Where do you make time in your day for exercise?

chocolate_owl
chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
"I don't have time to work out" crops up on this forum a lot, so I thought it might be nice to get a bunch of schedules posted to see how other people make it work and what their compromises or sacrifices are. Maybe people can get ideas about how to reorganize their day so they can make the most of it. Please, let's refrain from making this the Who's The Busiest Olympics; lots of people are busy, and this is about ideas and solutions.

My weekday:
7:15: Wake up
7:15-8:40: Physical therapy exercises, shower, dress, prettify
8:40-9:00: Commute
9:00-6:00: Work (1 hr lunch option, flexible)
6:00-6:30: Drive to gym
6:30-7:30: Work out
7:30-7:45: Drive home
7:45-8:00: Clean up, get organized
8:00-9:00: Make dinner
9:00-9:15: Eat dinner
9:15-10:45: "Free" - laundry/cleaning if needed, husband does dishes, usually I'm watching TV or hunting Pokemon
10:45-11:00: Get away from TV and phone, get ready for bed
11:00-???: Stare at the ceiling in the dark and contemplate what a magical feeling it must be to fall asleep easily
???-7:15: Sleep, with any luck at all

I'm not particularly busy (no kids, short commute, no regular commitments), but some of my compromises have been:
-Eating later so I could work out at my preferred time
-If I have plans after work, I work out at lunch, schedule dinners with friends late, or shorten my workout a bit
-Chores get done in small bits and the house isn't always perfect

My challenge:
-I don't sleep very well, so even though I'd like to do more (volunteering, longer workouts), I feel so burnt out.
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Replies

  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Neat idea!

    My weekday:
    5 AM: Wake up
    5-6 AM: Read news, walk dogs
    6-7 AM: Exercise
    7-8 AM: Shower, eat breakfast
    8-8:30 AM: Go to work (usually walk, sometimes bus)
    8:30-11 AM: Work
    11-11:30 AM: Walk
    11:30-12: Eat lunch
    12-5 PM: Work
    5-5:30 PM: Go home (usually walk, sometimes bus)
    5:30-7 PM: Talk to husband, do chores around the house
    7-7:15 PM: Walk dogs
    7:15-8:00 PM: Prepare and eat dinner
    8-10 PM: Read, watch television with husband

    I'm lucky to have a short distance to work that is easy to walk so I get extra walking in throughout the day. I like to have the afternoons/evenings with my husband and dogs, so I prefer to exercise in the AM to maximize the time with them later in the day. Like you, I would love to do more volunteer work (I tend to set whole days aside 4-5 times a year instead of making a more regular commitment). Our place is small (one bedroom apartment), so we have no yard work and the chores are pretty minimal. On the weekends I will do long runs. Now that I'm training for a marathon, that is sometimes 2-3 hours.
  • geneticsteacher
    geneticsteacher Posts: 623 Member
    I don't go to the gym, so my schedule is a lot easier. Walk the dog after dinner and dishes every day, usually around 7 pm. Yoga, hand weights, and/or bodyweight exercises before dinner and on weekends.
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    I do a lot of outdoor activity, so my schedule depends on the season - when it's hot, I'm not active outside at lunchtime. When it's not hot, I walk at lunchtime. I am able to take a long lunch and make up my time.

    During the height of gardening season in the spring, I might garden before work, at lunch (I work from home) and after work.

    Walking is my preferred lunchtime activity, but depending on the weather I might go to the skating rink, go to the gym, or practice yoga instead.

    I've also walked, gone to the gym, or practiced yoga after work.
  • NorthCascades
    NorthCascades Posts: 10,968 Member
    My schedule varies from day to day.

