How to exercise without waking up at 5 AM

Help! I am good with my diet, and I know I can get over this hump very easily if I can just find it in myself to exercise. My work schedule is pretty crazy though... and we don't get breaks. No lunch breaks or anything unless there's time.

So my schedule is as follows:

Monday- off
Tuesday- 8am-6pm
Wednesday- 8am-10pm
Thursday- 1pm-9pm
Friday- off
Saturday 8am-7pm
Sunday- 8am-6pm

Other than my two days off, do you see any gaps I could fill? By the time I get home there is no exercising. I'm a hairdresser and I'm constantly on my feet with no time to even use the restroom, so morning workouts are probably my best best. Also, the neighborhood I'm in probably isn't the most comfortable to go fr a jog at night time. I can't really afford a gym right now. My spa offers yoga and pilates, but I don't want to move in and live there either. I need some time management here. Thanks!
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Replies

  • RWilliams_Fit
    RWilliams_Fit Posts: 81 Member
    What about doing a quick at home workout. even if its just to sweat and burn some extra calories
  • ew_david
    ew_david Posts: 3,473 Member
    There are plenty of things you can do at home on your days off and before you go in on Thursdays, or before you go in any other day. You just have to want it.
  • lunalee84
    lunalee84 Posts: 372 Member
    I agree with the at home DVD. I wake up 30 mins early and do the '30 day shred'- It gets me energized for the day, and it is short enough to have no excuses not to do it.
  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Home workouts before you start your day.
  • una2282
    una2282 Posts: 48 Member
    T25 is an awesome at home workout and it is only 25min long. It will fit your schedule and will help you while you are on your fitness journey :)
  • deksgrl
    deksgrl Posts: 7,237 Member
    You either make the time for it by getting up early or whatever you have to do, or you do not make the time for it. And as stated, this doesn't have to be "going to the gym".
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    You either make the time for it by getting up early or whatever you have to do, or you do not make the time for it. And as stated, this doesn't have to be "going to the gym".

    This!

    I get up M/W/F at 430.
    Do I like it? No.
    Is it hard? Yes.
    Is it worth it? Yes.

    Look up convict conditioning. It's body weight exercises you could do at home.
  • You either make the time for it by getting up early or whatever you have to do, or you do not make the time for it. And as stated, this doesn't have to be "going to the gym".

    This!

    I get up M/W/F at 430.
    Do I like it? No.
    Is it hard? Yes.
    Is it worth it? Yes.

    Look up convict conditioning. It's body weight exercises you could do at home.

    Bravo. I do the same. M-F up @ 0440 and start my workout by 0520. Get an hour in and off to work by 0645
  • _HeartsOnFire_
    _HeartsOnFire_ Posts: 5,304 Member
    You either make the time for it by getting up early or whatever you have to do, or you do not make the time for it. And as stated, this doesn't have to be "going to the gym".

    This!

    I get up M/W/F at 430.
    Do I like it? No.
    Is it hard? Yes.
    Is it worth it? Yes.

    Look up convict conditioning. It's body weight exercises you could do at home.

    Bravo. I do the same. M-F up @ 0440 and start my workout by 0520. Get an hour in and off to work by 0645

    Thanks and right back atcha. I get to my gym by 515, hour long lifting heavy, shower then off to work by 715.
  • JoRocka
    JoRocka Posts: 17,525 Member
    Monday- off TIME TO WORK OUT
    Tuesday- 8am-6pm TIME TO WORK OUT
    Wednesday- 8am-10pm
    Thursday- 1pm-9pm
    Friday- off TIME TO WORK OUT
    Saturday 8am-7pm
    Sunday- 8am-6pm TIME TO WORK OUT

    I see lots of time.
  • bugaboo_sue
    bugaboo_sue Posts: 552 Member
    Monday- off TIME TO WORK OUT
    Tuesday- 8am-6pm TIME TO WORK OUT
    Wednesday- 8am-10pm
    Thursday- 1pm-9pm
    Friday- off TIME TO WORK OUT
    Saturday 8am-7pm
    Sunday- 8am-6pm TIME TO WORK OUT

    I see lots of time.

    ^^ Yes. She can also work out on Thursdays since she doesn't have to be at work until 1 p.m. And probably sneak something in on Saturdays.

    And FWIW once you start making a habit of getting up early to hit the gym you get used to it. Try it for a few weeks.
  • cdoesthehula
    cdoesthehula Posts: 141 Member
    Before you start excercise, it is hard to get the inertia.

    Once you start, though, you'll be great. You'll have more energy, and feel better.

