain cuz I figured out it would take ME 2 hours to do the homework and i dont have his disability. So they cut it down and we worked on some more strategies so it is getting done and all completed by 7 or 8 now. But I am not making it up

Like I said this schedule is all new to me. I really like the ideas. Unfortunately the gym is not on site I wish it was. I figuired out if I take one or two nights a week and go after work the commute will actually be less cuz by the time I get done I wont be fighting the rush hour traffic and will actually get home only about 45 minutes later

ninerbuff

Let me say I applaud you for the hard effort you put in. It's tough being a single parent and working 2 jobs to make ends meet. If just the weekend is available, then make sure to part take in it even if it's only once a week.
At the very least, use some creative ways to have physical activity. Park furtherest away from your office, use the stairs, move around as much as you can (there are actually pedal bikes you can put under your desk), find an outside place to eat lunch and walk, etc.
Good luck.


A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
IDEA Fitness member
Kickboxing Certified Instructor
Been in fitness for 28+ years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition

JonathanBB

Wow you have a lot on your plate. I work long hours as well and get up an hour earlier than I used to to take care of the dog and get ina 30 minute workout during the week at home. How about 30 minutes at the gym 4x per week after work? Especially if it means missing rush hour traffic it will mean less than 30 minutes reduction in your family time because some of that time would be extra time sitting in traffic. A suggestion for the weekend - just as with housework get everyone involved: Sunday morning family power walk or jog (free) or if there is a fitness circuit or trail in a nearby park or family bike ride or something else depending on nearby resources and what your family likes.

p.s. sounds like you have an amazing daughter.