My job prevents opportunities.
Tonyrebuilt
Posts: 43 Member
I know blaming my job is an excuse, but hear me out. I work 5 days a week. 9am-8pm My wife works 11am-7pm. We have a baby boy who is almost 2 that stays with his grandma all day until i get out of work. By the time I get home all I want to do is spend time with son. I would work out at night after he's asleep, but he doesn't go to bed until around 11:30pm and I would work out in the morning but I can't function at work on less than 6-7 hours of sleep. Hello Mr find the time
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Replies
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2 years old and doesn't go to bed till 11.30PM? that's later than me and I'm 34!!17
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That is a tough schedule. Can you take your son for a walk? That is some exercise and you are spending time with him. Maybe find some time for yourself on the weekends.
Honestly getting 6-7 hours of sleep sounds like a minimum need to me as well. I understand what you are saying with that . I work similar hours, but only 4 days a week and am single and time is still at a premium on weekdays.
Your hours kind of suck for getting out and just doing things outside for sure. Maybe you can work out one or two work nights and weekends? Or find a workout you can do at home and have him watch and spend time with him that way. He is still spending time with dad and you are showing him good habits.7 -
jdawson002 wrote: »2 years old and doesn't go to bed till 11.30PM?
I am guessing that is an adjustment to parents work schedule. No need to get up early for school at this time. I was thinking that at first as well, but both parents work late into the evening, everyone's schedule adjusts for that would be my guess.3 -
Our first daughter, who was babysat by my mother, also went to bed late. My mom was just a genius at getting her to nap for long periods of time. I finally had to ask her to limit nap time to something a little more reasonable. Maybe that will help you too?
You didn't mention weekends. Can you slip off to the gym then and do on the floor bodyweight exercises with the little guy during the week?4 -
Split the baby-caring into morning and evening shifts, so you do the bulk of the evening work and your wife the bulk of the morning work (or vice versa) and work out on your "off" shift. If you are evening-baby-care, plan your outfit for the next day, streamline the morning routine and use some of that time to go for a run (or whatever). Or just put the toddler in a jogging stroller and go for a jog during your "shift".
Seconding the recommendation to ask grandma to limit napping, if he's sleeping all day it's harder for him to fall asleep at night. I know you want to spend that time with the baby because he's with grandma all day, but you do need to take some time for yourselves too.
And it does get better. We've raised lots of kids, the early years are the hardest.7 -
Well, the good news is that you don't have to have a structured workout every single day. So if you could get 2 workouts in on the weekends, you'd only have to find another day or 2 during the week to either get up earlier or do active play with your son after you get home.
Everyone has their "stuff" that could prevent workouts from happening. You either find a way or you'll find an excuse.3 -
I would love to say I or my husband ever got 6-7 hours of sleep with 2 year old..
It really all boils down to balance. You will have to work with the people and schedules you have. But can you go bed just 1 hour early and do this in the a.m... (does this fit around you and your wife's a.m. schedule)? I know that it is sacrifice from being with your son till 11:30, and yes all of this time with him is precious, so finding what compromises you need or can take will take some trial and error to see what works.0 -
So far I have just been doing Push Ups and sit ups. I've seen great progress in both areas. I want to go to the gym on the weekend, but my mother in law makes a big fuss about it if I make her do anything on my days off because she has him so much. Maybe I'll try to go early in the morning on my days off when the baby is still sleeping. Around 6am should work. It would be better if we had the same days off, but we don't2
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Pay for additional child care to allow you to focus on yourself?2
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Tonyrebuilt wrote: »I know blaming my job is an excuse, but hear me out. I work 5 days a week. 9am-8pm My wife works 11am-7pm. We have a baby boy who is almost 2 that stays with his grandma all day until i get out of work. By the time I get home all I want to do is spend time with son. I would work out at night after he's asleep, but he doesn't go to bed until around 11:30pm and I would work out in the morning but I can't function at work on less than 6-7 hours of sleep. Hello Mr find the time
go to bed at midnight, get up at 6.30, workout before you need to get ready for work?4 -
Weekends? Lunch breaks? Get up half an hour earlier in the AM?
