Just a rant from a mom tired of fighting for her workout.

some suggestions
-try a shorter workout (30 mins)
-use your laptop in another room to run the video (I do this ALOT, so I dont hog the TV)
-get up extra early before everyone else to do your workout (again, what I do most days)..or scheduale it around kids naptime,ect.
and when I say early, Im talking, some days Ive gotten up at 4:30AM

Sometimes...you just have to say $@(&% it and do your workout.

I can relate. Hang in there. My husband had T.I.A.'s when our daughter was a 1yr old. So yes always taking care of all of them. My Mother-in-law just gifted us with a family gym membership. So awesome though I'm not sure how long it will last. My center has two hours of free daycare. So you may want to check into that when the time comes. As for me I'm trying to go everyday while I can.
Before that was walking the neighborhood everyday or evening.

I am sorry, but I kinda empathize with your fiance and your kids. He is out from 4 AM till 8 PM on weekdays and you cut into his TV time on weekends just cause you enjoy zumba more than any other workout? Instead of staking your territory, i think its best if you went out of the house or did something else just for the weekend.
I agree with everything else you say...about them not being very supportive of your fitness goals.

Can't he do something like "daddy story time" or "outside ball time" with the kids on the weekend? OMG he might have to spend an hour doing something with his kids.

I'm feeling ya! I cant exercise other than walking/running when my youngest is awake cause it triggers a major meltdown (he's on the spectrum) And when I asked hubby to watch him for 40 mins 3 times a week so I can go for a run he kicked up the biggest stink, and wants to know when he can get 3 hours a week to himself away from the kids. (I'm a sahm so Im home with the youngest all day, and then up with him all night) So I'm just gonna start exercising at home in the hour between when the youngin goes to sleep and I do, and bring him in the pram on my runs.

Did you tell him he gets 8 hours a day away from the kids? Lol I work at home, so I get where you're at with the kiddo attached to your hip 24/7. I don't think they understand how draining it can be to never be alone. That's the reaction I get when I actually ask to do anything alone, like say run to he grocery store w/o the kids. Good luck to you! Hope things get easier for you along the way. :-)

Yeah, I am sure his 8 hours away from the kids is a vacation...

why can't Dad take the kids out of the house for an hour on the weekends? To the park? to the mall playground if the weather is bad? He spends no time with them during the week, it should be an automatic dad time for a couple of hours on the weekend.

I have this same prob. I have 3 boys I raise alone so there isnt anyone to take care of them. Luckily my oldest is 13 so he can at least help me occasionally with the lil ones so I can workout or I could get my lazy butt up 45 min early to do a workout before work.

If you are anywhere near Fthwth Texas I have a tv in my garage you can have...


I hope your husband can help you out. Im not sure how old your kids are but I dont know why it would be so hard to help or at least every other day.

I'm not married and I don't have kids, so I don't know how good this would be, but here's some ideas that came to mind for me while I was reading through your posts:

Your Workouts:
Have you considered doing bodyweight workouts (or other non-gym and non-media based workouts)? Ones you can just write down in a notebook and go to town anywhere in your house?
I have a bodyweight routine that I follow 3x a week that I write in a small notebook. It basically looks like this:
- Pull Up Progression [# of reps x # of sets]
- Handstand Push Up Progression [# r x # S]
- Leg Raise Progression [# r x # S]
- Dip or Push Up Progression [# r x # S]
- Horizontal Pull Progression [# r x # S]
- Plan Progression [# seconds/minutes]
That format is the basic bodyweight from StartBodyweight.com (free resource - tons of pictures/video tutorials, plus a workout schedule you can print).

You can also check out the bodyweight workouts from NerdFitness.com.

I like writing my workout in my notebooks - it gives me a clear image of my progress, I don't have to remember what to do, I don't have to rely on videos or websites, and I can carry it where ever I go so I can put in a workout that keeps me on plan.

And it doesn't have to be just bodyweight. Throw in some Zumba moves or whatever else. If the weather's nice and you have time, go for a walk outside or a jog.

Get Your Kids Involved:
Your hubby might be unable to do this because he's attached to his downtime. My boyfriend works shift work and sometimes he gets like that, too - unable to get himself up and do anything other than watch TV or play games - he's working on it, though, and exercising more frequently.

As for the kids, start a push up competition.
I teach karate to young ones (8-14) and a lot of them have zero attention span and terrible physical capabilities (granted, they're kidlets). What we do is have a push up challenge. We have a goal that they do ten push ups in a row, with perfect form, by a date. So far, they're on track.

For you and your kids, make it a competition. Make it a game. "Winner" gets to sit out a punishment round of sit ups or burpees or something, ha ha! Or they get out of a household chore, or something else.

Teach them to do a proper push up and have a push up off every day or every week. Proper form only, any bad form (elbows splayed, head bobbing, not chest-to-ground, back curving, etc) and they don't count! Tie a bigger reward to a larger number goal - like first to do 20 proper-form push ups gets something off their wishlist (make sure you don't use food as a reward).

If your kids go outside to play, why not join them? Play frisbee or soccer or whatever else, too, maybe. Or as they play outside, do a bodyweight circuit outside with them.

It sounds like your family is attached to the TV - your fitness and workouts don't need to be tied to it. In fact, it's better if it isn't. Explore outside the box - what else, outside of TV, can you use for your workouts? Write it down, mix it up, try something new.

There might even be free fitness classes for mums in your area - give it a search! You never know what you'll find if you start looking around outside.

Not getting spousal support is the hardest.

I don't think an hour a day for the TV is too much to ask. Tell them to suck it up butter cup. If the kids are old enough maybe that hour a day should be reading time or something.

But you could also think about incorporating some kind of fun family activity on weekends. Walks, bike rides, hikes, etc. I don't think it's possible for kids to be too active.

Can you join a gym with childcare?
Can you put kids in jogger and run to park? Do exercises there while kids play?
Join a stroller strides type group? Or make your own workout group with some friends (free! dowload apps)?
I know it's difficult sometimes but you have to make it happen. My husband works very long hours incl weekends, you just have to do what you gotta do

why can't Dad take the kids out of the house for an hour on the weekends? To the park? to the mall playground if the weather is bad? He spends no time with them during the week, it should be an automatic dad time for a couple of hours on the weekend.

^This is kind of how I feel about it. That's why it frustrates me so. Plus, even though I'm home, I do work out of my house. So it's not like I'm only cooking, cleaning, and caring for kids. I put in a good 30 - 35 hours a week of actual work time, too. I just don't get to leave the house to work.

I have no idea how you manage that with little ones. I treasure my time at my office where I can eat and pee without on my own schedule.

While you *should* be able to do what you want to do for a single hour in the day, sometimes holding that line in the sand - no matter how just it is - can be become wearing. Sometimes just figuring out a creative way to get with you want without having to fight for it is a better course.

You might want to think of a few different ways of approaching the situation and discuss with your husband which he'd prefer: would he like to watch the kids by himself so that you can go to a gym, for example?

When I started, if my husband was home, he would get so annoyed at my exercise time. I pushed through it and if it was too much of an issue I would use my laptop or go for a walk. He is totally supportive for the most part now. I think some people just hate when a drastic change happens. I now do most of my exercise when he is at work, so it's a non issue anyway. My child will either copy me or go play.