Any other moms who work full time?

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just trying to get some fresh ideas on where you get your free time to work out and what has worked for you while working and taking care of your family.

I've been able to squeeze in some walks during the day and then again at night while little ones are sleeping...

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  • angiemcgovern
    angiemcgovern Posts: 64 Member
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    I have to work out at night after my daughter goes to bed. Right now, its pretty easy because she is out before 7:30 but I know when she starts staying up later I am going to have to force my self to get up early in the morning to find enough time.
    I also cram a bunch of exercise in on the weekends to make up for less-than-stellar weeks.
  • Claudia007
    Claudia007 Posts: 878 Member
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    I work out while everyone else is sleeping- either at 5AM or 9PM.
  • rml_16
    rml_16 Posts: 16,414 Member
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    Luckily, my daughter is 16, so I don't have to worry too much about her while I work out. But when she was smaller, I let other people take care of her for an hour or so while I worked out.

    I work 6:30 to 3:30, so I either go right after work or I get on my elliptical in the evening while I watch TV. On weekends, I go in the morning.
  • JDetro22
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    I work until 2pm during the week, and sometimes later. Thankfully my gym, my home and my babysitter are all within one intersection... literally walking distance. I go to the gym on my way home from work, before I pick my son up from the babysitter. I theres a day where I have to work later than 2pm, I try to go walk the mall or play outside with my son. This way I'm getting some sort of physical acivity in for the day. Another thing you could do is put on some fun, fast-paced music and dance around with your kids. My son will be 2 in one month so he loves to dance and run around... its great bonding time and great cardio!
  • nehtaeh
    nehtaeh Posts: 2,977 Member
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    I cannot force myself to get up early in the morning so I work out after my girls go to bed - which isn't until 10PM. However, they are starting to get better at letting me exercise when they are still up as long as its in 30 minute or less intervals. I did Jillian Michaels yoga meltdown on Saturday. They did a few things along with us. One got over it and left, the other would touch my back and talk as if she was instructing like Jillian...it was cute.

    ETA: I have 3 year old twin girls.
  • kianaik
    kianaik Posts: 48 Member
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    Due to my work schedule and the kids' activities and sports, I work out at 5 am when they are all still sleeping.
  • dmcohee
    dmcohee Posts: 99 Member
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    Oh yes. Finding time for the gym is ridiculous. I have twin 2-year-old boys and a 10 year old daughter in soccer. Here are a few things I do:

    1. walk very fast 2 miles on my half hour lunch break
    2. High intensity 20 minute workout in the evening (either 30 day shred or customized workout)
    3. go to the park in the evenings with the kids and play like a kid.
    4. my husband hates it, but some times I'll jog in place and do jumping jacks and birpies while we watch tv
    5. different times throughout the day I'll get up from my desk and run down stairs to ground level and back up 5 flights.
  • karlowe
    karlowe Posts: 92 Member
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    all GREAT ideas!! whats a birpie???
  • anghahnmowry
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    I usually go to the gym the mornings before work, like 4-5 am 2-3 days a wk. I really like this time, cuz I'm not fully awake and am not thinking about everything that I should be doing at home. The other days, I go in the evening so I can do weight lifting too. My kids don't really mind, cuz thats when their father plays video games with them. I don't go any later than 6 pm during the week, due to the exercise making me hyper and preventing me from sleeping. I think that you have to work in a time that works for you!! My gym is open 24 hours a day, which I love!!
  • karlowe
    karlowe Posts: 92 Member
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    I work 845 -545 so I start my supper and then put my Zumba DVD in while it is cooking. My kiddos are now 16 and 18 though so No little ones around.
  • tenessaa
    tenessaa Posts: 105 Member
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    I do zumba 2 days a week and during that time my husband watches the kiddos. The rest of the days I do a video that's about 20 minutes long (I'm hooked on 30 day shred right now) and I do it when we get home, I give the kiddos a snack turn on the cartoons and let them chill for 20 minutes...That being said, I do have to stop with them sometimes but I can generally get in a good workout. My kiddos are 2 and 5
  • nehtaeh
    nehtaeh Posts: 2,977 Member
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    Oh yeah, I used to do a fast walk on my two breaks...2 miles in 15 minutes is pretty quick, so a decent cardio workout. However, I didn't like being sweaty and returning to my cube...I make it work without that, but if I felt like I had to do it, I could start up again. I did it with friends so it wasn't bad.
  • chelekaz
    chelekaz Posts: 871 Member
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    I work from 10am - 6pm. Mornings are spent getting the older one to school and then morning routing with the little guy. So, my workouts during the week are Zumba classes 7-8 and Tue and Thur and then gym 2-3 nights after the kids go to bed (so around 8:30). Thankfully my husband is a real trooper and goes well above the call to keep the house going during the week. Weekends are easier - I usually am at the gym by 10am (again, only because the kids and hubby love their "boy time").
  • Rungirlmba
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    My kids are 10, 9 and 4 and I get home by 6pm everyday. My husband and I both belong to a 24 hour gym so either he or I will go to the gym right after work while the other cooks dinner. It works out pretty good and we both get like 1 1/2 - 2 hrs in the gym at least 3-4 times a week. My mom watches them some Saturday mornings so we get to go together...
  • lilRicki
    lilRicki Posts: 4,555 Member
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    I wait until my son's in bed, then I head downstairs to his play room and do workout dvd's...usually from 8:30-9:30...that gives me enough time to shower and go to bed before i have to get up and do it all over again. When my fiance was home, i'd go to the gym between 7:30 and 8:00 until about 9:30...
  • edorice
    edorice Posts: 4,519 Member
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    My kids are now 12 and 13. My husband and I get up at 4:30am (I wake him up). We start our home workout at 5am, done by 6am. Sometimes I do another cardio workout at lunchtime at the gym.
  • SLaw4215
    SLaw4215 Posts: 596 Member
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    I'm right there with you. I'm a single parent. I work full-time, have 2 great kids (12/g +21/b) and they have their own priorities. In addition to work, housekeeping, {this is where you insert ETC ETC}, I take 3 college courses every semester. While my doctor will say if I have time for sleeping I have room to make time for exercising it's just not as simple as all that.
    What works for me is that I have a treadmill set up in my basement and I have a small group of friends who also have treadmills in their homes and we text message while we walk. What usually happens is we'll chat a lot at the beginning, we quiet down a little once we find our walking grooves and start sweating and picking up the pace enough that we can no longer safely walk and text at the same time, and then we'll touch base to congratulate each other when we have finished. There's something about being distracted and the feeling of not having done it alone that seems to work for us. I've also tried doing exercises on the Wii fit games with my kids and that's fun too.
  • mnsusiek
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    I am in the same boat. I have recently started to work full time and when I worked part time I just didn't find the time either. Up at 0545, home at 5pm and then it is dinner and shuttling the kids to their activities. I am going to start 10 minute trainer this week. Hopefully that will help. And then once it is warm enough out I plan to start running. I already signed up for a 5k, so now I HAVE to do it.
  • AsaThorsWoman
    AsaThorsWoman Posts: 2,303 Member
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    I'm a single mom who works full time. I get of work at 5:30 and usually feed my child and make it to the gym by 7. Out by 9. The gym offers child-care till 8, than from 8-9 we swim and take our showers together.