Finding Time

I am just wondering if anyone has some helpful advice about finding time for the gym in the evenings, or at all for that matter. It seems like I have every intention on going to the gym after work at 5:00 pm. But when I get home, I have dinner to prepare, clean up, laundary, homework with kids and so on. How does a busy mother (that works full time) schedule the gym without it digging into all the other daily life situations? I walk 3 miles on my lunch, but I am paying for the gym and really need to use it. I know that there is a ton of mothers that find the time, and I just need some help!

Thank you for the motivation and advice, in advance.

I have a 3 and 1 yr old....for them I'm working out from 5-7am so I can spend time with them when I get home.

I get up at around 5am each day and do a quick (10 minutes quick) circuit training session in my house. It's only 10 minutes, it's a small calorie burn, but it gets me in the mindset for the day to come home and lift/get on the elliptical. Maybe working out at home, early in the day, could work for you? I know for me - I teach and coach, so I'm at school from 6:30 in the morning to 6:30 at night, then come home to cook, clean and grade - getting to the gym is just not in the cards. But I can fit it in at home if I'm in the right attitude.

i figure it comes down to TV or exercise. Exercise is starting to win the battle. But in a day there are always down times when you can exercise, if not you are making excuses. And if for some reason you can find excuses (kids), get up early or stay up late to fit it in.

Prepare dinners ahead of time and take gym stuff to work and do not got home right away.

I'm a working Mom of 4, and NOT a morning person, so the 'get up before the kids and workout then' thing, just doesn't work for me. When I first joined the gym, I set a goal of going 3 times per week. I rarely met that goal. Then I changed my goal to going Monday, Thursday, and Saturday. By having specific days in mind, I stuck to it, and went. Those gym nights went on my calendar, and I looked at them as an appointment with myself. I occasionally missed, but only if I had a really good reason. Once I got into that routine, I started wanting to go more often, but it was hard to get away from the house. I got up to 4 times per week at the gym, and then added in a couple of at home workouts and before you know it, I was working out 6 days a week, and unhappy if I had to miss one. I'm pretty sure that if I started out saying, "I have to go every day," I would have ended up dropping out altogether. Anyway, that's what worked for me. I hope you find a routine that works for you.