How do you fit your exercise around work?

Ezciren
Ezciren Posts: 20
in Fitness and Exercise
Hi,

I'm looking to lose 30lbs before christmas and to do this I have completely cut out all bad snacking, fried goods and carbs in the evenings. I also want to start doing more exercise but I'm finding it really hard to motivate myself before and after work. Does anyone have any tips or easy exercises that they can suggest?
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Replies

  • RGv2
    RGv2 Posts: 5,789 Member
    I get up at 4:10 to be at the gym by 4:30.

    Don't really have tips or "easy" exercises. Either you want it or not, IMHO.
  • AllanMisner
    AllanMisner Posts: 4,140 Member
    When I'm in our home office, it is pretty easy:
    - Cardio in a fasted state in the morning
    - Strength training at around 2pm (late lunch lasting about 45 minutes)

    When I'm on the road (which is about 50% of the time):
    - Hit or miss
    - Still do cardio in the morning in a fasted state
    - Strength training is after work, but not as consistent.

    Either way, I try to kill it on the weekends.
  • JamesDanek
    JamesDanek Posts: 95 Member
    I get up at 4:10 to be at the gym by 4:30.

    Don't really have tips or "easy" exercises. Either you want it or not, IMHO.

    ^^^This^^^

    Sucks to high heaven at first but you gotta do what you gotta do.

    The Only viable alternative is if you live close enough, train to work i.e. run to or from work, cycle whatever. Easiest way to get a cardio fix in.
  • explosivedonut
    explosivedonut Posts: 419 Member
    I wake up at 5:15, get to the gym at 5:30, similar to RGv2.

    Exercise isn't easy. If its easy, it ain't exercise. Cheap exercises you can do without spending money: Running. Push-ups. Pull Ups. Crunches. More running. Squats. Lunges. Etc. Take a look at this: http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2009/12/09/beginner-body-weight-workout-burn-fat-build-muscle/

    Otherwise, go to the gym. Pick up new rules of lifting for women, and start picking up heavy things.
  • palmerar
    palmerar Posts: 489 Member
    It can be hard at first, I would suggest that if you do have a gym membership that you go to the gym on your way home from work, do not stop at home first. Also, I like to sign up for outside exercise classes. The simple fact that I paid for them is usually a good motivator for me to get my butt in gear. It is just like changing your eating habits really, make a committment to yourself, make a daily appointment for exercise and live up to it.
  • thepetiterunner
    thepetiterunner Posts: 1,238 Member
    I go for runs on my lunch break, sometimes taking extended lunch breaks. I take walks a couple of times a day as well. To be completely honest, you need to find something to keep your eye on the ball either before or after work if working out during your work day isn't an option. This isn't going to be easy and that's just the straight up truth.

    You can try some things to try to remind yourself and get yourself to the gym/working out before or after work or to help get some extra physical activity in:

    - Take the stairs rather than the escalator/elevator
    - Park farther away
    - Litter your life with post-its on why you want to change. Post them up in your office, bedroom, bathroom, pantry, on the fridge, on the door to your place, etc.
    - Keep a packed gym bag so you've got everythinig you need to workout right when you leave. Better yet, change right before you leave and head straight for the gym
    - Find a friend to workout with you and help keep yourselves accountable.
    - Find a group activity (i.e. a class, a running group, etc) and join. They usually have specific scheduled workouts each week.
  • ammjr71
    ammjr71 Posts: 13
    You need to, sorry to use such an over abused phrase, "just do it." I finally settled in to the best time for me: 5am. I was originally working out around 8pm, after my kids went to bed. But I found that I really had to dig deep to find the motivation to complete my workout, be it cardio or lifting. So I tried doing it immediately when I got home form work. Again, FAIL.

    Finally, I got out of bed one Monday morning at 4:50am, let my dogs out to go potty and, once they were back in the house, I was downstairs in my basement warming up to lift at 5am. The next morning, I did the same thing and was in my gym by 5am on the treadmill to run for an hour. I am ALWAYS done and in the shower by 6am. I head downstairs for breakfast around 6:30.

    It was tough for a few weeks until my body got in the groove so to speak. I had to go to sleep a little earlier, but I am finding a LOT of benefits to that time of the morning. First and foremost is that I'm all jacked up and ready to go after my shower. My energy level is WAY higher. But the best thing is eating breakfast with my kids every day. They always manage to creep downstairs between 6:30 and 6:40am to get some alone time with dad...

    Bottom line to a looooong and drawn out post? Try a few different times throughout the day. But don't do it just one or two days, try it for a week, see how you feel, write it down. Try a different time the next week, and the week after that until you find the one that makes YOU feel like you've actually accomplished something, Best wishes!
  • RunnerElizabeth
    RunnerElizabeth Posts: 1,091 Member
    I make it a point to fit it in. It helps to figure out when your body is more willing to cooperate with excercise. I'm not an early morning excerciser. I can do 10pm for body weight strength though. I use the You Are Your Own Gym app because you can do it anywhere else

    Running is my primary focus though. So if I know I'm going to be able to fit a run in during the day, I plan it for my lunch hour at work. If not, I plan to run commute home, 5 miles, 2 of it steeply up hill, pushing a jogging stroller. I'm able to fit 15-20 miles into the work week and a 10+ long run on Sunday.

