How do you find the time?

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Jamiepk1985
Jamiepk1985 Posts: 463 Member
I work full time and have two kids....like I'm sure a lot of you do. How do you find the time between housework. Kids sports, etc. I'm struggling here!
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  • miss_aims
    miss_aims Posts: 64 Member
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    I'm in the same boat, my day starts at 5:10 AM and I'm not usually home until 8:30 PM. My recommendation is to find what works for you. Figure out how much time you're able to dedicate to it. If it's only 15, 20, 30 minutes, tailor your workout to that time frame. I'm only able to reasonably dedicate about 30 minutes, 3 times per week, so I need to make sure my workouts are INTENSE. If you're able to spare 30 minutes, try the 30 Day Shred. High intensity cardio/strength and it's effective. Figure out what works and just do it! :)
  • Expatmommy79
    Expatmommy79 Posts: 940 Member
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    I have 3 kids under 3 but don't work...

    My mommy friends who work full time do any of the following:

    Wake up early before kids do to workout
    Use the weekend
    Exercise while the kids are at their sport: one mom runs laps while her daughter has soccer practice
    Take the littles for a walk in the stroller or carrier
    Go to the park and play frisbee with kids
    Ask husband to look after dinner prep while they exercise.
    Workout during tv time
    Workout after kids are in bed

    Could some of those work?

    Buy a kettle ball and workout at home. Surely you could find 20 mins a few times a week if not a few times a day?

  • Expatmommy79
    Expatmommy79 Posts: 940 Member
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    One lady I know works out at the office! Squats while holding box files for weights.

    Try and get creative!
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,440 Member
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    I used to work out on my lunch break, and then eat lunch at my desk (with my bosses' permission). Now that my son is a little older, I drop him off at his sports (five nights a week) and head to the gym.
  • zachatta
    zachatta Posts: 1,340 Member
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    If you work full time (for me) the best is to go either directly before, or after, work. The bad part about this is it usually means you forfeit some sleep. However if you get in that particular pattern it becomes easier to integrate working out into your life. For me, I usually change once i clock out, and head to the gym. Its harder to come up with excuses not to go if you leave directly after work imho.
  • Wickedfaery73
    Wickedfaery73 Posts: 184 Member
    edited April 2016
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    I walk the floors and stairs at work during my breaks. If the kids are small enough you could incorporate them into a workout like using them as weights or put on some music and call it "dance party time". Sometimes I clean , sing and dance around at the same time.... just dont use the tolilet brush as a microphone... :smiley: D
  • peaceout_aly
    peaceout_aly Posts: 2,018 Member
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    Not many people actually have time for fitness. They have to make time. That was always my main excuse, that I didn't have time, that I was too tired, etc. I wake up at 5AM, head to the gym for just about two hours, shower there, then make my commute to work (1.5-2 hours each way) for an eight hour day, make the commute home and somehow have to manage to keep a house clean, have dinner ready, pack lunch for the following day and do whatever errands may need to be done. Is it difficult? Yes. Does it get easier? Not really. But once you make it a habit and see results you start to prioritize the gym over other things.
  • gbebedoll570
    gbebedoll570 Posts: 28 Member
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    same boat.. one 8 years old, and one 1 year old.. full time job.. and my commute to the babysitter, to work, to babysitter and home is almost two hours!!!

    I wake up early to get my 45 minute walk/bike in the morning..

    and I try to do another 30 minute walk/bike after dinner..

    I also installed the sworkfit app. I do the 5 - 10 minute stretches three times a day while at work. Since I have a desk job I find it very helpful with my back and shoulders..
  • jaga13
    jaga13 Posts: 1,149 Member
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    All of the above are great ideas. To add: when I worked in an office I made a point to take lots of short walk breaks. A loop around the building only took a few minutes but it added up over the day. I also walked on my lunch break. On cold
    Days I walked up and down the stairs. Some people don't like the idea of leaving their desks but I figured I wasn't taking smoke breaks, wasn't running out for coffee. And I was keeping myself healthy which in turn benefits the company (rarely used a sick day). Some people use a device to track steps like a Fitbit. I have a free one on my phone (pacer).

    If you can find time
    For formal exercise at home
    Before or after work , that would be great. But if you can't , see if you can step up your daily general activity level. Good luck.
  • ReaderGirl3
    ReaderGirl3 Posts: 868 Member
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    It takes under 10 minutes to log your food for the day and then a few minutes to prep food (weigh out serving sizes etc). In the scheme of things, that's nothing when you think how much time most of us waste on FB :p

