Advice on finding time for exercise?
amberlynde
Posts: 5
I've finally found a diet that I can easily stick to and is resulting in slow weight loss and decided to come back to start tracking my progress again. Now I'd like to focus on my lack of exercise to help with the weight loss. The problem though is that I can't seem to find the time to exercise. I work full time and I go to school full time, both require me to sit on my rear all day at a desk. Basically, leave the house at 8am and don't get home again until 10-11pm. By the weekend I'm too exhausted to do much and am having to study to keep up with school, catch up on housework, and spend time with my daughter, family, and boyfriend. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I might be able to squeeze in some meaningful exercises and what exercises I should do? Getting up earlier is not an option, I'm not a morning person at all.
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Replies
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No real suggestions. It's about prioritizing. If exercise is a lower priority then the other things you mentioned, maybe you can't exercise right now. I'd say that in all likelihood, you could find time for at least a brisk walk several times a week. Good luck!0
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I think if the only available time you have is in the morning and you aren't a morning person, then you are going to struggle. It is possible to get walking in whilst you work during the day. However, to get some cardio and resistance in is going to be difficult.
I'm up at 6:30 every morning so I can exercise before work. It's not always easy, particularly when it's so dark now, but it gets done.0 -
Get up 20 minutes earlier and get in some HIIT. You don't need the exercise for weight loss, but if you want to make it a priority, you will find the time.0
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You can find time if you choose to. I have all the things that you have going on, plus some. Look at my profile photo. Not being a morning person is an excuse. Get up and exercise.0
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Break it up into 10 min increments. It will do you good, burn calories, and refresh you between tasks. I take my daughter with me...:flowerforyou: good luck.0
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First - working out isn't something you do to lose weight ......exercise is for your health and body compostition. You can lose weight with zero exercise.....but you will likely lose muscle (as well as fat).
"Schedule" short workouts.....even 10 minutes at a time. Get up 10 minutes early and do 1 section of a 10 Minute Solutions DVD. Do another section before you go to bed. Plan on a brisk walk during a lunch break.
When I first started I have a goal of 90 minutes a week. I logged the time in a spreadsheet. As that got to be a regular habit, I added more minutes. When you make exercise a regular part of your routine, you don't even have to think about it.0 -
Getting up earlier is not an option, I'm not a morning person at all.
this is pretty much "sub excuse" number 1 under the umbrella of "I just don't have time." Sorry, but "finding" time is a passive endeavor...you will never "find" time; you have to make time which involves putting to bed such excuses as the one above.0 -
Getting up earlier is not an option, I'm not a morning person at all.
this is pretty much "sub excuse" number 1 under the umbrella of "I just don't have time." Sorry, but "finding" time is a passive endeavor...you will never "find" time; you have to make time which involves putting to bed such excuses as the one above.
Honestly, I'm lucky if I can wake up in time enough for work. I have delayed sleep phase syndrome. Always have. When I say early mornings aren't an option, I mean they are medically not an option. This is something I have no control over. I was more looking for suggestions on exercises that can be done in 5 minute or less spurts throughout the day that won't be meaningless.0 -
Take your daughter to the playground nearby. Race her there. Run around and have a good time with her for a while. Walk back home together. Profit.0
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Drive to work a few minutes early. Park as far away from your office as possible. Walk there, briskly or else you'll be late for work. Profit.0
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Take a gallon water bottle to work with you. Drink the whole thing while at work. Use the bathroom farthest away from your desk, preferably up- or downstairs from your floor. Profit.0
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Use a Bluetooth headset. Participate in conference calls where they're an option over sit-down meetings. Pace around during the calls. Profit.0
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Find a good sandwich shop about a mile away from your office. Walk there and back for lunch. Profit.0
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Dump the boyfriend. :laugh:I've finally found a diet that I can easily stick to and is resulting in slow weight loss and decided to come back to start tracking my progress again. Now I'd like to focus on my lack of exercise to help with the weight loss. The problem though is that I can't seem to find the time to exercise. I work full time and I go to school full time, both require me to sit on my rear all day at a desk. Basically, leave the house at 8am and don't get home again until 10-11pm. By the weekend I'm too exhausted to do much and am having to study to keep up with school, catch up on housework, and spend time with my daughter, family, and boyfriend. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I might be able to squeeze in some meaningful exercises and what exercises I should do? Getting up earlier is not an option, I'm not a morning person at all.