If it's a priority you'll find time for it............3 -
Your child needs to learn how to self-play as well as having parents to play with - working out only takes 10 min a day, wouldn't it be good for him to learn to self-play for 10 min a day while you workout? Plus, what a great example to set for him so when he is grown he recognizes that it's important for him to look after his health by exercising.2
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TavistockToad wrote: »Tonyrebuilt wrote: »I know blaming my job is an excuse, but hear me out. I work 5 days a week. 9am-8pm My wife works 11am-7pm. We have a baby boy who is almost 2 that stays with his grandma all day until i get out of work. By the time I get home all I want to do is spend time with son. I would work out at night after he's asleep, but he doesn't go to bed until around 11:30pm and I would work out in the morning but I can't function at work on less than 6-7 hours of sleep. Hello Mr find the time
go to bed at midnight, get up at 6.30, workout before you need to get ready for work?
I would need to get up a little earlier cause he gets up at 6:45 on the dot. I think if I do it right I'll be okay.2 -
Work out on your lunch hour.2
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Tonyrebuilt wrote: »So far I have just been doing Push Ups and sit ups. I've seen great progress in both areas. I want to go to the gym on the weekend, but my mother in law makes a big fuss about it if I make her do anything on my days off because she has him so much. Maybe I'll try to go early in the morning on my days off when the baby is still sleeping. Around 6am should work. It would be better if we had the same days off, but we don't
Is there a gym near you with daycare? Your little guy might relish the opportunity to interact with other kids while you workout.
PS Congrats on the progress in push-ups and sit-ups. Have you heard of You Are Your Own Gym (YAYOG)? There's lots more you can add.
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BrianSharpe wrote: »Weekends? Lunch breaks? Get up half an hour earlier in the AM?
If it's a priority you'll find time for it............
I'm just starting again, so I am making it a main priority of mine. Really just needed to hear other people to tell me to stop making excuses.
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Tonyrebuilt wrote: »TavistockToad wrote: »Tonyrebuilt wrote: »I know blaming my job is an excuse, but hear me out. I work 5 days a week. 9am-8pm My wife works 11am-7pm. We have a baby boy who is almost 2 that stays with his grandma all day until i get out of work. By the time I get home all I want to do is spend time with son. I would work out at night after he's asleep, but he doesn't go to bed until around 11:30pm and I would work out in the morning but I can't function at work on less than 6-7 hours of sleep. Hello Mr find the time
go to bed at midnight, get up at 6.30, workout before you need to get ready for work?
I would need to get up a little earlier cause he gets up at 6:45 on the dot. I think if I do it right I'll be okay.
you have a 2 year old who manages on 7 hours sleep... that's hardcore.2 -
tcunbeliever wrote: »Your child needs to learn how to self-play as well as having parents to play with - working out only takes 10 min a day, wouldn't it be good for him to learn to self-play for 10 min a day while you workout? Plus, what a great example to set for him so when he is grown he recognizes that it's important for him to look after his health by exercising.
I guess I just feel guilty for being gone so much. 10 min shouldn't kill him. Thanks for that
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tcunbeliever wrote: »Your child needs to learn how to self-play as well as having parents to play with - working out only takes 10 min a day, wouldn't it be good for him to learn to self-play for 10 min a day while you workout? Plus, what a great example to set for him so when he is grown he recognizes that it's important for him to look after his health by exercising.
I agree with this.
Can you budget to get the equipment to do the type of exercise you want to do at home? This could help both you and your wife. It cuts out the getting to and from the gym time. Plus your child will see you working out, which is you setting a good example.1 -
Your normal work day is 11 hours? Do they give you lunch time? 1-3 hours? Split shift? We get 1 hour off, and there are people here where I work that spend 30 minutes of that on an elliptical just to get time to work out. Then on their two days off (usually a weekend) they spend at least a couple hours of one of those days working out (or 1 hour per day Sat/Sun). It can be done. But I have been where you are. My previous job was a 9-11 hour shift every day, and we didn't get to leave for lunch, work paid for lunch so we would stay and work/answer phones. It was horrible and I could not wait to leave it. I managed to do it for 7 years and it just about made me want to change careers. I now work 8am to 5pm, get 1 hour off for lunch each day. I work out from 5:30am until 7am every morning (I get up at 5am) 4 of the five work days each week, then work out for at least an hour each of my weekend days off. I am usually getting ready for bed at 8pm during the work week and am almost always IN bed by 9pm, and asleep before 10pm. I get an average of 7 hours of sleep a night and it's enough for me at least until the weekend when I can catch up on an hour or two extra Sat/Sun.
