Moms with Toddlers...how do you fit in workouts?
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laniesloves
Posts: 10 Member
So my little girl is 15 months old. My husband and I both work full-time, so when we get home from work and pick her up from daycare, it's really important to us that we spend time with her! If I try to fit in a workout I feel so guilty! I've tried incorporating her into my workouts. She LOVES to dance so doing Zumba is fun for her...she watches me, laughs and tries to mimic what I'm doing. BUT, what other ways can I get in some activity while not losing any of our special time together (I know walking, running but it's the middle of winter and I can't imagine taking her out!)
Any toddler mommy's have advice or ideas?
Any toddler mommy's have advice or ideas?
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I have no advice, but very eager to hear if somebody else has something. My husband works full time, and I work 2 days a week, and in school 3 days a week. I have a 12 months old and a 5 years old. After work , I have to cook dinner and split my attention between 2 kids.
I can not wait to have warmer weather, and I will bike to work/school. Since I returned to work/school after the first kid 4 years ago , that seems to be the only consistent workout I manage to have. I have a bike trailer, and I used to pull my son in it a lot. I biked to his daycare dropped him off, and than biked to school/work. Last year my baby#2 was too young to be in a bike trailer, but this year she is old enough, so I am going to pull both of them, and that will be a hell of a daily workout. .Cann't wait!
I love doing strength training at home, and I used to do that when my son was around 2-3 yrs old, and he was mimicing me a bit. Since he was always trying to lift my weights , it wasn't very safe through. I bought him some 1 lb baby weights and he was using them and I could work out a bit with him. However usually those workouts ended up totally useless and not very efficient. Also I was in a constant panic mode because when you are lifing a 40-50 lb barbell and a toddler running behind you , tripping can have a tragic end.0 -
I have a 3 yo and a 10 month old at home and I work full time. It is hard to find time to work out. I started getting up early and work out in the morning before work. I usually only manage 20-30 minutes but it is better than nothing. I also do some exercise with my older son at night. We will do burpees, yoga, and play tag. He likes to sit on my back while I attempt to do push ups or hold a plank. He likes to do crunches and dips with me and thinks it is a fun game. I also use my younger son while exercising, either a weight when doing squats or calf raises, or even lifting him up over my head like a shoulder press. He thinks it is a blast.0
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I wo at a gym on the evenings now around 8-9 but before that i would work out asap after everone ate while the baby was in the best mood ...least likely time to become crabby.. Then id shower during her nap. Im a stay at home mom my kids are 5,4 and 1. Op never ever ever feel guilty for taking time for yourself to work out... We are moms but still need to invest on our own selves also.0
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While I am by no means doing any of this NOW as I have fallen off the wagon, this is what I was doing last year:
- Walk around the office complex during my two 15 minutes breaks. As long as it wasn't raining, super cold, or super hot, I walked. I keep a pair of slip-on sneaker-like things at my desk. I bought a cheap pedometer at Target - 15 mins at a fairly brisk pace burned around 43 calories for me, that is 86 calories at the end of the day and in the beginning that is all I did.
-After the kids are bed (8-8:30pm), I would watch TV, fold laundry, do dishes etc. If I was watching TV, I started doing lunges, squats, push ups, planks, sit ups, tricep dips using the ottoman, leg lifts, etc while watching my shows. I bought some 3 lb hand held weights and started doing an arm routine (biceps curls, dead lifts, tricep extensions, and the like)
-I got really ambitious and started getting up early and did a work-out DVD. It had several different routines to choose from, some were only 15 minutes and one was around 30 minutes, plus the warm & cool down. I would get cardio and strength training in one!
-On nice weather weekends,I would take the kids for a walk, go to the park, or we would all go to a wooded-trail park for "hiking"
I lost about 10 pounds by logging everything on here and doing what I though was pretty minimal exercise. This year I don't want to lose focus and I want to become a BEAST!0 -
I have a son who just turned 4 in December. I used to spend an hour working out when he was younger but would get frustrated and have to stop several times to get him focused on something because as we know toddlers have a short attention span. I have found 25 to 30 minute workouts that are intense, effective and quick!! I love them! I highly recommend them for moms with toddlers or youngsters around.0
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I had to start working out more at home. I bought TurboFire and Les Mills BodyPump . My two year old loves to dance to the music while I work out. He evens tried to do some of the TurboFire moves too! It's a daily challenge. But we get in done.0
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A question for the ladies that work out at the morning. When do you get up to do this? I used to do this when I worked from home between the 2 kids and hubby was taking our son to the daycare, but now I can not get up early enough. Our morning is so busy , I can not even imagine to fit a workout in there.
Normally both husband and me get up 6:00-6:15 am, and unfortunately the kids get up at this time too, and they make things slow .
