Any Moms Feel Guilty Exercising?

I used to, but then realized my "me" time is just as important as my family time. Not that it's possible for everyone, but I made a home gym so I didn't have to go anywhere to work out. My kids are a little older though, and don't need as much attention as an infant.

I really don't. My health and happiness has a direct impact on the health and happiness of my family. Being a mom doesn't mean everyone else in my family always comes first. I'm still a person, deserving time, effort and attention.

I would try to involve my 3 yo in my nightly exercise, then my husband changed to night shift at work and I lost that time. I asked daycare about dropping both my girls off 1 hour earlier in the morning so I could workout before work, it was only $8/week more. So, now I exercise for 30-40 minutes in the morning. I do feel guilty dropping them off at daycare and going back home to exercise but I need it for my sanity and health.

I workout at night after the kids go to bed but yeah, I often feel guilty because that time could be used to clean or do laundry but I figure I need to exercise for my own mental health and if I'm not mentally feeling good then I will be a worse mom for it.

No. Everyone needs some me time. I put my kids in babysitting at my gym and they get social interaction with other kids while I work out. Or, I take them with me to walk (6 year old on a bike, baby in a stroller). Or, you can just do a sport with the kids and that's exercise for everyone too!

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I feel so guilty too! I work 40+hours a week so I force myself up at 4am three-four days a week to drive to the gym to get a work out in before driving home to get everyone ready and back out of the house by 7am. It sucks- the days I dont go to the gym I miss family time to get a walk in but I know in the end when I reach my goal weight I will feel better and be a better mom (more energy to play and keep up with them)so im making the short (hopefully) term loss for the long term gain (again hopefully! ) my toddler still gets up at night so I feel your pain on a severe lack of sleep some nights! Try it with a four am workout followed by 8 hrs at work! Blah

Yes! And it's not just the family time I feel guilty for missing, it's all the "to-do" list (both home and work) as well... So like many of you, I get up early before my family is up and it's the ONLY way I've been able to workput consistently. 5 days/week x 30 mins and I am loving it! However I did fail at getting up 2 mornings this week with a sick child and grandmother in poor health --- so then I feel guilty for that too! Bah!

On weekdays I have a small window to workout when my husband takes the kids to school and before I leave for work. It is glorious. I am fortunate to only work 30 hours so I can get home with them by 5. On the weekends I do sometimes feel guilty taking a long run while they are home but it really is the only me time most weekends. I try to just do it and not think about what the kids are doing. Besides they deserve some quality time with daddy so it's fine.

Yes. I work full time and I already get up at 4:30 and come home at 8:30 and I do that three days a week. Exercise is usually the first thing to go when I get busy.

The guilt was there in the beginning and still is sometimes but i used my children as an excuse to not exercise and unhappy mom means unhappy family its best to be as healthy as you can be and that means working out. I found out how to minimize the guilt QUALITY time not QUANTITY time. If you spend an hour at the park playing and interacting with the kids then go to the gym for an hour and a half you won't feel as guilty since you played and had a great time with the kids. Also workout when they are asleep or do a workout dvd WITH or AROUND them dont say you cant because when i did 30 day shred my 2 year old was hanging on my back almost the entire time you work around it

I'm a dad of two boys...no, I don't feel guilty. Most of what I do, I do for them and my wife, to include keeping myself fit and healthy so I don't die on them and leave them alone...what's an hour or so a few days per week compared to not having daddy around forever?

One of my main motivators for losing weight and becoming fitter is so that my daughter has a good example of what that looks like at home. The only way I can do those two things is to take some time away from her. My husband and I take "shifts" - he hangs out with her while I run and then I play with her while he does weights.