Staying in shape with kids - what do you do?
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That's cool, I wish I was a morning person, I would get up early and workout then too, seems like the most convenient time really. So far going on lunch is working for me with my current schedule. We go on nice long walks in the evening with the kids which is fun too. I should try doing pushups with them on my back, sounds like fun!
I agree, fitting it in wherever works best in your schedule is the best way to go. Sometimes trying to adhere to a set schedule doesn't work that well when things always come up. Congrats on losing 30 lbs, that's impressive!
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I have three 6, 4, 2. I workout first thing in the morning - if my husband is home and able, we take them out for a run (2 in the jogging stroller, 1 riding her bike). If he's not here, I workout at the YMCA before work after dropping the kids off at the sitter's house. On days I don't work (I only work 3 days a week), I take the kids with me to the YMCA (free childcare) or I run on my treadmill at home.
I like getting it over with first thing in the morning. Then I don't have to think about it the rest of the day and worry about whether I'll be able to fit it in.
Seems like a common theme here working out in the morning. Maybe I'll give that a shot sometime. Working out on lunch (or in the morning too) is nice because then when I get home it's over with, no need to try and fit anything in or take time away from other stuff during the day. Having a treadmill or bike at home would be nice too, I just have weights and a bench in the basement for weight lifting right now.0 -
FitnessTrainer69 wrote: »I find the time. Either before work, for lunch or once my kids are in bed.
Simple and to the point! Cool jean jacket vest!0 -
As above, single dad with two 5 year olds (twins). I gym during lunch and make up work time if need be when I don't have my kids. I have a desk job, so I can eat at my desk.
We go out biking on weekends - kids bike, I run. Usually managing two is a challenge, so I usually have one on my shoulders when we are out - makes a great weight vest/squat challenge. We are active, only stay at home if the weather is poor, I always plan activities for the weekends that involve walking (park a block away) or go to a playground that is big enough for me too :-)
It might be that getting into an actual gym is a challenge, but you can plan activities that the kids enjoy that you will have to ad-lib - example: their favourite activity at the moment is a trampoline park in town, it is a wicked workout for me and them, we go once a month for an hour and look for other activities like that - they do consider me the 'fun' parent so it's not a big deal for them that I am active and they are learning good active habits - they are 25kgs each and can also double as free weights while in the supermarket line when playing 'how long can you hang on to daddy's arm' type of games.
Good luck, your kids will pick up your healthy eating and activity habits, so every effort you make will be worth it.
You must be one busy dude! I'm in the same boat with the work situation, desk job, gym across the street from the office, eat at my desk then head over to the gym then head back. I can usually eat in about 15 minutes and then get to the gym and back within an hour. My kids are 2 and 4, so it'll be a while before we can all bike ride together, maybe in another couple of years. That sounds like fun though.
We have been going on long walks in the evenings and our 4 year old walks just about the whole way now without complaining about being tired. Our 2 year old will walk for a while but she gets tired after a while, her legs are so short she must take 5-6 steps for every one of my steps haha! We bring one stroller for her and to carry our junk. Works great when the weather is nice.0 -
I lost my first 30 as a single mom with a full time job, full time college load, and two two-year-old boys. It can be done - I'd hit the gym every night after work and picking the kids up from daycare. They'd play in the gym daycare and I'd put in my time. I'd also memorize math formulas while lifting or read my texts while I ran. What was important for me was that I not go home after work. If I went home, my night was over and I wasn't leaving again.
My mantra:
If it's important, you will find a way.
If it's not, you will find an excuse.
I still live by that today. I did wind up dropping out of college though, so evidently a tight @$$ was more important than a community college education.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯0 -
That's cool. Where there's a will there's a way right? I hear you on the going home stuff, seems like I get busy after I get home from work with the kids and then before you know it they're in bed and it's 9 or 10pm. Better off getting things done before that if possible.
Haha nice! Well maybe you'll go back to school again and finish one day. Like you said, if it's important you'll find a way. I finished up my Masters degree when we just had our first daughter and it was tough, but now it's over and done with. My wife started and finished her Masters while having both our daughters in between and that was no easy task either. At some point you need some sort of balance though, going gung ho 24/7 everyday isn't sustainable for most people. Hopefully you can find a balance and fit it back in some time.
Good job on losing all that weight though. My wife had to lose around 30-40 lbs twice after each kid, she said it wasn't easy but she wasn't going to just let herself go either. That has to be hard to gain all that weight and then have to work on losing it all again. Only reason us guys have to lose weight is because we just ate too much and didn't move around enough haha!0 -
Just wondering how many on here are busy working parents and how you manage to maintain a fitness routine with everything else going on in life. I've found it difficult to remain consistent over the years since we had kids. So far it seems like working out on my lunch break and taking walks at night with my wife and kids works best, though it's not possible to do that in the winter.
Just curious what you moms and dads do and how you manage to stay in shape despite all of the demands placed on you each and every day.
I know how that goes man. Monday-Friday I hit the gym after work which sometimes is pretty late because I work 60-80 hour weeks. Weekends we go on walks by the river and hikes but like you we can't do this during winter because of the cold. My goal is to be in the gym 4-5 times a week and then I try to balance everything at night and on weekends with the family life. My wife workouts out in the morning and this routine seems to help the best.0 -
I drop mine off at the gyms day care room while I work out. My son watches movies , plays with other kids, paints and colors at the day care room while I work out. I only go to gyms with child care for this reason .0
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Wow man that's some serious hours you're putting in. Is that year round or just cyclical at certain times of the year? I used to work 60-70 hours during the winter months when I was in public accounting and that was tough, felt like I lived at work. If you can find time to get to the gym then I certainly can!