    Can you combine excercise with your commute? Bike to work?

    About motivation, you may have to force yourself at first, but it gets easier as you keep at it.
  • lorenzovonmatterhorn7549
    lorenzovonmatterhorn7549 Posts: 495 Member
    I'm lucky in that my gym is right around the corner and I have a 1 hour lunch break. No excuses.
  • mperrott2205
    mperrott2205 Posts: 737 Member
    I wake up at half 5 every morning and get to the gym at 6.
  • ladyark
    ladyark Posts: 1,101 Member
    I get up at 4:10 to be at the gym by 4:30.

    Don't really have tips or "easy" exercises. Either you want it or not, IMHO.

    I agree with this 100%. If its important to you , you will find a way to make it happen.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    I get up at 4:10 to be at the gym by 4:30.

    Don't really have tips or "easy" exercises. Either you want it or not, IMHO.

    I agree with this 100%. If its important to you , you will find a way to make it happen.

    Both of these.
    I work out from 9 PM to 11 PM... and I work 3 jobs- 7 days a week (well not all of them 7 days a week- one full time job- and 2 part time jobs)

    If it is important to you- you will make it happen. plain and simple.
  • mitchiejo
    mitchiejo Posts: 179 Member
    I get up at 4:30 in the morning to make it to the gym by 5. If I don't do it before work I dread it all day knowing I have to go after work. Unfortuantely, today is one of those after work days. Oh well, I can do it.:laugh:
  • mndamon
    mndamon Posts: 547 Member
    I go after work. After a stressful day of work an hour in the gym is the perfect cure.
  • arains89
    arains89 Posts: 442 Member
    You just make time. I wake up at 6 in the morning do breakfasts for me my BF and two kids, lunches, get the kids ready, get myself ready, commute to work, work, pick up my kids, commute home, cook dinner, eat dinner and feed my kids, bathe my kids, feed my little one a bottle and lay her down by 8. I then work out from 8-9pm, put my older one to bed and read him a story directly after, take a shower and finally sit down by 9:30pm. Anything worth doing is usually a pain in the *kitten*. Good luck!
  • MyJourney1960
    MyJourney1960 Posts: 1,133 Member
    I get up at 4:10 to be at the gym by 4:30.

    Don't really have tips or "easy" exercises. Either you want it or not, IMHO.
    yup.

    I've been getting up at 5.15, leaving house by 6(ish), walk 12 minutes to the gym, and after workout/shower i catch the bus from there to work. and yes, this means (for me) that i have little time for anything else. but you know- i made me and my health a priority and it work for me.

    as of mid-september when my gym membership runs out, i'll be able to get up a tad later and do my workout at home or do walking outside. (planning to do a mix of C25K and 30DS)

    the trick (for me) is to have EVERYTHING prepared the night before. my gym bag is packed (towel, flip flops, toiletries, earphones, cothing for work) and my gym clothes (that i wear from home to gym) are set out. My food is ready in the fridge so i grab and go. make sure i have bananas and that i have coffee prepared (I drink french press cold coffee with milk). if i would have to start making lunch and looking for clean clothing i would never get out in the AM. On the weekends i spend a little time making sure i have food for lunches (salad fixins, cooked chicken brest etc) and enough sets of gym outfits.
  • ladypitek
    ladypitek Posts: 91 Member
    I am NOT a morning person and couldn't do that 4:30/5:00 thing if I tried. I work 10 hours a day and commute an hour each way, but I hit the gym (almost) every day right after work. Which works up a really nice appetite for dinner. And I still have time to decompress before going to bed at night. If you want something badly enough you'll make it work. Good luck!
  • BlueBombers
    BlueBombers Posts: 4,065 Member
    I start work at 8 a.m. and don't get home till after 5 p.m. every day. Depending on my husband's schedule I usually get up at 5 a.m. and do my workout or I do it as soon as I get home from work. 90% of the time I get up bright and early.

    I agree with the above poster...when I get up early to workout I make sure EVERYTHING is ready for me the night before so I just get out of bed and go right to it.
  • morethanthis0
    morethanthis0 Posts: 260 Member
    I get up around 335am and get to the gym by 4. Whatchu gotta do is get out of bed as soon as the alarm goes off, therefore you're already out of bed and ready to go before your sleepy body realizes what you're doing. don't give yourself time to talk yourself out of it.
  • k8blujay2
    k8blujay2 Posts: 4,941 Member
    I have an hour lunch. So I fit it in there... two days aweek though, I extend my work day by 30 minutes so I extend my lunch hour by 30 minutes. It has worked for me so far. Because I can't even get up at 5:30 to get ready for the day... like hell I'm gonna be able to get up at 3:30... I wouldn't be able to see or talk to my family at all because I would have to go to bed the same time my toddler does, at 8pm. And I don't get home until almost 6pm...

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