Moms - When do you find the time?

christou84

Before everyone gets up or after all the kids go to sleep!!...

kdcshesback

Bump

veggiehottie

I exercise during my lunch break at work!

I would love to go work out in the morning before work, but am a full-time single mom. My son is not old enough to leave at home yet or to wake up early to drag him to day care. Therefore lunchtime workouts became my thing. This does mean that I have to skip lunch with my friends but the exercise is so worth it.

As they say - if there is a will, there is a way. There is an answer to every excuse you could find.

GOOD LUCK!!!

theCarlton

-Walk them to school (if possible). It's how I lost my weight, but I was in college then and had later hours.
-Wake up early and get it out of the way before they wake up. (Mine are old enough to be left alone for an hour while they sleep)
-Go somewhere to exercise with them after school or after dinner. (they can ride bikes while you run, they can walk while you walk, do a heart trail but go around twice because they'll torture you with trying every single station)
-Enlist their friends'/cousins' moms to go along with you so they can all hang out together.
-Wii fitness "games" and DVD's like Insanity
-Get someone to come over and watch them for an hour.
-Gym membership with child care.
-If your hours at work are flexible, make them work for you
-lunch break

nitrogen_widget

I am 40 years old, a mother of two, and I have a full-time job. I have about 75lbs to lose and I know I need to up my physical exercise/activity. Are there any of you out there like me that just can't find the time? Or just don't have the energy by the time the kiddos are in bed? AND, if there are some of you that have a similar life that have figured out how to work it all in - please give me some pointers!

I'm 41, have a 4&6 yr old.
Single dad have my kids 5 days a week.
Lost 100lbs over the last few yrs.

Working out is not nearly as important as eating at a deficit.
You will never be able to out exercise a bad diet.

sometimes I only did 1 full body work out a week.
It may be hard to find time to exercise, but it takes no time to not snack or eat calorie dense foods.

skinnyinnotime

It's more about making the time rather than finding the time.

I will workout when the kids are in bed, or even when they're up. They used to bother me or join in but the novelty has worn off and they just do their own stuff. Also weekends I will fit in a workout on one of the days.

Librariangetsfit

I am a single mom of a 16 month old, who works full time. I make time after work to workout after I get him to bed (my mom watches my son for me). Once he is older (i.e. staying awake longer) I will take him to the gym with me. My son only has me, so I have to make my health priority. I have pretty much given up TV and a social life. My life is Kid, Work and Gym. I would not have it any other way.

mrmaxpowers

I'm a single dad of three and a full time job. I make time after they r in bed. Like everyone says you have to make time and once its a routine its easier to follow. Trial and error is the only way your going to figure it out.

mrswoodstock

i get up way before the baby does to excersize. im fortunate enough to be a SAHM though

porky44

It is DEFINATELY a constant struggle. Id much rather sleep in and much rather hit the snooze up to the last minute I cant any longer BUT - id much rather be a positive role model for my daughter SO I get up an hour earlier during the week to get in a workout before leaving for work! This was the hardest part of it all but I have found that if i get it over first thing then I dont have to think about or try to talk myself out of doing it later in the day! Now that I have been doing it for 2.5 months now I actually wake up before my alarm!!!

I look forward to the days where I dont have to force myself to workout while kicking and screaming and actually enjoy It!!!!

marysinh

Hello,

I'm a single mother of an 8 y/o and a 2 y/o boys. I have to wake up at 4am and get my workouts in while they are still sleeping before work. I do workout dvds. That way I can spend my evenings with them. :-) Jillian Michaels dvds are great because they are mostly 30 minutes long. They're fun so I don't dread it.

epfenick

I am a 39 year mom of a three year old boy. I work full time outside the house, Monday through Friday. My husband is usually gone very early in the morning, so going to the gym in the morning is not an option unless I want to wake up my son and drag him to the gym at 5:30AM. No thanks!! I am too tired to go in the evening, and I really enjoy being able to eat dinner with my family and tuck my son in bed. My one hour lunch does not give me enough time to drive to the gym, change, work out, change again and then drive back, so I came up with a very effective alternative. I started walking stairs at work. I found that there are stairs everywhere, and stairs are one of the most effective calorie burning workouts. You build muscle and get cardio. I walk for 30 minutes, as many flights of stairs as I can. I walk up and then back down and then up again. After a few weeks, it wasn't so hard, so I started skipping steps and taking every other step. Soon, I plan to carry weights to make it harder. I've lost 8 pounds in 5 weeks by adding this workout. Like the other commenters said, you won't want to miss a workout. It also has the benefit of mentally clearing my head at work. Any stress is gone when I get back to my desk. By walking for 30 minutes, I still have time to get some lunch down and change my shoes before I go back to work.

rachelmorgan77

I'm a mom to three (8, 5, and 3) and work full time. It is VERY hard to find the time. However - these are some things that worked for me. You have to find what works for you.