    I got up an hour and a half early today to do a strength workout. I do one every other day, but it's been taking time away from cycling. I walk on my lunch break, and do all my errands on foot or by bike; living in a city it's often faster than driving and trying to find somewhere to park.
  • jessicarobinson00
    jessicarobinson00 Posts: 414 Member
    Traditionally I was lifting 4 days/week for 45 minutes usually at 5:30 pm. Temporarily to lean out (4 weeks left and counting!!!)...For the last 4 weeks: at 4:30 am, I ride my bike to the gym where I usually do 45 minutes on a stepper (circa 8 miles), then if it's not CRAZY HOT like now I walk 30 minutes on my lunch (2.1 mile jaunt), and then hit the gym at 7:00 where I usually do a short lifting routine: Squats, OHP, Rows, Push ups, ect... If you want it bad enough: you will make it happen.
  • stacylyle13
    stacylyle13 Posts: 14 Member
    4:45 wake up
    4:45-5 restroom/weigh wake
    5-5:10 morning stretch yoga
    5:10-5:50get ready for work / breakfast
    5:50-7 commute
    7-11 work
    11-12 lunch
    12-4 work
    4-5:30 commute
    5:30-7 workout/walk(thurs&sun rest day)
    7-730 shower
    7:30-9 dinner /clean up
    9-9:30 tv/read/video games
    9:30 bed.

    Sat : fit a workout in wherever I can.
  • abatonfan
    abatonfan Posts: 1,120 Member
    It varies from day-to-day. Typically, I try to get an 80-100 minute walk (8K-10K steps) in before leaving for work or eating breakfast, so my wake-up time is based off how much time I need to exercise and get ready (shower, get dressed, eat breakfast if necessary) before I need to be out the door. Some mornings this summer, it meant that I was getting up at 3-3:30AM (whenever I needed to be reporting to the hospital at 6:45AM), but then I was free to lay on my butt once I got home. My bedtime is almost always around 8:45-9:30PM though
  • tjones0411
    tjones0411 Posts: 179 Member
    edited August 2016
    My schedule is nearly identical every single day. It doesn't vary much from this:

    4:45am: wake-up
    5:15a - 6:30am: gym (MWF lift, plus short cardio. T, TH spin and HIIT classes)
    6:30a - 8:00am: get showered and ready for work, get the kids up, fed, ready and out the door
    8:30a - 5:30p: work
    5:30p - 6:30p: make and eat dinner
    6:30p - 8:30p: clean up, spend time with kids, homework, bathe, read stories, kids' bedtime
    8:30p - 10:00p: veg on the couch doing absolutely nothing :)
    10:00pm: bedtime
  • AmberSpamber
    AmberSpamber Posts: 391 Member
    5:30: Alarm goes off- push snooze
    5:35- Snooze again
    5:40- Snooze
    5:45- Fine, I will get up and shower/put my face on.
    7:00- Food Prep
    7:15- Leave for work
    8:00-6:00 Work
    6:30- Arrive home and start dinner
    7:00-8:30- Family Time
    8:30-9:00 lasso the kids for bed/Clean up
    9:10 Workout for an hour
    10:30 Meal Prep
    10:45 bed time
    And repeat.
  • yesimpson
    yesimpson Posts: 1,372 Member
    My schedule is cushy compared to most, and even more now I'm off work for the summer. Usually, on a work day it's as follows:

    5:45 wake up
    6:00 exercise - either a walk, a run, a trip to the gym or a workout at home
    7:00 get showered, dressed, fed and ready for work
    7:50 drive to work
    08:30 get into office, make coffee, read emails etc.
    12:30 go for a 20min walk on my lunch break
    04:45 finish work, drive to the gym (if this was a morning I either walked, or slept in)
    05:30 work out for an hour (or if I'm at home this would normally be time for sorting out the washing, making packed lunch for tomorrow, going food shopping)
    06:30 cook & eat dinner
    07:30 shower/have a bath
    08:00 television, reading, or socialising time
    10-11:00 get myself in bed

    I feel like I'm busy, but actually there's a lot of my time dedicated to doing things I either want to do or that make my life easier for the next day.
  • Keladelphia
    Keladelphia Posts: 820 Member
    My schedule is the same M-F except on Thursdays when the three hour gym session is replaced by a 60 minute row or run