I kid. There are 7 minute programs (high intensity) that can be done. If you don't have 7 minutes to do it, then having no time is an excuse.
A.C.E. Certified Personal and Group Fitness Trainer
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Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition0 -
In the morning. Get up earlier and fit your workout in then.0
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There's nothing wrong with fitting in 5-10 minutes here and there through the day. Run in place, do jumping jacks, sit-ups, push-ups, squats, lunges, planks, tricep dips, leg raises, fake jump rope etc (google body weight exercises or at home workouts for more ideas). Use empty gallon jugs for weights to do things like bicep curls and overhead presses and chest presses - filled completely with water, they'll weight about 8 pounds each. If there are stairs, walk up and down them, take them two at a time, run up and down them. Put on some music and dance around with your kids. Ask the boyfriend to go on walks or hikes with you.
Spending time with the kids and boyfriend can be fun and active too!
Do other simple things to add in more activity. Stuck on hold? Stand up and do some squats or even just walk in place. Stopping at the grocery store? Park as far away from the door as you can and walk briskly or even run to and from the store. Or even if the stores are close enough to your house, walk there and take the kids and boyfriend with you. If you print a lot of stuff at work, pick a different printer that's far away from your desk so you have to walk further to get your paperwork. Every little bit helps! It may not burn a ton of calories but it's still an increase in activity.0 -
Getting up earlier is not an option, I'm not a morning person at all.
this is pretty much "sub excuse" number 1 under the umbrella of "I just don't have time." Sorry, but "finding" time is a passive endeavor...you will never "find" time; you have to make time which involves putting to bed such excuses as the one above.
^this X a million.
If you want it you'll do it. You obviously don't 'really' want it badly enough (yet).0 -
I kid. There are 7 minute programs (high intensity) that can be done. If you don't have 7 minutes to do it, then having no time is an excuse.
I googled the 7 minute high intensity programs and found some instruction on exercises and workout plan. Thank you, that was exactly what I was looking for.0 -
I've finally found a diet that I can easily stick to and is resulting in slow weight loss and decided to come back to start tracking my progress again. Now I'd like to focus on my lack of exercise to help with the weight loss. The problem though is that I can't seem to find the time to exercise. I work full time and I go to school full time, both require me to sit on my rear all day at a desk. Basically, leave the house at 8am and don't get home again until 10-11pm. By the weekend I'm too exhausted to do much and am having to study to keep up with school, catch up on housework, and spend time with my daughter, family, and boyfriend. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I might be able to squeeze in some meaningful exercises and what exercises I should do? Getting up earlier is not an option, I'm not a morning person at all.
I would say take an honest look at what you do during the day and then eliminate what doesn't do much for you - something you can do without and replace it with exercise. Much like the food - eliminate and replace.0 -
Exercise while you're 'waiting around the house", or "doing other things".I was more looking for suggestions on exercises that can be done in 5 minute or less spurts throughout the day that won't be meaningless.
Squats, lunges, leg lifts, side leg lifts, pushups against the kitchen counter
Do them while you're waiting:
for your microwave, waiting for the pasta water to boil, waitng for your daughter, listening to voice mail messages, being put on hold on the telephone, or (leg) exercise while brushing your teeth, during TV commercials, or while watching TV.
Heck, you can do Some of them (safely) while talking on the tele, checking emails, or eating, if you're really serious.