    As far as exercise goes, I didn't do any during my weight loss phase so it wasn't a factor for me. Now in maintenance I'm a seasonal walker and I walk 15 minute miles. Very doable to squeeze in 15 minutes after supper or before bed.
  • Jazzmine_Rich
    Jazzmine_Rich Posts: 2 Member
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    @Jamiepk1985 ...we were born the same year!! I have three small babies (one is 9 months and the others are 4 and twins). Girl I'm tired but I want to lose weight too. I'm young WTF!! I have to be at work by 7:45 am and then I get off at 3:45 pm (most days). I admit I have family support but I'm tired.. and their father is there but I still do everything by myself (it feels). I have 50lbs to lose and I can't just watch myself go down the drain. But I'm tired all the time and have no energy. I can't get up and workout before I go to work (hell no). Every now and then I do something on my planning on youtube (walk away the pounds or something small like that) but that's not getting the results I need for the mode I'm in. I bought a workout DVD and i'm going to do it in my living room. In the past my kids watched me and mock some things I do.. they get in my way..but re-position them and keep pushing (obviously not for long because I'm here). I will restart working out tomorrow when I get my DVD in the mail (4/26)! That's my bday!
  • Jamiepk1985
    Jamiepk1985 Posts: 463 Member
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    My bday is the 30th!!!! I may start doing something small in the morning before work. Seems to be the best option. Just so hard to wake up.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,865 Member
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    I lift two nights per week (Monday and Wednesday) and on Saturday mornings. During the week I go straight from the office to the gym and I lift for about an hour. My wife is responsible for getting the kids fed and bathed and whatnot as well as getting our dinner ready as I won't get home until 7/7:30.

    On Tuesday and Thursday, we swap out...all of the things she does on Mon and Wed I take care of on Tues and Thurs.

    I have two options for getting in my rides...early morning (like 4:30) or during my lunch break. I ride for about an hour four days per week and try to get in a longer ride on Sundays, but yeah...I have to be flexible too...life is busy.
  • rbfdac
    rbfdac Posts: 1,057 Member
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    I also work full time and have a two year old, and 7&11 year old step-kids.

    When referring to gym time (the hardest part schedule-wise), I rely on my husband, my parents, and even friends and other family members to help me.

    -- On days that my husband is home in the evenings (he travels), I head to the gym after my toddler goes to sleep (around 8 PM).

    -- On days that my husband is gone, I do a few things:
    * have my mom watch my son while I go to the gym for an hour
    * take a walk around the neighborhood with my son in the stroller
    * I even have had a friend come over after my son went to bed to just sit with him while I went to the gym.
    * do a youtube workout video after my son is asleep
    * walk on my home treadmill after my son is asleep


    Food is the easiest part (and the biggest part of weight loss).

    I do everything ahead of time, as much as possible. I pack my breakfast and lunch for the next day the night before, as well as log it. I use a lot of leftovers and just measure them out for supper the next day before storing the rest in the fridge.
    I do not stray from that food at work. I keep some snacks at my office, but only pre-packaged items that I know the calorie content of (100 calorie popcorn, nuts, etc.) and that also has been pre-logged. I get home around 5:15 PM, then start on supper. I am done around 5:40. I set out anything that needs to be thawed for supper in the morning before I leave for work.

    I clean the kitchen and pick up the house daily, but only do the vacuuming, mopping, etc. on Sundays. My step-kids are in sports, so during these couple of months we use a lot of teamwork! My husband will cook supper on days he gets home before me, we will eat, then run to the games. We also have to make compromises on things. Some nights it's not possible for our toddler to go to the late games, so one parent will go alone while the other stays at home. On those nights, I'll often take a walk with my son while my husband is at the games, etc. You just gotta make it work! There are a lot of early mornings and late nights, but you've got to work for it if you really want it. So cliché, but so true. My husband also goes to the gym and because I go when my son is asleep, he often gets up around 5:00 and goes before we all have to head to work.

    Friend me if you want to talk any more :) Good luck! I'm down 59 pounds in 100 lb journey. I never thought I'd be here in my wildest dreams, but I've stuck to it, so you can too!

  • crazymama2both
    crazymama2both Posts: 195 Member
    edited April 2016
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    My gym has child care that my son LOVES so I take him when I have him and he runs around and plays with his "gym friends" and tuckers himself out at the same time! Also we do a lot of hiking when the weather cooperates.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
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    I used to take classes at night - or do dvds - when my kids were asleep. Now that they're older, I get up early and go to classes and do machines at the gym.

    You have to make the time!
  • kgirlhart
    kgirlhart Posts: 5,030 Member
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    You don't find the time, you make the time.
  • crazymama2both
    crazymama2both Posts: 195 Member
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    OOH also you can do the online workouts after they go to bed or while theyre doing homework (I dont know their ages, sorry). dailyburn.com is a good one for not a huge expense.
  • Capt_Apollo
    Capt_Apollo Posts: 9,026 Member
    edited April 2016
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    My bday is the 30th!!!! I may start doing something small in the morning before work. Seems to be the best option. Just so hard to wake up.

    it's not hard to wake up early. you just prefer to sleep. that's fine. one day you will change your habits to reflect your preferences.
  • Deena_Bean
    Deena_Bean Posts: 906 Member
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    5:30 am for exercise, 7am leave for work, 5:15p arrive home and do mom/house stuff...then bed. I have 12 year old twins and a 14 year old stepson - all of whom play a travel sport. So we are constantly on the go. The 14 year old lives 30 minutes away so the nights we have him are long round-trips. Dinner on practice nights is usually a crock pot meal, sometimes a meal out. It's a juggling act, but it's not impossible. Organization and dedication - that's the only answer to this problem.