Working Moms...

I get up early some mornings to get a workout in while my son and hubby are still sleeping. Other days, I wokout after dinner, while hubby and son hang out together. I'm lucky in that I have a VERY supportive hubby.

How on earth do you find time in the day to work out? I can barely keep up with the basics of keeping my house running with a 4 year old and 1 year old and a full time job! Unless I get up everyday to work out at 4am there are no other times that I would be sure to have both kids asleep and the living room to my self to work out.

How do you do it? Do I just need to be more motivated and suck it up and get up every day at 4?
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When my were small and I couldn't leave them alone, I put them in a double stroller and pushed them around the neighborhood. Housework done to fast paced music isn't Zumba, but it is exercise.
Now I work 6 - 3 and walk at lunch with a couple of co-workers and walk the dog in the evening. I don't worry about lifting weights. maybe I should, but I don't have time to do it and I'm living with it.

Lunch time workouts is the only way I can keep up and gym on the weekends. You have to bring some extra clothes to change in to after but it's worth it! Don't have to worry about working out when I get home. It's soooo worth it!

I get up and work out at 5:00 every morning. I have a 6 year old and 2 year old.

How on earth do you find time in the day to work out? I can barely keep up with the basics of keeping my house running with a 4 year old and 1 year old and a full time job! Unless I get up everyday to work out at 4am there are no other times that I would be sure to have both kids asleep and the living room to my self to work out.

How do you do it? Do I just need to be more motivated and suck it up and get up every day at 4?

I could have totally written this post myself. My girls are 5 months and 3years. I have no answers besides 4am. Or getting non-structured exercise by playing with the kids. Feel free to add me and we can fight the battle together! I think I'm going to start yoga and either do the 4am thing or get my 3 year old to do some poses with me. I don't really have any other choice.

I am married, work full time, I run a business, and I have two boys under age 5...
On a work day, I will wake up early and exercise HARD for 15-30 minutes usually (High Intensity Interval Training/HIIT). On days I do not work, I drag the kids to the play place at the gym with me while I lift, swim, go to a class, etc., or possibly go for a walk or hike as a family.

I just decided that I DESERVE the time to exercise (and you do too, by the way). I have a busy life, but working out has turned into my "me time" and I will not trade it now. Remember: when Momma's happy, everybody's happy!

My daughter is 14 now so it is a bit easier for me. I will either hit the gym after work or do my workout at home after she has gone to bed. Now if I need to attend "Back to School Night" or chaperone a football game as she plays in the high school band, then I get my workout done in the morning before work. I make time and get it done.

I think finding the time to exercise is the hardest part of my life right now too, and I am lucky enough to work part-time (3 days a week). I have 3 kids (7, 5 and 3) and a big house to keep clean, so trying to find the time to exercise on top of all the work involved in my job, running the house, spending some time with my wonderful husband, and having some down time for myself is tough. I am on holidays this week (yay!), so I have extra time and I've started Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30 work out DVD. I don't know if I will be able to keep it up after I start back at work, because I am not a morning person either! I have had that debate with myself over many, many years - "just get up early and do it!", but I can count on one hand how many times I have actually done a morning workout. Although, I will probably continue to have the debate with myself over the next many years as well!

I do play squash one night a week in an organised competition (not enough but all I can squeeze in to my week), and I find that great, because it is a commitment I must keep.

I keep thinking that there will be a time in the future when I will have more time, but I have been waiting for it for a long time, and it hasn't come yet.

Let me know how you go, and if you win the getting up in the morning early debate!

I am really interested in hearing how other working mums / mums with kids fit in exercise, too!

I am able to workout on my lunch break, or I wouldn't be able to do much either.

I'm up at 5am every morning, to do some cardio or strength training, and then I run a few times a week in the evening after the kids go to bed. I'm not a morning person, but I've made the transition fairly well - just have to remember to go to bed earlier than I used to which can be a challenge some nights!!

bump...thinking late night will be the way to go. How did you do it when you had infants?

I have an infant...well a 4 month old. His bedtime is 7pm; my 3 year old's bedtime is 7:30pm so both are down by 8pm.

I run a home daycare, so sometimes I workout when the kids are napping, but most of the times I workout in the evenings. I do homework with my 5 yr old, cook dinner, then WE get it in!! I do lots of cardio, usually to Zumba, Just Dance 4, or Michael Jackson the Experience so the kids workout with me. My 13 yr old keeps it interesting because we challenge each other. She dances to beat my high score and I dance to burn as many calories as possible. This works for me! I can't bring myself to get up any earlier than I have to.

I have three children who are close in age. When they were smaller, they were in bed by 8 p.m. I would use the treadmill or a dvd I had. I kept my weight in control doing this. Good luck---they don't stay young forever!

I'm a single mom who works 2 jobs. I have no choice but to do it at 5 am when the Y opens. I am not a morning person, but if you want it bad enough, you find a way. My kids are a little older 8 & 14 so it is a little easier. However, during the week we have sports schedules, homework, school events, etc. I often say my parenting is a 3rd job.

Here's my schedule....

5AM get up and go to Y
6AM get home and wake everyone up to take showers/get dressed
6:30 Make Breakfast
6:45 My oldest son goes to the bus stop, I stay home with my youngest son and clean house, do laundry or dishes and sometimes go grocery shopping
8:00 My youngest gets on the bus and I go to work until 5:30
6PM I get home, some days I have to go straight to my part time job, fb practice or school events. Otherwise I cook dinner, go over homework. Sometimes we go on a walk around the lake before dinner too.
7:00 Clean up from dinner, do some laundry, and prep for the next day
8:30 Goal is to have everyone in bed, hopefully I make it to 8:30. Some days I stay up a little later.
Do it all again the next day. I also really make my exercise count on the weekends when I'm not working.

Find something that works for you. When my kids were younger we did a lot of walks. Does the fitness centers in your area have child care? Sometimes we just go to the Y and shoot hoops so that they have time to workout too. Both of them are in team sports so they get their exercise in.