I head to the kitchen start packing food as all 4 of us need to take food for the entire day. With 2 little kids pulling my legs and playing and fighting around me , this is a 20 minutes + making breakfast is another 10 minutes. The main-while my husband takes a shower, shaves, dress etc. I usually do not eat breakfast myself, just drink a protein shake. Usually breakfast ready around 6:45 and my husband is ready by this time and he eats breakfast with the kids. The meanwhile I head to the shower , dress, put on makeup etc . They done breakfast and I done with myself by 7:10-7:15. My husband takes the dog for a quick 20 minutes walk, and I make the kids ready during this time: changing and dressing the baby, supervising my 5 yr old wash his face, teeth, comb hair , dress himself etc. My husbands leaves the house 7:40. The kids and me have like 15 minutes to play , before we start to getting ready( another 10 minutes) and putting on snowpants, boots, mitts, hats etc as we need to leave 8:00-8:05.
Really ladies how do you do a morning working out when you have kid(s) and go to work. It seems the mission impossible to me. To do a workout before the whole craziness starts, I would need to get up like 5:00 am, but then when would I sleep?0 -
Really ladies how do you do a morning working out when you have kid(s) and go to work. It seems the mission impossible to me. To do a workout before the whole craziness starts, I would need to get up like 5:00 am, but then when would I sleep?
Most women I have seen on here do just that - wake up really friggin' early! I have done it myself in the past, I would get up around 5:00 or 5:15, depending on how long the work-out was going to be. (I used a cardio/strength training DVD) I would put my work out clothes, sneakers, and hand weights in the living room the night before. If I got really sweaty, I would shower. If I didn't, and I was short on time b/c I hit snooze too many times, I would just wipe the important areas with a soapy, hot washcloth, then rinse. I found after getting into the habit of doing it, it got easier and easier and by default I was tired at night and was going to bed earlier.
I got out of the habit and am back to staying up too late and dragging in the morning. I need to get up earlier, and get the kids up earlier, just so I can stop being late to work! Getting more sleep and going to bed earlier was my New Year's resolution and I am still working in it.....it is only January 14th.....we got time!0 -
Even without workouts I have no problem to collapse into bed early, never sleep later than 11 pm , but usually 10 pm. Kids room finishes by 8 pm, and I do housework after that usually crawl into bed by 9 pm and I may surf the net or watch something for an hr. Until 4 days ago my baby was still waking up at least once at night for a marathon length 1-1-.5 hr nursing episode, so sleeping was extremely precious. This gave me an average 6.5-7 hrs of sleep, which is already too little . There was no way to get up one more hr earlier and lose even more sleep.I found after getting into the habit of doing it, it got easier and easier and by default I was tired at night and was going to bed earlier.
The last few days something happened and my finger crossed that this sleeping through the night habit became permanent and not just a fluke. I had almost full 8 hrs of sleep 3 days in a row, and I feel like a totally new person.0 -
I view my schedule as fluid. What works one month doesn't work the next given the kids' sleeping habits etc. Here are a few things I've incorporated as I could:
--I do 30 day shred immediately after the kids are asleep. it's 20 minutes and gets my heart pumping. If I start doing housework etc after the kids are down, I won't do it. So I come down the stairs and immediately start it! Then I do my housework, pack lunches etc.
--I watch very little TV. I DVR the shows I want to watch and don't get sucked into mindless TV. I am too busy!
--having one or two long workouts on weekends when there is more time
--realizing sometimes there are just not enough hours in the day and I simply CANT get it in. Then I eat very strictly and as soon as my schedule frees up I start up my exercise again
Hope it helps!!0 -
As I said before, the kids do it with me some nights. Most nights though I put them to bed and immediately do my work out and take a shower. I have rotated between C25k, 30 Day Shred, and Step Aerobics. Every other day I also do the resistance bands. Then I take a shower. Most nights the baby is back up by then and she plays in her Jumperoo while I take a shower. I bring it into the hall outside the bathroom and she stares at the shower the whole time because she loves the sound of the water.
I keep saying I am going to get up and exercise, but this never happens. My daughter is still up 2-3 times a night and my husband doesn't get off work until 12 and gets home between 12:30-1 am. He always wakes me when he gets home--so I haven't had an uninterrupted night of sleep in the 7.5 years I have been a mom!0 -
I know how you feel! I rarely worked out after being away from my toddler 10+ hours a day, 5 days a week. I used to get in a quick 15min yoga session 3X week & went to the gym on the weekends. I focused more on my diet when I worked. When the weather was nice, I'd take my toddler out in the jogging stroller after dinner.
