Working moms and exercise

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tdelangel
tdelangel Posts: 1
in Introduce Yourself
Hey working moms out there! I need some advice b/c I know I'm not alone...
I have an 18 month old and I just don't know how to find the time to exercise!!! We leave the house at 7am to commute to work, get home about 6pm and then it's a rush to feed, bathe and get her to bed on time.
It has been close to 100 degrees all summer, so even a walk has been out of the question...
There is a pilates class I can do at work during lunch, but some days I get so busy I just end up working through lunch.

I know it sounds like a lot of excuses, but I'm just looking for some suggestions on how to fit in exercise during the week!

Thanks :)

Replies

  • Raina0512
    Raina0512 Posts: 216
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    I'm in the same boat... So... I don't exercise. I have two daughters (4 and 2 1/2), I work M-F 8-5, and I got to school 3 nights/week, plus I'm married (basically adds another child :laugh: . It's impossible to find extra time to work out. I just have to really watch what I eat and when I do eat, make it healthy and worthwhile! :wink: Good luck!
  • tmarion1538
    tmarion1538 Posts: 3 Member
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    I feel the same way! Luckily I have a very short commute and am only gone from 6:30am to 4:00pm. We eat an early dinner and then I try to get to the club between 5 and 6. Then I am still home with her at a decent time for bath and bedtime routine.
    Is there any way you could even get up a 1/2 hour earlier and do something before your little one wakes up? or maybe do like a Wii FIT or something in the evenings after he/she goes to bed?
  • wecmom
    wecmom Posts: 11
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    I too leave the house at 7:00 am and I have three kids with dance, soccer, homework, etc. after school every day. I HAVE to wake up at 5:00 am if I want any chance at getting in a workout. There is just no other time for me. The perk is that at that hour, it's generally not hot anywhere...yet.
  • Luckymam
    Luckymam Posts: 300
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    I try to do short work outs. Like just 10-15 mins 2 or 3 times a day. I fit them in before kids wake up or while they're watching tv or something. The wii is good because you can play with the kids.
  • Jamiebee24
    Jamiebee24 Posts: 296 Member
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    Find some short workout videos. You can do one before you get in the shower in the morning, and then after the bedtime routine. I like Jillian Michaels--30 Day Shred. Its under a half hour and I always burn at least 250 cals!!
  • kliegermant
    kliegermant Posts: 1
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    Hi there: I have a son and work full time with a 45 minute commute both ways, so I know what you mean about the time crunch. You may not like hearing this, but what I do is get up at 5:30 a.m. and jog or do FitTV before anyone else in the household is awake. It is definitely not easy getting up early, but the best part about working out first thing in the morning is that no matter what happens to the rest of your day, at least you got your workout in! It is tough the first couple of days to do it, but eventually it becomes a habit like everything else. In the winter this means wearing a headlamp and bundling up, but I get to see the sun rise and enjoy the quiet time of the early morning hours. Good luck, if I can do it you can too!
  • marciml
    marciml Posts: 41
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    Do you work in an office? Just a thought, they make a chair that has a regular plastic 5-leg base with a hollow ring in the middle to hold an exercise ball. Some have backs on them. I have been wanting to get one for the past year, but work situations may change, so have been holding off. The exercise ball chair will help you work your core all day long, as well as you can take the ball off to do exercises at lunch or break. You can bring some small hand weights, or even wear ankle weights during the day, so when you are up and around, you are really exercising. While you are sitting on the phone, or at a 10 minute break, you can stretch out your back and do some crunches on your ball. There is also a type of "exercise" that we can do all the time. Its called NEAT. Google NEAT exercises and a bunch of things come up. I have been doing Medifast and at the end of my book, NEAT is one of the ways to accomplish a lifestyle of healthy weight. It simply talks about the way you stand, or sit, or walk. Its little things that we do all the time anyway, just maybe tweaking the style of how we do it. It takes no extra time from your day, and it doesn't matter what fitness level you are at right now. Check it out. I really need to focus more on it myself. I'm still learning. Please let me know if it works for you.
  • marie2779
    marie2779 Posts: 38 Member
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    I have this problem too. I have an 18 month old and an almost 4 year old. I already wake up at 5:15 to leave the house by 6:30 to do daycare drop offs before work. I work from 7:15-4pm and work straight through my lunch. I often bring home an hour of paperwork to do in the evening as well. I refuse to workout after work- my girls go to bed early- 7 pm, so since I have such little time with them (get home at 4:30, make dinner and then start bath time by 6:30!) I refuse to spend that little time exercising. What I do is a video or the treadmill at home after they go to bed twice a week. Then I work out on both saturdays and sundays by doing a bike ride or taking them out n the stroller. Its crazy in the evening and hard for me to motivate myself- because it's 7-7:30 when the girls are asleep, then I have to clean up dinner, make lunches for the next day and have about an hour of paperwork to do! So like I said- my goal is twice a week in the evening for 30 minutes and then make up the rest on the weekend. :)
  • Life_is_Good
    Life_is_Good Posts: 361 Member
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    - everybody has a time crunch. You have to schedule your workouts like you would a doctors appointment & just do it :)

    I just put this on another post ...

