What does your day look like? Fitting in exercise...

My typical weekday is
5:50 Wake up, get dressed, get coffee maker ready to go if didn't do it the night before
6:15 Go to gym
7:45 Get back from gym, get ready for work, grab coffee, throw together a quick lunch
8:30 Leave for work
9:00-5:30 Work
Depending on the night, 6:00-8:30 is roller derby practice or it's making dinner time if no derby practice
8:30- Freeish time until we go to bed

I've found if I do the working out thing first thing in the morning it becomes a habit and I don't even think about it.
Disclaimer: my house is also a mess most of the time. We generally clean on weekends.

what about making family time a "family exercise time"?

My "baby" just turned 19, so I really had to think back to what I was doing at that point in my life. I was only working part time, tho, so had more time available to me.

When Baby Boy went down for his afternoon nap, my then-two year old other son "worked out" with me in front of the TV. I think I did a post-partum tape (yes, tape, LOL), and eventually graduated to an "Ab Isolator" workout, LOL...And when the hubs got home from work, we would load the boys into the stroller and either walk around housing or put on inline skates and skate around the neighborhood.

I hear ya! I have 3 kids, 2 dogs, a husband and a job. You just have to do it.

4:30am - Up and getting dressed for the gym. Have a quick cup of coffee and make a smoothie to drink while driving.
5am - 6:15 at the gym
6:30am back home getting kids up for school
between 6:30-7:30am getting their breakfast all set, bags packed, myself showered , dressed and ready for work.
8am-5pm Work
5:30-8pm home to get dinner ready, homework and showers/baths done. Clean up from the kids/babysitter mess. Clothes and lunches ready for everyone for the next day.
8:30-9pm I pretty much pass out!

It IS possible. Maybe your schedule everyday won't be the same. Maybe you can only "fit it in" a few days a week. Those days count, until things slow down. I'm fortunate enough to have consistency in my days and weeks, but with that they are consistently CRAZY. I lift four days a week (NOTHING gets in the way of this) , do cardio 1-2 days a week in some way shape or form (I will skip this if needed, but rarely). I always pack food with me and I have three kids. 6th grade, 4th grade and pre school. I have an hour commute 4 days a week with 10 hour shifts and I work a second job 2 out of three of my days off. I coach volleyball five days a week and my kids are all in different activities. My job also requires travel from time to time.

My schedule:

Working Days: 4 days a week

2:30 am get up and go lift at gym
4:00 am: Drive to work ( I use this time to mentally prepare my to do lists for the day
5:00 am: At work
3:00 pm :Drive home (I use this time to talk on the phone for coordinating anything that needs to be done)
4:00 pm : Volleyball games or practice (middle daughter walks to dance practice)
5:30 pm: Nap for 20-30 minutes
6:00 pm : Dinner/homework/assign chores and tasks for evening
7:30 pm: Cook or pack lunches for entire family for next day, prepare my work bag, sign off and check homework
8:00 pm: Bed time

Non - Working Days: 2nd job at 8 pm until 2 am on two of these nights

8:00 am up
8:30 am Gym or mountain biking depending on the day
The middle of the day consist of either appointments, volleybal, errands that I needed to get done from the week including grocery shopping, bank runs, bill paying, etc. I will do a lunch date with anyone I need to catch up with on this day, too. In the late afternoon, we do some sort of family activity after kids are out of school.
7:00 pm: Get ready for 2nd job
8:00 pm : Go to work as bartender
2:00 am : Get home and sleep

Rinse....repeat. It is doable.

Reading some of your schedules, I should NEVER miss a workout because although at times I think I am busy, many of you have me beat by a lot & still find time.
In general my workout slots are before work 5-530 am and/or right after work 430-530 pm.

I have never been able to exercise right away when I wake up or wake up early just for that. I've tried but I just can't do it for more than a few days. Especially, now that it's dark.

I work full time and am in school full time for my PhD. When I come home, I don't want to leave again or work out. I fit mine in between clients or with clients.

I work with kids with autism. The first half of my day is at a preschool. At recess I move play games with them but I don't count that as exercise unless I play tag with them the whole half hour. They're quick little buggers! I don't usually log this exercise as it's part of my day.

I have another client in the afternoon who likes to walk. Everyday we walk 15-40 minutes. I do log this because it's that amount of time consistently. I time it and log it.

There are 3 days where I have gaps of 1-2 hours between clients. On those days, if I have no school work, then I'll go to the park or the mall and just walk around the whole time.

On days where I don't work, I'll go to the gym or do something more rigorous but at this time, I just feel so much more pressure if I try to fit in the gym.

Perhaps you can fit something in at work? A 15 minute break to take a walk? How old are your kids? If they're younger maybe have them nap in the stroller while you take a walk? A 20 minute exercise video you can do between housework/bills while they nap?

I hear you on that! You are lucky to have a husband to help. I don't have a back up to help with my two boys. So when I run its with them in the stroller and just around the neighborhood. Weight lifting is difficult because I get interrupted more often then not. Here is my schedule:
5am up getting breakfast made and the kids ready for daycare.
6:30-7:30 fighting traffic, dropping kids off
7:30am to 4:30ish at work
another hour drive to get kids and to the house.
6pm online classes / dinner / weight lifting
7pm bath for kids
8pm bedtime for kids
9pm run a mile
10ish Homework
11:30ish I am off to dream land!!
I say if you have kids that you incorporate them into the routine. Its better to teach them to work out now. My boys always work out with me. Its fun and helps up bond.

