Working moms, how do you make time???

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  • busybee33
    busybee33 Posts: 8 Member
    On the weekdays I do my excercise when the kids go to bed but im a thirty to forty min girl, nothing longer or I lose interest. On the weekend I do a twenty min morning and a thirty min night.....most Sundays I take off . If i get lazy I tell myself IM WORTH THE SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME TO GET HEALTHY.
  • PamDW
    PamDW Posts: 246
    I am lucky enough to have a biological clock that wakes me up.
    I usually go 2 - 3 times during the work week before work and my husband is gracious enough to take kid duty to get them off to school.
    on the weekends my gym opens early enough that I can usually go before everyone is really up and about. But we have also made my caloric output a game in my family... so weekends bring ideas of family activities that enable mom to get her burn... whether it is a basketball game, tennis, hike, bike ride, exploring a trail.... swimming whatever... my kids have gotten into the mix!

    I personally do not like the gym, but I have set my mind that it is a job for me... something I have to do for my well being and the well being of my family. I figure time away from my kids for that reason not only increases the quality of time I have with them, but hopefully the longevity of time I will have with them.... it is worth the time away for what I and they get in return.
  • michelegbowman
    michelegbowman Posts: 195
    I completely understand. I am a single mother with twin boys who are four years old and I work full time with a long commute.

    I do it during housework -- I mop the floors with my feet. I put towels under my feet and scrub the floor -- it's aerobic.

    I also take the kids to the park and jog around the play equipment while they swing....

    I have a buns of steel old fashioned VHS tape I play on an ancient VCR when I can't get out of the house.

    I walk up and down the stairs in my house for ten minutes.

    I do squats while brushing my teeth.

    It's here and there and everywhere and it's all very difficult. My house is always a mess and I seem to never get anything done with the kids around. I just do the best I can and try to incorporate squatting instead of bending over -- to pick up a sippy cup. While they watch TV I can get in a few situps...
  • amfmmama
    amfmmama Posts: 1,420 Member
    single working mom here. I teach so I have to be at work by 7. I CANNOT get up any earlier. I do the 30 day shred once they are in bed. I am exhausted, but I tell my self it is only a 25 minute committment.
  • JustMichelleB
    JustMichelleB Posts: 290
    I work full time and have a long commute, and am the mother of 2 kids (7yo, 4yo). I already get up at 5:15 to go to work, so the thouyght of getting up any earlier makes me want to cry. So, after I get the kids and get home, I make them dinner, chat with them while they eat, then go work out while they watch tv and/or play for an hour. My kids are night hawks, so I still have a good deal of time in the evenings with them, so this situation works out pretty well. I either do P90X or run (inside on treadmill currently, but outside once weather improces)
  • lovetowrite73
    lovetowrite73 Posts: 1,244 Member
    I get up at 4 a.m. to workout.
  • Krys_T
    Krys_T Posts: 1,406 Member
    Like I tell my friends and other women that I work with that are mothers....you have to make the time! I would prefer to do it early in the morning, but sometimes I just can't do it. When I get home I ask my son, "Do you want to exercise with mommy?" He always says yes because it is either Zumba or TurboFire and he feels like he is having fun to. You just have to find little things that work for you and your girls.

    It is not easy working full-time and then coming home and clocking in to "mommy duty", but you just have to make the time to do it...Can you put them down for sleep earlier at night to give yourself even 30 minutes? Then on the weekends...take them to a local park or track and you guys can jog around the park or around the block. Or when you aren't working...naptime is a great time to get a workout in.

    I hope this helps...but I totally know how it feels mommy..you are strong, you can do it!
  • melandcurt
    melandcurt Posts: 16
    I am very fortunate that my new office building has a free gym, so I take a late lunch and run on the treadmills in the afternoon about 3x a week. A couple of nights I'll do a video at home, but it's usually not until 9:30 or so, so I am whipped! I walk with a neighbor on Saturdays or will run by myself while my husband watches the kids for an hour or so. Before I had the office gym, we have a stationary bike in our bedroom (in front of the tv) that I would ride a few times a week, but again, usually not until 9 or 10 at night!
  • becca0211
    becca0211 Posts: 250 Member
    I walk for a half hour at lunch time during the day and then after I make dinner and get my daughter involved in something I workout for about an hour. I think it would be harder if she was younger and couldn't keep busy for that time. Often she is in the room with me and we do chat while I do my workout.
    Btw, I have NEVER been able to get up earlier in the morning. Tried soooo many times, but it's like the snooze button wants me to push it over and over :smile:
  • mymadori
    mymadori Posts: 28 Member
    I am a full time working mom with four children- ages 15, 13, 7 and almost 2. Getting up in the morning early was just not for me, so I switch it up.

    First, I found a gym nearby that's open 24 hours (I go to Lifetime Fitness)

    I come home, help kids with homework, make dinner, etc....then at 9 pm hubby and all the kids go to bed and I leave to the gym. I get there by 9:15 and workout for an hour and a half. At 10:45, I'm done- but I usually throw on my swimsuit and sit in the hot tub or sauna, and then take a shower, and leave the gym at about 11:30. I am home at 11:45 and in bed by midnight. I get up at 6 the next morning. Luckily, I took my shower the night before, so it helps make the mornings easier too!

    I will be honest and say it kinda stinks not going to bed with hubby, but I only do it twice a week, and get my other exercise in over the weekend. (Hubby and I trade off, he gets 4 hours to go play golf- then I get 4 hours to workout or do whatever else my heart desires). Also, you need to make sure you unwind after the workout (shower, hot tub, whatever), because if you don't, it's really hard to get to sleep an hour or so after working out!

    The awesome thing is that the gym is empty, and it's just so serene to have that time to myself, and then come home to peace and quiet. Sometimes, I'll get home and turn on the tv and stay up way too late, because the peace and quiet is so nice. I always regret that the next day though, because I'm too tired!

    Good luck!!!
  • That_Girl
    That_Girl Posts: 1,324 Member
    I go on walks with my kids. They need to move too. I have a 2 year old and an 11 year old. It's a family walk every night.
  • jrreed1
    jrreed1 Posts: 57 Member
    I am a full-time working mother of 3, ages 4, 3, and 18 months. I understand trying to find time to exercise as a working parent. My husband works crazy hours, so I can't always depend on him being home to get my time in. What finally worked for me was sitting down with my kids and playing with them for 15-30 minutes before I wanted to exercise and then let them know I needed time to exercise. I usually get my 45 minutes in with minimal interuptions because they've had mommy time, even from the baby is pretty cooperative. With persistence on my part, the interuptions are minimal. The key for us was the kiddos getting their mommy time in, then I get my time and I don't feel guilty about exercising instead of playing with my kids. I also like the example I am setting for them by making exercise an important part of my life. Hope all of the suggestions help. There are some great ones here.
  • MotherOfTwins2010
    MotherOfTwins2010 Posts: 14 Member
    I'm a single mom so it's tricky to find time but I cut my lunch to 20 minutes and leave 40 minutes early to work out. It forces me to bring my lunch and eat healthy and I'm not missing any time I would have normally been with the twins. I work accross the alley from my office so the commute is quick but if you have a gym on the way home or at the office this might work too.
  • baisleac
    baisleac Posts: 2,019 Member
    1) I take walks at lunch... good fast walks, three days per week.

    2) My husband bathes and puts the kiddo to bed. While he's doing that, I do my workout, at least three days a week.
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