Yep here in Michigan it sucks in the winter. Can't do much outside at all. The kids are still too little to have them out there for too long when it's 10 degrees outside with a foot of snow. Summer is the best time, can be outside almost all the time as long as it's not raining.0 -
That's cool. Where there's a will there's a way right? I hear you on the going home stuff, seems like I get busy after I get home from work with the kids and then before you know it they're in bed and it's 9 or 10pm. Better off getting things done before that if possible.
Haha nice! Well maybe you'll go back to school again and finish one day. Like you said, if it's important you'll find a way. I finished up my Masters degree when we just had our first daughter and it was tough, but now it's over and done with. My wife started and finished her Masters while having both our daughters in between and that was no easy task either. At some point you need some sort of balance though, going gung ho 24/7 everyday isn't sustainable for most people. Hopefully you can find a balance and fit it back in some time.
Good job on losing all that weight though. My wife had to lose around 30-40 lbs twice after each kid, she said it wasn't easy but she wasn't going to just let herself go either. That has to be hard to gain all that weight and then have to work on losing it all again. Only reason us guys have to lose weight is because we just ate too much and didn't move around enough haha!
Thanks - I'm down 50 now and two pounds away from my official goal. Luckily the "single mom" gig was temporary and my husband and I worked it out in the end, so I stay home and homeschool all three of the kids. I might go back once the little ones are older (they're 6 now), but right now the priority is their education and rearing. And a tight bum. LOL0 -
That's cool, glad you were able to work things out. Are you planning to home school them up through high school or just up to a certain point?0
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thorsmom01 wrote: »I drop mine off at the gyms day care room while I work out. My son watches movies , plays with other kids, paints and colors at the day care room while I work out. I only go to gyms with child care for this reason .
Years ago the Bally's gym we used to go to had a childcare center, but back then we didn't have any kids. Of course they went bankrupt and we went to a different gym and then had kids and had to start working out separately. My wife works out at Planet Fitness and I go to Anytime Fitness, neither of which have a daycare. Maybe when our kids get a little older we can find a gym in our area that has a childcare center and start working out together again, would be kind of cool.
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Wow man that's some serious hours you're putting in. Is that year round or just cyclical at certain times of the year? I used to work 60-70 hours during the winter months when I was in public accounting and that was tough, felt like I lived at work. If you can find time to get to the gym then I certainly can!
Yep here in Michigan it sucks in the winter. Can't do much outside at all. The kids are still too little to have them out there for too long when it's 10 degrees outside with a foot of snow. Summer is the best time, can be outside almost all the time as long as it's not raining.
About 6 months out of the year it's steady at 60-80 hours. I had two weeks in a row at 90 hours so definitely did not go the gym those weeks. It sucks after a long day at work but I'm always stoked afterwards. Also I starting using a pre workout to help give me the extra drive. Idaho is the same we have been getting some rain lately but it stays sunny until 10 each night so it's nice to go on family walks when it's nice and cool. If you need some motivation let me know but I'm sure you'll do awesome!0 -
Be like my neighbor, go to the gym after work for two or three hours, and leave the kids home alone. She had a great shape and body.0
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kwoolfwpfd wrote: »Wow man that's some serious hours you're putting in. Is that year round or just cyclical at certain times of the year? I used to work 60-70 hours during the winter months when I was in public accounting and that was tough, felt like I lived at work. If you can find time to get to the gym then I certainly can!
Yep here in Michigan it sucks in the winter. Can't do much outside at all. The kids are still too little to have them out there for too long when it's 10 degrees outside with a foot of snow. Summer is the best time, can be outside almost all the time as long as it's not raining.
About 6 months out of the year it's steady at 60-80 hours. I had two weeks in a row at 90 hours so definitely did not go the gym those weeks. It sucks after a long day at work but I'm always stoked afterwards. Also I starting using a pre workout to help give me the extra drive. Idaho is the same we have been getting some rain lately but it stays sunny until 10 each night so it's nice to go on family walks when it's nice and cool. If you need some motivation let me know but I'm sure you'll do awesome!
Wow that's some serious work hours there! I remember when busy season was over and we went back to 40 hours a week I felt like I was working part time haha!
We've had a lot of rain here too in Michigan, June was like a monsoon season here haha! But I agree it's nice having long days, stays light out until 9:30 or 10pm during the summer. Family walks in the evening are the best. Thanks for the support, I usualy do good losing weight and getting in shape, it's the staying there part that I suck at haha!0 -
softblondechick wrote: »Be like my neighbor, go to the gym after work for two or three hours, and leave the kids home alone. She had a great shape and body.
Wouldn't work out too well for me, our kids are 2 and 4, pretty sure the house would be destroyed and child protective services would be at my door when I got back from the gym haha!0 -
Her kids are 7, 9, and 11. When they were younger she dumped them in the childcare at the gym. The gym won't take kids over age 6 at the childcare.
So, you need to find a gym with childcare.0 -
a.m., before work, while they're sleeping,0
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Oh ok I see. I thought you said she left them home alone, that would be bad haha!
Yeah that's definitely a possibility. Doesn't seem to be any around here that are affordable though. So far working out on lunch seems to work well for my schedule, then it's over with when I get home.0 -
When ours were 3 & 4 and below, we had 2 Manduca baby sling carriers, and would go for hikes with them. They're only cloth and snaps, so no heavy metal frame, and you can carry older kids too, like 4/5. They worked a treat
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