Anyone else struggling to balance life and fitness?

Honestly, the only thing that has helped me is keeping a datebook where I can keep track of everything and make sure I make time for the things I feel are important. I'm a mom of three (ages 7, 5, and 2), I try to cook most of our meals, I work 40 hours per week at my day job and pull in another 20+ running the grassroots organization that I head. All of that on top of needing to keep the house clean, garden, sew, read, and you know...breathe.

In my date book I make sure I put in time for everything that I deem important. My husband and I have date nights planned out, for example. If there is something I really want to do, let's say finish a book I'm reading, I make sure that I make time for it. When it comes to fitness, I get up and exercise while everyone is still in bed and then I also usually take a run on my lunch break at work and opt to eat lunch during my work hours as many people at my job do...it's a relaxed atmosphere so I can eat without rushing while also doing my job and doing it well. Sometimes if I really need an extra hour to do some cleaning I will pay the sitter one extra hour after work so that I can go home and clean child-free.

It's hard, trust me know know...but if it's important you can always find a way. Just give it time and try a few different techniques to find out what works for you

Yes, I struggle too. I'm a partner in a lawfirm and have 2 kids, 6 and 7, who are in a bunch of activities. I'm also in some volunteer organizations. I walk around the rink while my daughter is skating, I walk around the soccer and lax fields during practice, I use my lunch hour to go to exercise classes. I do the best I can.

Good suggestions.

I already do a short workout on my strength days (about 30 mins), but it is hard to get in a warmup, cool down, and a decent run done in less than 45 minutes!

I may have to try some mornings somehow, but my husband has "claimed" those times as his workout times, and I dont like leaving my kids alone and asleep (I have no problem leaving them when they are awake, in the afternoons or evenings). Perhaps on my strength days (which I do at home) I could do some mornings. . . . But then either the cooked breakfast would have to go, or I would have to get in bed earlier (in order to get up earlier), which again, shortchanges my family! It seems like someone or something is the loser any way you go when you are a working Mom!

That's why I only do morning workouts if either my husband is home for the kiddos or I will do at-home workouts

You don't have to work out every day. 3 or 4 times is fine. Do HIIT for time saving cardio. Strong Lifts can be done in about 45minutes.

I have really juggle to balance it. I am a homeschooling mom (but they are high school now and I don't do much), work part time ((which I just started so it totally is throwing a wrench into everything until I get used to it) , and have a few different health issues (the BIGGEST of my obstacles.)

I get my exercise in 10-15 minute segments in between everything else I run around doing like a headless chicken. (and usually just 20-30 minutes a few days a week)

and I have met my goals of fittness/weight loss so far with my random 10 mminutes here and there.. So it is fine to just do what you can when you can! Eat the right aamount of calories to keep the weght down and enough fats/protein/carbs to eep your energy up.

You don't have to work out every day. 3 or 4 times is fine. Do HIIT for time saving cardio. Strong Lifts can be done in about 45minutes.

Maybe I will try HIIT again. The last time I did it, it turned running into a chore for me! In fact, I almost stopped running because I was so focused on speed/intensity. I know that is backwards for many people. I hear of so many people really loving it, but I guess it takes all kinds of things for all kinds of people!

At least I could shorten some of my run days with HIIT.

you can do HIIT with other activities, not just running. stationary bike, jumping jacks, running up and down the stairs in your house... that might help on days you don't run.

you know, as far as hobbies go, it's not the worst one to have. and it can lead to other things. if your friends ask you to come on a hike with them, or rock climbing, or a bike ride, you can say yes with confidence.

and you can combine fitness and scrapbooking. you can create a scrapbook of your race bibs, and pictures of all your fitness stuff.

i gave up a lot of hobbies as i started to make room for fitness, and i'm okay with it.

Ok it isn't fitness taking over as the only hobby. Think of it as prioritizing what is important. You said you have children and work, well you could easily let that stuff overtake all the hobbies. Balancing life with anything else isn't just about making time, it is prioritizing what you need or want to do with your time. I told my mom for years, no one ever died because a dirty dish was left in the sink.

I didn't have the time and energy to read for a lot of years. Now daughter is 19 and away at college, I have time to read, watch my shows and exercise. So it is a cycle. I still have to balance demands of life and what I want to do, but its easier.