A typical weekday. Single Father of 3 teen+ kids Working job half in office, half at home
5:15 wake up
5:30 finally out of bed
5:35 make breakfast
5:40 consume breakfast
5:45 leave for work:
6:30 start work
7:00 phone kids to make sure they are up for school
11:00 finish office job
12:00 Gym
13:00 Pool
14:00 Home working, wait for kids to come home
18:00 Cook dinner
18:30 consume dinner
19:00 Grocery Shopping for next day, 20 minute, 2500 Steps return walk.
20:00 relax
21:00 bed

Typical Tuesday and Thursday:

5:00 Wake up and hit the snooze button for another 15 minutes
5:15 Drag myself out of bed and into my workout clothes
5:25 Drive to the gym
5:30 Get my butt on the stair-climber, the row machine, or the treadmill
6:00 Start a 15 minute stretch session
6:15 Get into the shower
6:45 Dressed and on my way to work
7:40ish (depending on traffic) Clock in and sit down to my greek yogurt and cup of tea while reading my emails
8-12 Push those papers baby!
12-1 Eat my lunch and take at a 30 minute walk outside or if the weather is bad walk in our storage warehouse
1-5 More papers!
5-6 Sit in a parking lot of cars until I am by some miracle transported home
6:00 Make some yummy food for me and my man
7:15 Take a stroll with my man and the dog
7:45 throw back on that workout gear and wait for the bestie to come pick me up
8:00 BEAST MODE ACTIVATE- Cuz I am sweating for the wedding yall!
8:45 Stretch out
9:00 Home to watch some DVR'd TV and snuggle with the man and dogface
10:30 Out like a light! Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Mondays and Fridays I do the same with the exception of I I walk the dog in the mornings those days and only go to the gym in the evening. Wednesdays and my weekends I typically reserve for fun and relaxation with friends and family (and cleaning). I might throw in a fun workout class like Zumba, TRX, or Pound with my best friend or occasionally if I can get him off the couch my man.

Having someone to do this with you is always helpful. I have a wonderful best friend that I go to the gym with at least three times a week. However, I can honestly say, I feel the best when I have made myself go! At least two mornings a week (what I thought was impossible before) I get up 2 hours early and go to they gym at 5:30 in the morning. I used to think I was too tired or that it would affect my work performance or that I would just want to sleep when I got home....honestly those two days a week are the ones where I have the MOST energy. I feel great about myself for going to the gym. Even if it is only for 30 minutes of cardio, I still went and I did it all by myself.

Obviously I don't have kids yet but I agree with @albionjen. I have a full time job with two 1 hour commutes. You have to take the time, unfortunately those extra hours just don't appear. Your kids will see that you are taking care of yourself and it will help motivate them to be active too! Make it a family thing by taking walks, going to the park, or if you are like my sisters gym...kid area full of fun physical activities! Or if you have a game system get some fun workout related games. My nephews LOVE to Zumba with me. It all adds up!

Life is busy. Are you on your own or do you have a partner who can take their share of the work off you?

4 days a week I commit to getting to the gym. Often I sacrifice sleep to get there. Someone said they sacrifice the cleanliness of their house to get their work out in, I would but that ship sailed when I went back to work full time. I like the idea of making family time active but most of our family time is ferrying kids to and from activities during the week.

An average gym day for me
5:30 get up go to gym, work out, shower, get ready for work, get to work
7:30-4:15 Work
4:30-6:00 Get home straighten up, take care of dogs, eat supper
6:00-9:00 Run kids, assorted meetings, spend time with youngest making sure he has what he needs, check youngest's homework, get youngest to bed,
9:00-10:15 wrangle with older two about homework, walk dogs, catch up on bills etc, take one more swing at finding the counters or floor
10:15- 10:30 spend time with older 2 making sure they have what they need
10:30-10:45 get to bed

I guess I'm able to fit in my workouts everyday: 1. don't have kids (they can be time suckers), 2. save cleaning for the weekends (if I have time, I also volunteer and belong to a professional women's group, so my weekends can be kind of full). 3. try to fit other activities around my workouts. So basically stop all the cleaning and you'll have time to workout.

Oh one other tip. The best in my opinion. Find excercise that you like to do. For example I know that running/jogging is a great workout but I also know that I would literally have to force myself or bribe myself to do it. So for now, no running. I know it won't work. I love sports so I always go to volleyball. I will not miss it. What is your passion? Do you like to walk outside and be with nature? Do you like machines at the gym? Do you love dancing, yog? Find your thing and you will have a better chance of sticking to it.

I sacrifice the cleanliness of my house.

That makes 2 of us. The only time I have to clean is usually Sundays.

My day is hectic, but I started getting up and going to the gym at 5:30 am/4days week. I leave the house when my husband and kids are still sleeping and return to everyone waking up and getting ready for work/school. Doing this I have noticed increased energy throughout my day and I sleep awesome at night!!!