I'm now a SAHM & work out when she naps. Good luck!0 -
I work from home so my schedule is flexible. But, I have 2 daughters, 3 and 1 and they both do the exercises with me. I do 30 DS and both girls will be jumping around, lifting their "weights" and doing sit ups with me. I find it makes the workout more fun for all of us. I also work out first thing in the morning, and before they wake up usually. Would that be an option for you?0
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I work from home so my schedule is flexible. But, I have 2 daughters, 3 and 1 and they both do the exercises with me. I do 30 DS and both girls will be jumping around, lifting their "weights" and doing sit ups with me. I find it makes the workout more fun for all of us. I also work out first thing in the morning, and before they wake up usually. Would that be an option for you?
You are not the first to say that you work out with your girls, but I am choosing your comment to ask a question off of it---
HOW do you this? LOL My kids seems to be professionals at being under foot or getting in the way. I am afraid I would smack a kid or knock one out with my arms or legs! My kids do NOT know what "personal space" is, lol. This can't be just my kids right??0 -
Hi! I have a 3.5 year old and 1 year old at home - after going back to work with my 3.5 year old I also struggled to find time to workout. Before kids, I would work out 45 min - 1 hour after work most days.
BUT - I've found I have to get up before the kids to get it done - otherwise, I have too many interruptions. This may sounds crazy, but I get up at 4:50 2-3 times a week and do a 30-45 minute workout, and then am at work by 7:30. I do household chores when my kids go to bed (8-9), and get in bed at 9 to get my 7-8 hours. I also do 1-2 hard/long workouts on the weekend - my husband watches the kids so I can do that.
As hard as it is to adjust to the early AM schedule, it seems to work best with the kids. I'm looking forward to the day that I don't have to be up quite so early!0 -
I work from home so my schedule is flexible. But, I have 2 daughters, 3 and 1 and they both do the exercises with me. I do 30 DS and both girls will be jumping around, lifting their "weights" and doing sit ups with me. I find it makes the workout more fun for all of us. I also work out first thing in the morning, and before they wake up usually. Would that be an option for you?
You are not the first to say that you work out with your girls, but I am choosing your comment to ask a question off of it---
HOW do you this? LOL My kids seems to be professionals at being under foot or getting in the way. I am afraid I would smack a kid or knock one out with my arms or legs! My kids do NOT know what "personal space" is, lol. This can't be just my kids right??
I move all the furniture (hardwood floors) and put those mats down that go under our sleeping bags. I then have the kids work out on their mats. Over time, they have learned not to get off the mats when working out to videos. My oldest did get clocked once by accident before he learned. :-(0 -
Do you have stairs at work? If so take them any time possible, try to move as much as you can if you have a desk job. I'm a stay at home mom to a 15 month old little girl, but when I worked that is what I would do when weather didn't allow for walking outside on breaks. As for working out at home I have found quick bursts of anything like jumping jacks, jump rope and running in place even for just a few minutes at a time goes a long way. I also use an ab ball and let her sit on my lap while I do them. Good luck!0
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Best advice ever!
--I do 30 day shred immediately after the kids are asleep. it's 20 minutes and gets my heart pumping. If I start doing housework etc after the kids are down, I won't do it. So I come down the stairs and immediately start it! Then I do my housework, pack lunches etc.
After a year of no exercise I manage to exercise this week twice already this way. Hurray! I think this is actually manageable. I started p90x3 which is 30 minutes and so far so good. Getting up earlier is not something I can stick to . Plus muscles are stiff that early and you need more warmup, hence longer exercise session to get the same result.0 -
I work from home so my schedule is flexible. But, I have 2 daughters, 3 and 1 and they both do the exercises with me. I do 30 DS and both girls will be jumping around, lifting their "weights" and doing sit ups with me. I find it makes the workout more fun for all of us. I also work out first thing in the morning, and before they wake up usually. Would that be an option for you?
You are not the first to say that you work out with your girls, but I am choosing your comment to ask a question off of it---
HOW do you this? LOL My kids seems to be professionals at being under foot or getting in the way. I am afraid I would smack a kid or knock one out with my arms or legs! My kids do NOT know what "personal space" is, lol. This can't be just my kids right??
I work out with my 2 1/2 year old sometimes. Most of the time she runs into me. I usually have to stop the DVD every 8-10min to redirect her attention. I can never get through a workout without being interrupted unless shes asleep.0 -
I am a sahm so I workout during naptime, but with my other two kids I worked. I usually worked out after they went to bed. My 15 month old goes to bed at 7pm, I don't know what time your s goes to bed, but I found a late night workout was easier than waking up early-I am not a morning person.
I have tried to incorporate my daughter into my workouts but she just climbs on me, the only thing I can do with her is dance.0
