Working parents - what's your workout schedule look like?

I'm between careers now, but when I worked full time days, I would be under the bar between 430-500am weekdays. I would wake at 350am and have my first cup of coffee later.

Oh and I'm a powerlifter too. No easy machine workouts either with bench and squat three times a week.

My gym opens at 5 AM, I'm there when the lock is turned. Unless you have babies, usually nobody is wanting/needing you for an hour or so at 5AM.

My primary mode of exercise is biking, which I do down in the basement, in front of a computer (virtual traine/Zwift). I used to run a lot, but knee pain/trouble makes it a lot less enjoyable now-a-days.

I bike around 130 miles a week which typically takes around eight hours over the course of a week. Depending on what I have on my training calendar I ride in the morning before work or when I get home. If it's a 30 minute recovery ride, I'll do it in the morning. Longer rides are done at night.

I'm typically on the bus heading to work at around 6:30A and back home around 6P.

When it's all said and done, it really comes down to the importance of exercise for you and what you are willing to put off/compromise. If you take a step back and honestly analyze your day you will see that doing some form of healthy activity is easily achieved by taking as little as 30 minutes to do it.

My sister has her three kids chase after her on their bikes while she runs. There is always time to exercise while still being a caring parent.

While I bike I watch TV/Netflix. I watch the same amount of shows weekly (maybe a little more now) but no longer from the "couch" position.

I lift 4x/week during the week. I get up at 4:45am, gym from 5-6 home by 6:15 to get the kids up and going. I usually run a couple times a week on lunch then on the weekend go for long mountain bike rides, hikes, snowshoe ect..

I wake up 5:30 and go to bed around 11:30-12

My boy is 15 now, so I have a lot of freedom. Unfortunately I didn't start getting fit until about 2 years ago. However, there are lots of people that I see doing a lot while their kids are with them. You could create yourself a 20 minute workout while the kids are eating their snack or doing a craft, coloring, playing at the park. You don't need fancy machines or a gym, just use your own body weight. If you need help creating a workout visit Popsugar Fitness finder on the internet and they will create a workout based on what you have and the time. If you usually sit and watch TV in the evening, why not workout instead!!! I still have to be mindful of my time as my boy is involved is very competitive baseball so I like to get up at 5am and go for a run.

Wish I had made the commitment to my health when my kids were little. I never had time to go to the gym with being gone at work 10 hours a day and daycare pickup. When I tried to do a walking video at home they would always need something and interrupt me. When they stopped daycare and a gym opened up in town I started focusing on me. I go everyday of the week after work. Tue/Thur/Sunday are weight lifting days, the others are cardio. I make it part of my day now and schedule appointments etc. around my exercise.

I go to the gym M-F in the morning. I'm usually up at 4:30, which means I try to be in bed by 9:45 (after my oldest goes to sleep) and asleep by 10. I'm not going to lie - I am NOT a morning person, and this wasn't an easy decision for me. I spent YEARS telling myself the story about how "I could never get up that early", and then I just decided to DO IT. Every day. Like it's my job. And now it's a habit, just like all the other things in life that I "have to do".
My husband gets the kids up and off to school/daycare in the morning, and I go to work early and leave early so I can pick them up. It's truly a team effort. On the weekends, we exercise together as a family by riding our bikes or going to the park/playground and running around.

I work day shift 8 or 12 hours. I usually work out in the morning on my days off while the kids are in school. I weightlift at the gym 3 days a week for an hour after work since it's right on my way home, and I do my HIIT workouts in the late evening after dinner.

Nicki_pick wrote: »

Wow.... okay. You early risers - what time do you go to bed at night?

I'm up most days around 5:45 and go to bed by 10. I need the sleep

Nicki_pick wrote: »

That's fantastic advice Joanna2012B. I actually work with children too, so this applies even more. You are absolutely right - it doesn't have to be fancy. I need to make use of the quiet moments in my life, even if I can just fit in a few minutes of some simple exercises.

If you work with children, why not fit in a 5 minute dance party at some point during the day. Pick a catchy tune and get the kids involved!! Not only will it get you moving, but them as well!!

M-F, I wake between 4:30am - 4:45am. Gym time is 5:15 - 6:30. I go home, shower, dress and wake my kids for breakfast, dress, etc. I get them off to school at 8:30am and then I go to work until 5:30pm. I should really go to bed earlier than I do, considering how early I get up, but it's usually around 10pm.