    Your days will get longer. Seriously.
  • jbee27
    jbee27 Posts: 356 Member
    Monday- off TIME TO WORK OUT
    Tuesday- 8am-6pm TIME TO WORK OUT
    Wednesday- 8am-10pm
    Thursday- 1pm-9pm
    Friday- off TIME TO WORK OUT
    Saturday 8am-7pm
    Sunday- 8am-6pm TIME TO WORK OUT

    I see lots of time.

    Yep. My biggest hurdle when I started working out was thinking that I had to go hard every day or it wasn't worth it...so not the case. Even if you get a few workouts in a week, even if they are just a long walk, or a bike ride, or a home work out, it adds up.
  • levitateme
    levitateme Posts: 999 Member
    Like a lot of other people here, I get up at 4:30 so I can get an hour and a half in the gym MWF and I work 8-4:30 5 days a week and go to night school 4 days a week. Excuses are just excuses.
  • runfatmanrun
    runfatmanrun Posts: 1,090 Member
    I just started getting up at 3ish on Tuesdays and Thursdays just to get in a longer run because it fits better there. So headlamp, reflective vest, and all, I make time. You have time. If you don't want to get up at 5 don't, but like others have pointed out, plenty of time in the schedule you provided to exercise.
  • kshadows
    kshadows Posts: 1,315 Member


    Monday- off
    Tuesday- 8am-6pm
    Wednesday- 8am-10pm
    Thursday- 1pm-9pm
    Friday- off
    Saturday 8am-7pm
    Sunday- 8am-6pm

    Monday - anytime
    Tuesday - after work
    Wednesday - rest day
    Thursday - before work
    Friday - anytime (or even rest so you're resting from everything)
    Saturday - before or after
    Sunday - before or after
  • GBrady43068
    GBrady43068 Posts: 1,256 Member
    Also, the neighborhood I'm in probably isn't the most comfortable to go fr a jog at night time.
    Get yourself a couple jogging buddies. Running in packs = safety. Plus there's motivation if you know they're going to show up expecting you to be ready to hit the bricks.,..
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  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    I'm just going to leave this here....

    "Instead of saying 'I don't have time' try saying 'it's not a priority' and see how that feels. Often, that's a perfectly adequate explanation. I have time to iron my sheets, I just don't want to. But other things are harder. Try it: "I'm not going to edit your resume sweetie, because it's not a priority" "I don't go to the doctor because my health is not a priority." If these phrases don't sit well, then that's the point. Changing our language reminds us that time is a choice. If we don't like how we're spending an hour, we can choose differently"

    :flowerforyou:
  • chuckyp
    chuckyp Posts: 693 Member
    Get up early on your work days, even if it's just a little early for a short workout, then hit it hard on your days off and on Thursdays since you go in late that day. If you have rest days, make them your work days and that will prevent you from having to get up early more often than you would like.
  • wkwebby
    wkwebby Posts: 807 Member
    Monday- off TIME TO WORK OUT
    Tuesday- 8am-6pm TIME TO WORK OUT
    Wednesday- 8am-10pm
    Thursday- 1pm-9pm
    Friday- off TIME TO WORK OUT
    Saturday 8am-7pm
    Sunday- 8am-6pm TIME TO WORK OUT

    I see lots of time.

    I also see the Thursday before noon Time to Work Out. You wouldn't even have to get up at 4:40AM! :) Good luck! Remember, a little goes a long way. So even if you do an hour on the days you have off and Thursday, then like 1/2 hour of good movement on the Sunday and Tuesdays, you'll get some good calorie burn.
  • aelphabawest
    aelphabawest Posts: 173 Member
    Monday- off - Wake up at the time you would usually go to work and work out instead.
    Tuesday- 8am-6pm
    Wednesday- 8am-10pm
    Thursday- 1pm-9pm - Wake up at the time you would usually go to work and work out instead.
    Friday- off - Wake up at the time you would usually go to work and work out instead.
    Saturday 8am-7pm
    Sunday- 8am-6pm

    There you go, three days with minimal change to your existing schedule.
  • JTick
    JTick Posts: 2,131 Member
    Looking at your schedule, I don't understand the question.
  • VeryKatie
    VeryKatie Posts: 5,961 Member
    Monday- off - EXERCISE
    Tuesday- 8am-6pm - EXERCISE AFTER WORK
    Wednesday- 8am-10pm - REST DAY
    Thursday- 1pm-9pm - EXERCISE BEFORE WORK
    Friday- off - EXERCISE
    Saturday 8am-7pm - EXERCISE AFTER WORK OR REST DAY
    Sunday- 8am-6pm - EXERCISE AFTER WORK

    Sorry, not yelling, just wanted to make it easy to read. Look at all that free time you have! 3 times a week of exercise is enough (especially for someone who has a standing job), so with your two off days you only have to work in one more.