    Somebody on here introduced me to these websites a few weeks ago - been doing it ever since (and it's FREE) - you test yourself & do the sets recommended for your level - It's awesome!
    I do all three in one session since they work different muscle groups - it takes about a 1/2 hour to do all of them.
    www.hundredpushups.com
    www.twohundredsquats.com
    www.twohundredsitups.com

    Also - I really like the Jillian Michaels 30 day shred - 20 minutes & your done - the time flies by.
  • Garfy
    Garfy Posts: 41
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    Hi

    I have just googled NEAT & its interesting. Here are a few recommendations rom one article I found

    Angie

    To maximize the calories you burn with NEAT, you simply need to move around more:

    * Stand up every chance you get.
    * Walk everywhere. Pace when you're on the phone, visit your co-workers instead of emailing them or use a pedometer and see how many steps you can get in each day.
    * When at the mall, make three laps around the mall before you can buy anything.
    * When you park the car, make a complete circuit around the parking lot before entering the building.
    * When carrying groceries, bring the bags in one bag at a time.
    * If you're stuck sitting for long periods of time, change position, shift in your seat or even do some isometric exercises - squeeze your hands together, contract your abs or squeeze your glutes.
    * Hide the remote control and get up to change the channel.
    * Sit on an exercise ball and roll around while you watch TV or work at the computer.
  • TabiHerbalifeCoach
    TabiHerbalifeCoach Posts: 691 Member
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    I get up early. I am active duty navy, single mom, 2 kids 3 and 5, I leave my house between 6-630 to drop them off at daycare and get to work by 7.I get up around 4-430 to do Jillian's 30 day shred. thankfully the military lets me off of work 3X a week to pt early, but I just plug in extra exercise there. Nap time during the weekend my son still naps and my daughter knows that she has to have quite time even if she doesn't sleep and i do a work out there, some gyms have a play area of kids (for older children) and some have people to watch them while you work out. if theres a will theres a way :D
  • raelbee
    raelbee Posts: 219
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    I was in your same boat. You have to find the time. Take that baby of yours for a walk in the evenings before bed. I live in Georgia, so I know about the heat, and know that walking in it can suck. But you can do it. 30 minutes will make a huge difference, and at least you won't have the sun overhead in the evening.

    It's all about prioritizing. We're all busy, but you just have to do it. Your baby will thank you for it. My daughter was 18 months when I started working out. I took her with me on walks, either in the stroller or in a backpack. It was great bonding time. Now she constantly talks about mommy's "workout." It's cute, and I'm glad it's in her vocabulary.

    Make the time. You are important :)
  • lucifa73
    lucifa73 Posts: 110
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    I am in a similar position. Luckily my husband can drop my son a nursery which means, if I get up at 5.30am I can get a work out in before lunch and be at my desk by 8am and get home to see my son before bedtime (he's only 17months and is in bed 7pm like clockwork lol)
  • nd4sxs
    nd4sxs Posts: 5
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    I am a mother of four kids ages 12, 11, 5, and 20 months, I work full time, just finished by BS degree and am preparing for my masters and am a wife to boot. I have tried to squeeze working out in every nook and cranny of possible time and have found 2 things that work.

    #1: I am NOT a morning person, but, I get up at 4:30 and turn on a work out dvd (P90X, 30-day shred) or I jump in the car and go to the gym or go jogging, sometimes I even do both the dvd and the gym. I prepare the night before and make sure all lunches are packed, all kids (and my) clothes are laid out and bags are packed. I have found that this 1 - 1 1/2 hours of early me time really does wonders for me the rest of the day. Then I return at 6 to wake everyone up and start their day.

    #2 When it is not so sweltering hot, I take the kids for a walk after dinner. The two older kids bring their bike and I pack the two little ones into a double stroller. Everyone really enjoys this outting as well.
  • jennpv
    jennpv Posts: 33 Member
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    I have an 8 month old and work 7-5. So I have to get up at 5am already so no chance I'm going to get up any ealier. Luckily, Jazzercise has childcare. So I workout from 5:45-6:45. We usually get home about 7:15, I feed her, play with her for a little but, bathe her, stortytime, then bedtime. I do feel like I am depriving her of time with me, but in the long run I think me getting healthy is best for her and me. Maybe you could find a gym that offers childcare.
  • reesegirl521
    reesegirl521 Posts: 79
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    My time crunch isn't quite what yours is. I leave the house at 7am but I get home at 5pm. My gym time comes at 5am. Hubby stays home in bed with the kiddos until I get home and I hit the gym. On days I'm feeling frisky, I have a kettle bell at work that I try to fit in at lunch. We only have 30 minutes so its just enough time to grab a quick bit to eat and then get a few reps in.
  • hillhophull
    hillhophull Posts: 2
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    The only thing that works for me is working out in the morning before anyone else wakes up - or at night between 9 pm and 10 pm. When I first started working out, I thought there was no way I could work out that late at night, but I sleep SO great and I wake up more energized on mornings after I work out. I just have to make it a priority - which is hard - and since I started working out at night - a lot of things just don't get done anymore. But I know I'm taking an initiative to be a better mom, wife, and friend by taking care of myself, too :) Since it's been so hot this summer, I have been doing videos inside. I have done 6 weeks of P90X - it's great. I also have an elliptical machine that gives a great workout that I can do while I watch a movie on my lap top. Another video series I did before P90X was The Firm. It's also a really great work out. All their videos are great.

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