If you're getting home at 8, dinner is going to monopolize your time until at least 9 ish, and my guess is you are up until a minimum of 11pm each night after your toddler goes to sleep. Doesn't honestly leave much time for time with your wife or time for yourself. So my guess, and this would be me as well, is that you likely go to bed around midnight each night so getting up at 5am isn't such a good idea.. but what about 6 or 6:30am on a work week? Get up, have some caffeine, get ready and work out from 7-8, then get ready for work. It took me a while to get into a routine, and I had to give up watching TV in bed for 2 hours a night. But honestly after a couple of weeks of forcing myself to get up at 5am to work out by 5:30 it wasn't a problem. I couldn't keep my eyes open beyond 9:30-10pm. It's all about priorities I guess.
One thing is for certain, you'll have to fix the toddler's sleeping schedule within the next 3 years for school. That may help, but I wouldn't want to work out before bed, there's no way I could sleep after all that. But maybe at that point you can get to bed earlier. My kids are all raised, so that's a big plus on my end of things, as well as the 40 hour work week. If you can find even 30 minutes in the mornings to work out you'll be much happier with your results, and it really helps to kick start your metabolism for the day.
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My friend was doing a Jillian Michaels video and her two-year-old daughter was having an absolute blast trying to follow along with her. Maybe you could try something like that?2
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tcunbeliever wrote: »Your child needs to learn how to self-play as well as having parents to play with - working out only takes 10 min a day, wouldn't it be good for him to learn to self-play for 10 min a day while you workout? Plus, what a great example to set for him so when he is grown he recognizes that it's important for him to look after his health by exercising.
I agree with this.
Can you budget to get the equipment to do the type of exercise you want to do at home? This could help both you and your wife. It cuts out the getting to and from the gym time. Plus your child will see you working out, which is you setting a good example.
I can afford it, but don't have the extra space at the moment. Working on fixing that now.0 -
Spliner1969 wrote: »
One thing is for certain, you'll have to fix the toddler's sleeping schedule within the next 3 years for school. That may help, but I wouldn't want to work out before bed, there's no way I could sleep after all that. But maybe at that point you can get to bed earlier. My kids are all raised, so that's a big plus on my end of things, as well as the 40 hour work week. If you can find even 30 minutes in the mornings to work out you'll be much happier with your results, and it really helps to kick start your metabolism for the day.
I work a sales job I get a 30 minute break so I can't really get too sweaty. Morning exercise would be best. Ill have to get up around 6-6:30 cause my son wakes up at 7am on the dot without fail everyday.0 -
Tonyrebuilt wrote: »Spliner1969 wrote: »
One thing is for certain, you'll have to fix the toddler's sleeping schedule within the next 3 years for school. That may help, but I wouldn't want to work out before bed, there's no way I could sleep after all that. But maybe at that point you can get to bed earlier. My kids are all raised, so that's a big plus on my end of things, as well as the 40 hour work week. If you can find even 30 minutes in the mornings to work out you'll be much happier with your results, and it really helps to kick start your metabolism for the day.
I work a sales job I get a 30 minute break so I can't really get too sweaty. Morning exercise would be best. Ill have to get up around 6-6:30 cause my son wakes up at 7am on the dot without fail everyday.