    4:30-5:20 Wake up and get ready for the day
    5:20-5:45 Head to work
    5:45-6:00 Breakfast
    6:00 -11:45 Work
    11:45-12:15 Two Mile lunch walk
    12:15-12:45 Lunch
    12:45-3:30 Work
    3:30-3:45 Drive to gym
    3:45-6:30 GYM
    6:30-6:45 Drive home
    6:45-7:05 Walk dog
    7:05-9:30 Heat dinner, clean up, watch TV
    9:30-10:00 Yoga
    10:00-10:30 Bed
  • Colorscheme
    Colorscheme Posts: 1,179 Member
    I'm a stay at home parent, so I basically do my workouts after my son's in home therapy is done for the day.
  • stephenearllucas
    stephenearllucas Posts: 255 Member
    4:00-5:00 a.m. - wake up, bathroom stuff, protein shake, drive to gym
    5:00-7:30 a.m. - gym
    7:30-8:30 a.m. - shower, dress, breakfast
    8:30-9:30 a.m. - drive to work
    9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. - work, with intermittent walk breaks
    4:30-5:30 p.m. - drive to home
    5:30-7:00 p.m. - make/eat dinner, watch news and Big Bang Theory
    7:00-9:00 p.m. - reading
    9:00 p.m. - bed
  • Spliner1969
    Spliner1969 Posts: 3,233 Member
    Tuesday through Friday for me:

    5:00am wake and prepare (including drink a pre-workout drink instead of coffee)
    5:30am Out the door for a walk or on the Bowflex (30 minutes on the Bowflex or 3.2 mile walk @ 4.0mph)
    6:00am Start Cross training (my own version anyway) directly after my walk/elliptical session - 60 minutes
    7:00am (sometimes a little after) shower and get ready for work
    7:30am eat a quick breakfast
    8:00am off to work

    Both workouts usually net me around a 1000 calorie fasted burn. It's a killer workout I do 6 days a week. On Saturdays and Sundays I do the same workouts just a couple hours later (because I can sleep in lol!).

    I tried for the longest time to work out after I'd get home in the evenings and someone always wanted something, or family was hungry, or needed to go to the store, etc. etc. There were always a 1000 reasons to put off the workout or cut it short. Drove me nuts. Now I'm the first one out of bed and I kick my own *kitten* for 90 minutes each morning six days a week. I may take an extra day of rest and drop it to 5 days about every other week but for the most part getting up that early has given me the time I need to get it done. Mondays are my rest days. Results have been great. Stealing that 90 minutes in the morning to work out has been the best decision I made in my life. It took a couple weeks to get used to it, and I found that I had a sleeping issue at night (I would toss and turn for hours in bed) but also found that a single tablet of Melatonin fixed that. So now I take one about 9:30pm and I'm out by 10 and up at 5.

    I also prefer to walk in the mornings rather than use the Bowflex, but I have a muscle strain at the moment that keeps me from it, so I'm stuck on the demon machine (Bowflex M5) for now.



  • ccrdragon
    ccrdragon Posts: 3,374 Member
    M-F
    4:30 - Wake up, make coffee, get ready for gym
    4:50 - Drive to Gym
    5:00 - Workout (1 hr)
    6:05 - Drive Home
    6:15 - Dial into office, clean up emails, fight fires, etc
    7:00 - Get ready for work (shower, etc), get daughter moving for school
    8:00 - Take daughter to school, drive to work
    9:00 - 4:30 Work (breakfast/lunch at my desk)
    4:30 - 5:30 Drive home
    5:30 - 10:00 Family time/chores/dinner/etc
    10:00 - bed
    Weekends vary and are subject to change at wife's whims ;)
  • Lynzdee18
    Lynzdee18 Posts: 500 Member
    First thing in the am when I get up. That is usually around 5am.

    Thankfully I'm retired so I can also participate in sports and walking during the day.
  • The_Ugly_One
    The_Ugly_One Posts: 23 Member
    Schedule A: Productive Schedule
    3:45 wake up
    4:00-5:00 gym
    5:15-6:15 get ready/breakfast/walk dog
    6:15-7:00 commute 30 miles
    7:00-4:00 work
    4:00-4:45 commute 30 miles back
    4:45-6:30 errands/cook/eat dinner/cleanup
    6:30-8:00 walk dog/relax
    8:00-8:30 prep breakfast/get ready for bed with the intention of going to the gym in the morning
    8:30-3:45 sleep (hopefully)