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http://www.creatingreallyawesomefreethings.com/easy-exercises-to-do-at-home/
http://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:J5ION8QO2CEJ:postpartumpunk.com/2011/01/how-to-exercise-while-doing-other-things/+&cd=3&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us&client=firefox-a
http://www.wikihow.com/Exercise-While-Watching-TV0 -
It's not always about whether or not exercise is a priority for someone.....obviously it is for everyone on here or this topic would not spark our interest. As a full-time working (traveling) mom with a 2yr old and 3yr old I I00% understand. Time for some of us is very limited. When I am in the office I eat at my desk and spend about 30-45min exercising on my lunch which usually involves a walk. I also travel a lot so I have been looking into simple exercises I can do in my hotel room or use the hotel gym. Another suggestion is to YouTube exercise videos and do that instead of TV in the evening. Just some ideas, hope that helps :-)0
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You just have to do it. I make the gym basically my number 1 priority in life. Not just the gym, yoga and running as well. If I didn't think it was that important, I'd find excuses for not doing it. I work 40 hours a week, go to college full time, and I still find time to train at least an hour every day, 6 days a week.0
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When I think about "not having time", I find this quote and read it. It changes my perspective.
“Instead of saying “I don’t have time” try saying “it’s not a priority,” and see how that feels. Often, that’s a perfectly adequate explanation. I have time to iron my sheets, I just don’t want to. But other things are harder. Try it: “I’m not going to edit your résumé, sweetie, because it’s not a priority.” “I don’t go to the doctor because my health is not a priority.” If these phrases don’t sit well, that’s the point. Changing our language reminds us that time is a choice. If we don’t like how we’re spending an hour, we can choose differently.”0 -
I work full time and I am going to school for my MBA. I also have a house to take care of, a husband, and 3 sons who all live at home. YES, it is difficult to find time to exercise, but it is possible. One thing that I do is make Saturday morning mine. It doesn't matter how much homework or housework I have to do, I COME FIRST on Saturday morning. If I haven't had the opportunity to do any other exercise during the week, at least I have my Saturday mornings.
DON'T even think about how tired you are. That is not an excuse. The best cure for being tired is to work out. HONEST!!
So - make yourself a priority, at least in one block of time, like I do on my Saturday morning. You will feel so much better, and you are worth it.0 -
Do something physical with your family..By the weekend ..... I'm catch up on housework, and spend time with my daughter, family, and boyfriend. Does anyone have any suggestions on where I might be able to squeeze in some meaningful exercises....
Hike. Bike. Badminton.
Not sure of your daughter's age, but maybe while she bikes, you can jog along side of her ?
Instead of eat and talk, why not walk & talk, while enjoying the outdoors ?
Exert more effort while doing errands.
Do not park near the store. Park at the far end of the parking lot, or even down the street !!
Walk from store to store ~ or walk from block to block. do not move your car.
Carry your items when possible (instead of using a grocery cart)
Be sure to take the view extra steps and return grocery carts to the front of the store.
Take the stairs. Do not take escalators or elevators.
If you have a bit more time, do the stairs a couple of extra times . Works for me !!
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No real suggestions. It's about prioritizing. If exercise is a lower priority then the other things you mentioned, maybe you can't exercise right now. I'd say that in all likelihood, you could find time for at least a brisk walk several times a week. Good luck!
I agree with this. It has to be a priority and you seem to have a full plate as it is! It's hard for me to find time, too, with a full-time job and a three-year old daughter. I try to be creative and walk 20 minutes at work when I can. My daughter's daycare is relatively close to home and some days, when the weather is nice, I'll go home first and change out of my work clothes and then walk to her daycare with the wagon to get her. These suggestions might not work for your situation, but it could be a start. Are there activities you could do as a family that'll at least keep you moving?0 -
Getting up earlier is not an option, I'm not a morning person at all.
this is pretty much "sub excuse" number 1 under the umbrella of "I just don't have time." Sorry, but "finding" time is a passive endeavor...you will never "find" time; you have to make time which involves putting to bed such excuses as the one above.
Honestly, I'm lucky if I can wake up in time enough for work. I have delayed sleep phase syndrome. Always have. When I say early mornings aren't an option, I mean they are medically not an option. This is something I have no control over. I was more looking for suggestions on exercises that can be done in 5 minute or less spurts throughout the day that won't be meaningless.