I'm a schedule freak, so I"ll sit down weekly with my work and gym class schedule and see what I can make fit in the schedule.

I do bootcamp at 5:30 am on M/W/F.

I became a certified Zumba instructor, so I HAVE to be at my own class!

I sign up for various races around the area to keep me motivated to keep running, always tackling the next goal.

Luckily my Y has childcare in the evening, and that is a miracle.

The crock pot is a best friend. It allows me to have supper ready when I get home and maybe squeeze in an extra class if I can.

The most important thing is to not beat yourself up if you miss a workout, a day, etc. There are small humans depending on you, and the more you take care of yourself the better you'll be for them - so just take it one day at a time and know that you're ultimately teaching your kids good habits and they will be better people for it.

veggiehottie

My life is Kid, Work and Gym. I would not have it any other way.

ha ha this is totally me!

AliceKP

Yh totally i struggled with this for a long time coz i always believed night time was better for me but recently i started pushing myself out of bed 1hr earlier and the more i do it the easier it gets. I dont like waking up early but working out is important to me so i do it.

cyoka13

Like many others have suggested, I have to work out early in the morning. If I wait until the evenings, I am either 1) too tired 2) too full from dinner 3) too busy with after school activities, getting ready for the next day, etc. I work 40+ hours most weeks and I am finishing up my masters degree. So, I understand completely that it is difficult to make the time for it.

With all of that being said, my one word of encouragement is that when I work out in the mornings, I am better able to handle the stress of a busy lifestyle. I have more energy now that I get up early and workout then on days that I sleep in. It also gives me 45 minutes or so of "me time" which every parent needs

algebravoodoo

You ladies are so dedicated. I need to quit moaning and crack on.

Supermums

Thanks, but for some of us (ME) this is about more than being dedicated. This keeps me OUT OF JAIL!
I teach high school in a high poverty district and the stress levels are just unbelievable most days. We are expected to do everything with nothing. Imagine trying to help prepare students for the real world that hopefully includes either college or trade school without reliable internet! Our best and newest computer systems have Word 2003, if that gives you an idea.

Without a healthy relief, I'd have killed either someone's child or more likely a coworker a long time ago.

genericaroar

I'm a SAHM to a 16 month old. I used to workout at night but I have no idea how I ever had the energy. Lunch time and before my so gets up and husband leaves for work are my only times I have the energy now. Can you wake up early to get in a workout and use a DVD or YouTube video? You can try to make it to a gym over your lunch or even a walk.

JacksMom12

I have a 2 year old, a husband who's never home when I am and I work full-time(weird hours). I either wake up at the *kitten* crack of dawn, do it after he goes to bed, or while he naps in the afternoon (even though that's when I should nap too-I work late nights several days a week) If you really want to find the time-you will! It sucks but it's possible. Don't beat yourself up when your body really wants a rest day instead-we are all human. Just make small goals and work your way up. Tell yourself 30 mins 3X a week and go from there.

Suffer4beauty

I do not like to work out at night - I get way too tired and exercise also stimulates my blood/brain too much and then I can't fall asleep easily. I can't do afternoons because my baby tries to sit on me during exercises like crunches, push-ups, planks, etc. She also gets under-foot for the aerobic activities - and her nap is usually while I am an work. So, I work out in the mornings. I don't have to be at work until 9 AM, so I work out from 5:45 until 7:30 AM (with the understanding that if hubby wants to see a healthy wife, he must at least start getting the kids ready, like dressing the baby and maybe pouring cereal for the older child). I found another mom to take a walk with - so from 6:15 to 6:50 we walk 2 miles together - time flies when you are chatting and it keeps me going each morning because I don't want to cancel on her.
Try finding another mama in the mornings to at least walk with you. At first it will be hard, but as your internal clock starts waking you up automatically and you know that you are also looking forward to - not the walk necessarily - but the friendship/conversation time, it will get much better.