    Schedule B: More likely schedule
    3:45 curse at alarm clock and find excuse to skip the gym
    5:15-6:15 get ready/breakfast/apologize to dog for running late and skipping morning walk
    6:15-7:00 commute 30 miles
    7:00-4:00 work
    4:00-4:45 commute 30 miles back
    4:45-5:45 gym - depending on how incredibly busy and full of bros it is
    5:45-7:15 cook/eat dinner/cleanup
    7:15-8:00 walk dog/relax
    8:00-8:30 prep breakfast and lunch/get ready for bed with the intention of going to the gym in the morning
    8:30-3:45 sleep (hopefully)
  • JenHuedy
    JenHuedy Posts: 611 Member
    Currently, it's this - but I will change up my workout time to take advantage of the daylight or weather depending on the season. Spring & Fall when the weather is cooler I often try to get my runs in after work so I can see where I'm going :smiley:

    4:15-4:50 am Get up, potty, weigh, put on workout clothes,feed dogs, take out dogs to potty.
    4:50-6:00 am Run to rec center to lift MWF, or just go for a run TTh. Long run (2 hrs) on Saturday
    6:00-7:00 am Shower/dress for work.
    7:00-7:45 am Get kids ready for school
    7:45-8:30 am Commute to work
    8:30-1:00 pm Work
    1:00-2:00 pm Lunch; Walk 3-4 miles during lunch break
    2:00-5:00 pm Work
    5:00-5:45 pm Commute home
    5:45-7:00 pm Dinner prep, eat, cleanup
    7:00-8:00 pm Watch tv while walking on treadmill
    8:00-8:30/9 pm Prep for next day (set out workout and work clothes, prep breakfast and lunch, plan dinner)
    8:30 pm (ideally, usually later) BED!
  • JeromeBarry1
    JeromeBarry1 Posts: 10,179 Member
    With no paid overtime, exercise is cardio at home before breakfast along with a MET 2 cardio exercise called "Standing at desk, working" for most of the business day. With paid overtime, no cardio at home and more hours of standing at my desk. It's only 52 calories extra per hour at my size, but in a day of overtime it's over 10% of my TDEE.
  • MsBuzzkillington
    MsBuzzkillington Posts: 171 Member
    6:00- wake up/get ready for work
    6:30- arrive to work
    3:00-off work
    sometime between 3-7 I go to the gym
    7:00- go to second job
    1:00- get home from second job
    Then sleep.

    Some days I have off and I work out whenever. Some days I just take naps. Some days I only work one job and fit a work out in at some point.

    It's always possible to squeeze a work out in there some where. The whole, meal prep and eating at decent times and having decent meals thing has been something I've been seriously struggling hardcore with though.
  • MostlyWater
    MostlyWater Posts: 4,294 Member
    You wake up at 7:15. I get up at 5:30. That's when I go to the gym, and then directly to work.
  • caradack1985
    caradack1985 Posts: 254 Member
    6 wake up, pee, weigh, drink water, make coffee
    6.15 work out
    6.45 drink coffee and water
    7 jump in shower
    7.15 kick kid out of bed and throw him in shower
    7.30 get both of us dressed/teeth/hair
    8 give kid breakfast/pack his lunch/get everything prepped for school and work
    8.25 leave the house
    5.25 get home
    5.30 make dinner for both of us
    7 I have free time here
    8 bribe kid to get into bed then more free time
    9.30 bedtime yoga
    10 chill out till I decide to go to bed, around 11 usually.
  • caradack1985
    caradack1985 Posts: 254 Member
    Except not at the moment because I'm on annual leave so I can sleep in and do whatever I want... Bliss!
  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
    MostlyWater wrote: »
    You wake up at 7:15. I get up at 5:30. That's when I go to the gym, and then directly to work.

    Yes, I do. I seem to be one of the few people in this thread who prefers to/can exercise after work instead of before. Would you like to share what the rest of your day is like, or did you just want to point out that my day starts later than yours..?
  • quiksylver296
    quiksylver296 Posts: 28,439 Member
    edited August 2016
    This is my weekday schedule. My weekends are not so predictable.