Exercise at night, then; take 20-30 minutes after you get home (or before you go home, if you have access to a gym or can run outside) and get it done. I don't understand your schedule during the day to know whether or not you can squeeze something in the middle of the day... or you can do a combo of the two. Just make the time; it's there!0 -
I wake up at 4 AM just to get to the gym for the express workout (Planet Fitness). It's half an hour of a combined cardio/strength type workout (much like HIIT, really) and though I hate waking up, I always feel better after I workout and have more energy on the days I workout. I have five kids, a job, a house... I get back from the gym, get ready, make lunches for the kids, drive them an hour to private school, go to work, pick them up, drive home an hour, straighten up from the whirlwind mess made in the morning, start supper, feed the masses, clean up from supper, give baths, get kids to bed, spend a little time to myself, do laundry, and then hit the hay somewhere between 1030 and midnight... depending on how many loads of clothes I have to wash to keep up.
Prioritize. If it's important to you, find a way to make it happen. Lunch break HIIT sprinting/walking for 15 minutes? When I lapsed my gym membership, I was doing a quick 10-12 minutes of HIIT with my 25# dumbbells. I'd do 45 seconds of jump rope, or jumping lunges, or burpees, rest 15 seconds, do 45 seconds of a dumbbell movement (weighted squats or lunges, or rows, etc), rest 15 seconds, 45 seconds of another cardio type... you get the idea. It would get my heart rate up quite high and have a decent burn (according to my HRM anyway--between 90 and 120 calories). Some days I'd take a 15 minute run. It's something! You don't have to bust it for hours... 0 -
Time for some of us is very limited.
Time for the vast majority of us is very limited...when that ceases to become an excuse, good things happen.
I'm up at 4:30/5:00 AM every day...I have an hour each way commute to work where I put in another good 8-10 hours, sometimes 12. I usually take about 30-45 minutes of my lunch break to go for a run or ride my bike and eat at my desk..I forgo going out with the co-workers for a fun lunch save for on occasion...my exercise is my priority. Twice per week I hit the gym in the evening...I pick my 1 y.o. and 3 y.o. up from day care and we head for the gym...I pay a little extra each month to use the child care facilities at the gym. My third lifting day is on Saturday...I usually hit the gym around 5:30 - 6:00 AM or so in order that I can get home before the kiddos and my wife are up so I can make my traditional Sat morning breakfast...then of course there's all the catching up that needs to be done in RE to cleaning and fixing and yard work, etc. I'm also the primary cook in our house and we don't eat out a lot nor do we eat much in the way of pre-packaged foods...this keeps me quite busy preparing meals and the like for the family...breakfast, lunch, and dinner most of the time.
The "I have no time" or "I'm just so busy" excuse just rubs me the wrong way...likely because I used it for a good decade plus and I always thought I was sooooo much busier than anyone else on the planet...nobody could possibly understand how sooooo busy I was. Once I realized that I wasn't any busier than anyone else and that in fact, there were people even busier than I am out there crushing their workouts and nutrition...once I put that lame *kitten* excuse to bed, everything changed for me and for the better.
I'm not going to sit here and say it's always easy...i'm not going to tell you I don't literally have to drag my *kitten* to the gym on some days and force myself to get 'er done...that would be bull****. It's hard...you just have to do it.0 -
When i am studying I try to turn it into a light workout whenever possible.
If a lot of the material covered in your profs lectures are on the exams, then record them & go take a walk while listening to it. or bring a small notebook full of detailed study notes (or flashcards) that you can bring with you on a walk.
This semester has been trickier for me because it involves a a lot of paper writing for a psych class & watching online video lectures for another course that i am taking. So far i've been able to find ample time to workout, but i just started a new job it may get tricky....since bringing notes on a walk is less of an option right now, I am thinking of getting a cheap un-motorized treadmill that i can walk on while stuck at the computer.0
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