Juggling Fitness and Parenting???

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  • tigerblue
    tigerblue Posts: 1,526 Member
    Single parent w/custody of a 9 year old and have a full time job... I run an average of 6-8 hours per week, cook meals, etc. When I was 8-11, I was a latch key kid, as in parents went to work at 7, and I would walk to the bus stop at 730, and I would let myself in the house at 3, lock the door, and go play video games until they got home at 5. My son stays in the house in the event I run while he's home, but it's usually <1hr (and he'd never know I was gone if I didn't tell him). The other times, I run during my lunch or allotted gym time at work. Teach your daughter to be self sufficient and to not get into things while you're gone. A little independence goes a long way for her development and your sanity. She's a little old for a toddler room at the gym.

    First of all hats off to all single parents. You've got it tough!

    I'm not a single parent, but I've done this before because my husband works crazy hours sometimes, and I really couldn't depend on him for watching the kids when they were younger.

    Basically when my youngest turned 9, I staked out a 1 1/2 mile run in my neighborhood that centered around my block. I took him on a drive one day and showed him the route. Then I explained that I would be running on that route only, and that he could go out and look down those streets and find me. I ran that route two to three times per session, and I always took my phone with me so he could call if there was trouble. I would call him every 10 minutes or so at first to make sure he was comfortable. He never had a problem unless there was bad weather, and then he would want me home (which I would probably want anyway!). At that time I never left him at home alone if he was still asleep. So I had to run in the afternoons. But other than that it worked fine, and also helped him to be comfortable staying alone.

    Now he is 13 and I run before he gets up, while my older son is at swim practice. He knows that if can't find me when he gets up to call and find out where I am.
  • DireWolfCurse
    DireWolfCurse Posts: 32 Member
    I feel your pain. I babysit my boyfriend's two kids, and I have a 5-year-old. I like to run, play tennis, and just be outside. While my son is very fit and loves to run, he's still only 5, so he can't keep up. The days I don't have him, I find that one of my bf's kids simply does not like to be active. She whines and cries if we make her run a little or carry something she believes is heavy, or she'll say her "foot hurts" to get out of having to walk fast or run at all. We don't want her to feel left out, but sometimes I'd rather take the older child with me alone and go running around the neighborhood with him...
  • JUDDDing
    JUDDDing Posts: 1,367 Member
    She used to love when I would lift her over my chest like I was bench pressing her when she was a baby. So, I was thinking I could get some of those in...I could throw her over my shoulders and do some squats...and I could deadlift her. I mean, right there I've got a full body workout!

    Something similar worked for Milo of Croton.

    Although, you may want to switch to a calf later to ultimately meet your goals.
  • tycho_mx
    tycho_mx Posts: 426 Member
    I train after bedtime - easier with a toddler (as mine are). Weekends I alternate with my wife.

    Some of my friends do it before dawn. Ouch. I'm not a morning person.

    And I'm trying to get my kids to like cycling, the sport I practice. But yeah, much harder. I wouldn't imagine how hard it would be single-parenting.

    That said, my mom would drop me and my sister at different classes (gymnastics for her, tae kwon do for me) when we were kids and she'd sneak 45 minutes in the gym. So there's that. Clinginess will get in the way of many other things.
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    She used to love when I would lift her over my chest like I was bench pressing her when she was a baby. So, I was thinking I could get some of those in...I could throw her over my shoulders and do some squats...and I could deadlift her. I mean, right there I've got a full body workout!

    Something similar worked for Milo of Croton.

    Although, you may want to switch to a calf later to ultimately meet your goals.

    Didn't Emil Zátopek used to sprint with his wife on his shoulders?
  • likitisplit
    likitisplit Posts: 9,420 Member
    I train after bedtime - easier with a toddler (as mine are). Weekends I alternate with my wife.

    Some of my friends do it before dawn. Ouch. I'm not a morning person.

    And I'm trying to get my kids to like cycling, the sport I practice. But yeah, much harder. I wouldn't imagine how hard it would be single-parenting.

    That said, my mom would drop me and my sister at different classes (gymnastics for her, tae kwon do for me) when we were kids and she'd sneak 45 minutes in the gym. So there's that. Clinginess will get in the way of many other things.

    I have both my girls in a ballet class on Saturday. That's a good workout of pushups + stretching, depending on whether anybody has to go pee during class.
  • leadslinger17
    leadslinger17 Posts: 297 Member
    I'm not a morning person so I try to fit in a quick 45 minute workout a few times a week at work so it doesn't take up too much family time/free time. My wife works nights so sometimes I will fit it in at night after the kids have gone to sleep but working out later is hard. The weekends it is usually more running around at the park, going for a walk, etc
  • shinisize
    shinisize Posts: 105 Member
    My son is young enough that he still enjoys the kid's room, but my gym has a sectioned off seating area that is pretty visible from 80% of the building (especially the cardio section) and they allow kids around your daughter's age to sit in that area. I see quite a few of them in there with a laptop or a tablet (hooked up to the wifi, I'm sure), and there is a TV in the area that the reception desk is pretty good about letting them change the channel on. You might see if your gym allows something like that, or if another gym in your area does.

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