    5:15 - Wake up
    5:15 to 6:15 - Shower, get ready, pack breakfast and lunch, wake kid up for school (if applicable)
    6:15 to 7:00 - Commute
    7:00 to 9:00 - Work
    9:00 to 9:15 - Walk
    9:15 to 12:00 - Work
    12:00 to 12:30 - Walk (except Weds which is yoga from 12:00 to 12:50)
    12:30 to 2:00 - Work
    2:00 to 2:15 - Walk
    2:15 to 3:30 - Work
    3:30 to 4:15 - Commute
    4:15 to 5:00 - Change into gym clothes, chill or do household chores/prep dinner
    5:00 to 5:30 - Take son to whatever sport he's currently doing
    5:30 to 7:30 - Gym
    7:30 to 8:00 - Pick up son and head home
    8:00 to ? - Cook and eat dinner
    9:00ish - Bed
  • peleroja
    peleroja Posts: 3,979 Member
    I do:

    5:00 - 5:45 AM - wake up, drink coffee, eat breakfast, get dressed etc
    5:45 - 6:45 AM - run
    6:45 - 7:30 AM - shower, primp, drink coffee
    7:30 - 8:00 AM - commute (via bike right now, but sometimes I take the train, or walk if I can be ready by 7:00)
    8:00 - 12:00 PM - work
    12:00 - 1:00 PM - gym (1/2 hr of gym, 1/2 hr of getting there and back and ready and all of that)
    1:00 PM - 4:30 PM - work
    4:30 PM - 5:00 PM - commute (again, bike right now)

    Sometimes I skip the morning run or the lunch gym and run or gym in the evening. If I don't, I have ample time in my evening for making dinner, hanging out with my husband, running errands, etc. etc. etc. I like to get my fitness stuff out of the way early in the day so I don't have to squeeze it in evenings. It's just easier for me and I feel like I have more free time this way.

    I go to bed between 9PM and 10PM most nights so I get enough sleep, but I still generally feel like I have pretty relaxed evenings. I come home, hang out with my husband, cook dinner and spot clean the kitchen, and have time for buying groceries or home maintenance or seeing friends or whatever.

    I'm also a bit of a weirdo and do all my housecleaning on Friday afternoons - I get off work at 1PM on Fridays so I spend the afternoon doing a tornado cleaning and getting everything spotless and all the laundry done and that kind of thing so we don't have to deal with any of that on the weekends or the rest of the week. It's just my husband and I so nothing really needs doing more than that, as we're pretty tidy people and don't have kids or pets to make messes.

    I don't claim to be "busy" - I have a full time job but that's the only real demand on my time - but I fit in up to 3 hrs of exercise every day before 5PM, which is definitely more than necessary for general health so I do feel like if I can get that much, lots of other people should be able to find time for even 1/2 hr or an hour if it was really important to them. Sorry if that's judgey...I know it's not a priority for everyone so I don't normally say it, but there it is.
  • chocolate_owl
    chocolate_owl Posts: 1,695 Member
    Sued0nim wrote: »
    Day type 1

    Wake up at stupid o'clock (stupid hundred hours) at least 90 mins before I have to get up
    Get up anyway cos nothing worse than happily sleeping partner to make you want to sharpen your elbows
    Let dog out, make and eat breakfast
    Check clock
    Decide fuggit might as well walk to work
    Pack bag with lunch and shoes, pop on trainers
    Walk for 40 mins (2.5 miles)
    Drink coffee
    Do work
    Realise I forgot element of lunch, walk to local shops and back 30 mins (2 miles)
    Get back, eat lunch
    Do work
    Watch it start to rain
    Think fuggit gotta walk back in the rain now
    Walk back in the rain
    Avoid jumping dog, let dog out
    Sit down for 15 mins
    Thinks "gym or children?"
    Skips gym, make dinner
    Children come home from school with assorted friends, shout hi and immediately ignore me
    Thinks "shoulda gone to gym"
    Ask assorted kids if staying for supper
    Walk to shops to buy more dinner
    Make more dinner
    Take dog for walk
    Sit on couch
    Greet husband, have regular argument about who should make tea ..I win ..get tea on couch
    Go run a bath
    Go to bed

    *snip*

    My life is dully repetitive

    She says

    From poolside of villa in Portugal

    There is never an argument about this in my house. My husband understands that making tea for me every morning and evening is a must. He's the perfect man.

    Poolside in a villa in Portugal sounds fan-frikkin-tastic.
  • MagicalGiraffe
    MagicalGiraffe Posts: 102 Member
    Everyone is getting up so early! Do the majority of you have children or just early birds naturally? I've started waking at half 7 naturally now its summer and I was impressed with myself. Maybe it's to do with age too?
  • katrinahoffman1
    katrinahoffman1 Posts: 2 Member
    Morning while I watch the news for the day.

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