Right now work is insane, but I again I prioritize what is important, sometimes the house isn't cleaned as well as I would like. The laundry doesn't always get put away after its done, but I prioritize as needed and fitness is a main priority. I could die from not being healthy, but I won't die because my laundry isn't put away.

FYI, there are days I should be keeping chaos at bay and instead I just read because I want to. There are other times I don't get to do anything I want because of the life demands. Balance isn't about everything, balance is about what makes you happy in the end

Honestly, the only thing that has helped me is keeping a datebook where I can keep track of everything and make sure I make time for the things I feel are important. I'm a mom of three (ages 7, 5, and 2), I try to cook most of our meals, I work 40 hours per week at my day job and pull in another 20+ running the grassroots organization that I head. All of that on top of needing to keep the house clean, garden, sew, read, and you know...breathe.

In my date book I make sure I put in time for everything that I deem important. My husband and I have date nights planned out, for example. If there is something I really want to do, let's say finish a book I'm reading, I make sure that I make time for it. When it comes to fitness, I get up and exercise while everyone is still in bed and then I also usually take a run on my lunch break at work and opt to eat lunch during my work hours as many people at my job do...it's a relaxed atmosphere so I can eat without rushing while also doing my job and doing it well. Sometimes if I really need an extra hour to do some cleaning I will pay the sitter one extra hour after work so that I can go home and clean child-free.

It's hard, trust me know know...but if it's important you can always find a way. Just give it time and try a few different techniques to find out what works for you

This! I use google calendar. It takes a bit of time to set it up the way you like (I have color coded categories. ie: work, fun, appointment, etc.) but is super easy and user friendly once you get it together. I then put everything in it. I mean, everything! My partner makes fun of me because I schedule time to read and for other fun things. It has helped me so much though, if I see it laid out on my calendar I know that I can realistically make time for it. I highly suggest this! Good luch!!

I can relate. I work in-house (legal) and have a son who has practices 3+ a week in the evenings. I do a lot of the meal prep and dinner plus other household chores (honestly it sounds a little old-fashioned but those are things that I learned from my mom and can easily get around to them). I am the morning workout person, and that has recently meant that I'm in bed before my son sometimes.

I have set some of my hobbies (photography, writing, paper-crafts, knitting) on the back burner since I started pursuing fitness more. If I have an hour or so (and the energy to do so), I'll pick something up. Usually, it'll be spurred by a burst of creativity or an idea that intrigued me. However, it's usually one thing at a time these days.

I try not to stress too much about it. If there's something I really want to do, sometimes I let other stuff go and try not to freak out about it. A pre-packaged breakfast every now and then, a shorter workout, letting the hubby manage bedtime wrangling, etc.

Trying to balance it all is an ongoing effort each month as schedules & "free" time changes. I'm a single parent sharing custody of our 3 busy boys with an unconventional placement schedule due to their dad's job, so I have them different days each week. I work full time and in a long-distant relationship with has me traveling on weekends sometimes. Keeping balance is like goal setting or keeping your financial budget....you need to revisit it each month or as often as needed so you can stay on task. Priority setting, flexibility, determination & compromise is key. Plus, having your entire family on board is a must. Unless I want to work out at 4am everyday, my workout times are not consistent, yet I manage to get one in each day. I have sat my kids down, explained to them the importance of me working on my health & fitness. They are my biggest support/ fans!! They understand why I may need to workout for a bit and give some attention to myself vs. to them at times. You may find that they want to join in!! The 8 yr old wants to do yoga with me, the 11 & 14 yr olds have gone running with me too. We can't forget that we are leading by example. You may be tired at first, but once you get the ball rolling, it's a breeze!!!

Single parents working multiple jobs have my sympathies. The rest, not so much.

When I was working out every day during the summer, it was hard sometimes. But since I've cut it down to about 4-5 times a week, it's not bad. I cut most of the cardio out, and generally just do 30 minute lifting sessions, and maybe 20 minutes on the elliptical once or twice a week. The only thing I haven't been doing is reading. Because if I read, I won't do anything else. I tend to neglect the rest of my life when I'm really into a book. :laugh: