Parents, how do you finding time to work out?

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  • echotrufaith
    echotrufaith Posts: 10 Member
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    I try to go as soon as my kids go to sleep at about 10:30. It's summer so I allow the oldest to stay up later and the baby usually crashes by then. I let my fiancee watch them while I hit the gym and then he tries to go when I get back. Occasionally I will take a walk with them on a weekend morning before it gets too hot here in Texas.
  • quiltlovinlisa
    quiltlovinlisa Posts: 1,710 Member
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    I have to put in that when kids are older, they work out with you and that's fun! My seven year old twins and my 12 year old enjoy doing Leslie Sansone's walking workouts with me. My nine year old tried pilates with me yesterday, hated it and asked if he could try yoga with me tomorrow. When I walk with my mom, sometimes I drag my teenager (she's 15) along. We also do family bike rides together.

    So keep that in mind as they get older!
  • katherines2230
    katherines2230 Posts: 276 Member
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    Mine are 3 and 8 months old, so I either do it right after i put them down for the night or i try to sneak in quick workouts while they are distracted during the day. Comcast on demand has a huge variety of workouts and i try to fit in a quick 10-15 minute workout because they usually won't let me go longer than that.
  • ValerieMartini2Olives
    ValerieMartini2Olives Posts: 3,024 Member
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    There are no excuses. You just do it.
    I am a single mother with a 5 month old who works and was going to school 5 nights a week and not get home until midnight. Yeah it was difficult and it sucked, but i still worked out at least 4 days a week.
    I would take the baby out on walks and runs. I would put her down for a nap and do an exercise DVD. On days when my mom would watch her, I would go for a bike ride. Then I would do it all over again.
    Now school is over and I have a more open schedule so I can do more, but if you want it bad enough, you will find a way.
  • JoelleAnn78
    JoelleAnn78 Posts: 1,492 Member
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    I'm up at 4:30am to get my workout in before work!

    ^^ This. Every morning.
  • rahlpn
    rahlpn Posts: 551 Member
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    When I used to workout at home I would just do it, if my kids were running around so what? Mine are 2 1/2 and almost 4, they saw me put my HRM on and said "it's time for you exercise Mommy?" lol. I see it as setting a good example for them, that I regularly MAKE time to exercise. I work Mon-Fri from 7:00-3:30, I pick them up on my way home. Recently I joined a gym, I've used the childcare a few times but only if my husband comes with me. If not, I leave them at home with him. I either go before dinner if they are napping or after dinner if they didn't fall asleep on the way home. My husband bought me the gym membership for my birthday and it was part of the deal that he watches the kids while I'm gone for an hour.
  • caseythirteen
    caseythirteen Posts: 956 Member
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    When my kids were really little it was definitely harder for me to get back in to a routine, especially when doing it from home. As they got older though it got easier and easier. For me, I go to the gym @ 5am so I'm doing it before anyone is even up. Most of the time I'm home before they are even up. If I don't do it first thing in the morning the odds it will get done at all drop considerably.
  • A2Zscents
    A2Zscents Posts: 34 Member
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    I wake up at 4:40 to get my morning workouts in. :) In the wintertime I'll workout once a week in the evening and have the kids go to the daycare center - gives all of us something to do when we're stuck inside.
  • PetulantOne
    PetulantOne Posts: 2,131 Member
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    Figure out when you can fit it in realistically and just do it.

    I have a 4 year old, work full time, and go to school. I'm tired quite often but I get it done. I wake up at 4:30 most mornings and work out before anyone else is awake. When I don't have school I run before I pick my son up from daycare. If I can't do that I run extra on the weekends when my Husband is home (he works out of town). I made it a priority.
  • momof2osaurus
    momof2osaurus Posts: 477 Member
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    I take my kids with me when I work out. I do Crossfit, they sit in the corner with coloring books/a portable DVD player/snacks/etc. When I worked out at home, I did it when they were asleep. It's hard, but honestly I LOVE that they watch me exercise. It's inspired some really cool pretend play and conversations, especially with my 4-year-old.
  • sengalissa
    sengalissa Posts: 253 Member
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    I am home with five kids, the youngest 3 months. I would never be able to work out at night. Luckily, the baby nurses around 5.20 and then goes back to sleep for another 30 minutes = one session of shred plus superquick shower.
    The good thing about working out in the morning is that the good feeling lasts all day, and I start the day doing something just for myself. That carries me through the 14 hours of doing stuff for other people...
    My husband rides his bike to work many days.
  • Iron_Lotus
    Iron_Lotus Posts: 2,295 Member
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    I don't know what to tell you, it's important to me to get my workout in so i make it work. I have 6 kids, 2 of which are 17 month old twins. I workout in the morning for an hour when they are napping. It is very possible to get your workouts in if you make it a priority.
  • ash778
    ash778 Posts: 17 Member
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    I know it's so hard trying to find the time to workout. I'm a single mother of 3 kids. I usually get up early and workout or when they all go to bed ( but usually that doesn't happen because i'm to tired). But there are gyms that have day cares if you can afford it and the YMCA also has childcare. That's what I usually have to do.
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
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    I'm a single mom of a 3 yearold. I work full time. It takes us at least an hour to travel to work/daycare (same building). I was running on lunch (3-5 miles mon, wed, thurs, fri), doing body weight strength training 2 or 3 days a week for an hour and doing a long run of 6-13 miles with the stroller on sun mornings. Note that my strength session is at around 10pk after bedtime and evening chores.

    Today I had an epiphany. My daughter had other plans, so I ran home from the office. I got home an hour and a half sooner than monday and an hour sooner than average. We are going to run home from now on. We'll have to leave earlier in the morning to accomodate the jogger on the train, but we'll start getting home at a normal time.

    My point is, you have to play around with your schedule to find the time. Maybe it's time dedicated to something else like lunch or your commute or maybe you just have to do the 5am or 10pm thing. But you can make it work. I had to try a lot of differnt options before I came up with my current schedule.
  • cazcarr89
    cazcarr89 Posts: 34
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    I'm in the same boat as you, I work full time, have an 19 month old daughter and my partner is out most nights, when I walk in the door, he walks out... so when do I fit it in?

    Well some mornings I get up and go to the gym before I start work at 8, even if it's for 45mins.
    After work, once little one is in bed and hubby's out I try and do an Insanity workout in the living room.
    I take my trainers to work and go for a run during my dinner (or even a nice walk along the riverside).
    Like someone else has said, take the kids with you! Go swimming, go for a walk in a park/field or even just around the doors.

    It's not a set schedule but I try to do what I can when I can.

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