    A workout DVD at home is a great way to fit in evening exercise without much extra wasted time, you just change, pee, and exercise! No travel time and you can do it while dinner is cooking.
  • Palamedes
    Palamedes Posts: 174 Member
    I get up at 4:45 am during the week. On three of those days, I go for an early morning bike ride. I think the important part is to figure out where your regular exercise will fit in. You have to budget the time or you will never find it. That is why I go on early morning bike rides. After you have your regular exercise schedule working, you can add additional activities that get you moving. For myself, my wife and a good friend of mine go biking at a leisurely pace on Saturday mornings. On Sunday morning, my wife and I will go for a long walk. If the weather is good, I sneak in extra bike rides in the early evenings.

    Another idea is to add movement into your regular day. Park the car further from the door and that will add some movement into the day. Take the stairs instead of the elevator. Etc... Some time the little add-on movement adds up to a win for the day.
  • deluxmary2000
    deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
    Monday- off - Wake up at the time you would usually go to work and work out instead.
    Tuesday- 8am-6pm
    Wednesday- 8am-10pm
    Thursday- 1pm-9pm - Wake up at the time you would usually go to work and work out instead.
    Friday- off - Wake up at the time you would usually go to work and work out instead.
    Saturday 8am-7pm
    Sunday- 8am-6pm

    There you go, three days with minimal change to your existing schedule.

    This was going to be my exact response. You probably only need to workout 3 days a week, and you already have 2 days off. So the next logical choice would be Thursday, when you only work 8 hours and have the whole morning off. You could sleep in until 9, get in an hour workout, and still have time for a leisurely lunch before you had to be into work.
  • FitFitzy331
    FitFitzy331 Posts: 308 Member
    I don't have the same type of schedule as you but my boyfriend's is very similar. He works 6 days a week, generally 8 hour days with a half hour "lunch" that he usually needs to work through and inhale a sandwich when he has 5 minutes. He runs immediately after work just around his store for like 20 mins, he stops after 10 mins, does some push ups, sit ups, etc.. then runs another 10 mins and heads home afterwards. He does this about 4-5 days a week so it is an option and it wouldn't get you home much later on the days you're working until 6-7pm. On your off days you could run around your neighborhood, go to a local high school and run on their track, on Thursday when you don't start until 1pm you can do an at home work out video or something. There are lots of options out there.

    It's about making time where you can and doing something feasible for your own goals.
  • sbox11
    sbox11 Posts: 59 Member
    What do you do when you get home from work? Do you go straight to bed? Most likely, no...except maybe on Wednesdays.

    If you aren't going straight to bed, you have time to workout. If you have time to sit and watch TV, you have time to workout.

    I'm a full time employee, have a toddler, husband, dog and a house to take care of, but I still have time to workout. I get up every morning at 5, get dressed, drive an hour into work (sometimes longer) to be there at 7:30. I get an hour lunch break, so I usually hit the treadmill or elliptical for 30-45 minutes before eating. After work, I have an hour drive (or longer) back home. Get home, cook, clean the kitchen, get laundry going, take care of the dog, give the kid a bath, lay him down for bed, THEN I go walk for an hour, sometimes more.

    I may not have any relaxing time, but I have time to get a workout in. I do this day in and day out unless the weather doesn't permit a walk. Even then, I do Zumba DVDs to get some activity in. Does it suck? Sometimes. Are my days long? Extremely. Is my house clean? Not always. But I have weekends off and clean up then.

    I'm going to say this, not to be mean, but to make you think honestly about your situation. It sounds like you are making excuses to NOT exercise and hoping others will agree with you. I get not wanting to wake up early...I don't want to wake up before 5 either. But if you have time to do other things when you get off of work, then you have time to exercise. You are just choosing not to.

    If you watch an hour of TV when you get home, but don't want to exercise for an hour, then run in place on commercials, or do push ups, or jump rope, or skip, hop, do jumping jacks. You still get to watch TV, and you still get exercise in. There is always a way, you just have to want to do it.

    My advice: Find something you enjoy doing and you will find time to do it. Maybe you like swimming? Go get some laps in. Maybe you like riding a bike? Ride to and from work if you live close enough. Like walking, but live in a sketchy neighborhood? Do laps in your backyard along the property line. Just stop making excuses and do it. You will feel much better afterwards!
  • ninerbuff
    ninerbuff Posts: 48,984 Member
    Even if you worked 12 hours a day, you can FIND 30 minutes to work out any time of each day. Just have to want to do it.

    A.C.E. Certified Group Fitness and Personal Trainer
    IDEA Fitness member
    Kickboxing Certified Instructor
    Been in fitness for 30 years and have studied kinesiology and nutrition
  • You could do Yoga for about 30 mins/day and get a decent workout at home... or anywhere, really. All you need is a Yoga mat.