I don't advocate people spending a lot of money on equipment, especially if they have a good gym around, but I purchased a Bowflex Max trainer for similar reasons (time) a couple of years ago. It has a 14 minute program, and when you work up to a higher resistance you can burn between 200-250 calories in that 14 minutes. Just don't fall for the hype, it's going to take more than 3x a week if that's all you are doing, but it's a tough workout, probably the toughest I've ever done. They gave me interest free payments, so around $120 a month for 12 months I think (can't remember completely) for the mid-line version M5. It's a cross between a stair stepper and elliptical, takes up very little space and has a two year warranty (the M5 anyway). Just a thought. I ended up finding plenty of time for workouts after I purchased it by adjusting my sleep schedule but I still use it several times a week, and in the winter when I can't go outside to walk/run. I do more than the 14 min program, and usually go for 30 minutes on mine for a 500 cal burn. I'm sure some cheaper elliptical would also be an option, or maybe a treadmill or stationary bike. Maybe a good piece of equipment would help? Give yourself at least 15-30 minutes to wake up before exercising. I, personally use that time to go to the restroom, drink some coffee or a pre-workout, then work out 30 minutes after stepping out of bed. Gives your body time to wake up a bit. Might take you a while to get the logistics worked out but if you can do it, you'll be happier. I certainly am.1 -
Tonyrebuilt wrote: »tcunbeliever wrote: »Your child needs to learn how to self-play as well as having parents to play with - working out only takes 10 min a day, wouldn't it be good for him to learn to self-play for 10 min a day while you workout? Plus, what a great example to set for him so when he is grown he recognizes that it's important for him to look after his health by exercising.
I guess I just feel guilty for being gone so much. 10 min shouldn't kill him. Thanks for that
Don't feel guilty- yes you are gone but you are gone for work, five days a week like many people. And you aren't leaving him with wolves, you are leaving him with grandma! I would second putting him a a jogging stroller and going for a jog- or plop him in his play pen and do w quick work out. You may be surprised that he will watch you and then try and imitate what you are doing!
Also, there are low burn things you can do at work that won't get you sweaty- well, won't get me sweaty- like walk up and down the stairs a few times.2 -
Ever think of just making up a routine where playing with your kid is kind of a work out? Lay on your back and play "catch" by just gently throwing him a few inches straight up like you are doing a bench press and bring him back down to your chest for a few minutes. Or if you're not comfortable throwing him at all, just do the motion.
Hold him straight armed and do squats while making "zoooom" noises so he thinks you're playing air plane or something. Just mix up motions you'd normally do with a dumbell or kettle bell and find safe ways to do it while playing with your kid.
I know most kids I have ever interacted with love that sort of play, the trick would be adding sound effects and motions in to the mix that both work you out, but make it fun and engaging for him. (I thought I read it was a him, so I apologize if it's a her, just switch the pronoun :P)5 -
Tonyrebuilt wrote: »tcunbeliever wrote: »Your child needs to learn how to self-play as well as having parents to play with - working out only takes 10 min a day, wouldn't it be good for him to learn to self-play for 10 min a day while you workout? Plus, what a great example to set for him so when he is grown he recognizes that it's important for him to look after his health by exercising.
I guess I just feel guilty for being gone so much. 10 min shouldn't kill him. Thanks for that
Don't feel guilty- yes you are gone but you are gone for work, five days a week like many people. And you aren't leaving him with wolves, you are leaving him with grandma! I would second putting him a a jogging stroller and going for a jog- or plop him in his play pen and do w quick work out. You may be surprised that he will watch you and then try and imitate what you are doing!
Also, there are low burn things you can do at work that won't get you sweaty- well, won't get me sweaty- like walk up and down the stairs a few times.
I sweat super easy. I try to limit my movement when all dressed lol0 -
Tonyrebuilt wrote: »BrianSharpe wrote: »Weekends? Lunch breaks? Get up half an hour earlier in the AM?
If it's a priority you'll find time for it............
I'm just starting again, so I am making it a main priority of mine. Really just needed to hear other people to tell me to stop making excuses.
Oi Tony, off backside, do squats! Bairn is no excuse. Get a buggy good for doing walks/runs and take miniture out with you, age of said bairn is no excuse either. Work out at lunch, you only need 30 mins for a good work out 15 to change and 15 for shower and get food to eat at desk (assuming you're not a lab tech or something).
You could also try using bairn as a weight?
kettlebell swings or similar? i'm sure that would work :P
squats, lunges, countertop pushups, sliding pikes etc while waiting for kettle to boil, formula to heat etc etc.. no excuses lazy-boy.
good luck !2 -
i second whomever said to do a workout video with your kid. when my son was 2, he used to love trying to yoga or other workout videos (fitness blender is great) with me. even if you only get his attention for 5-10 minutes during it, at least it's something!2
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Youtube has a lot of great workout videos. You could also try T25, the workout is 25 minutes, with the cooldown it comes to about 27-28 minutes. No equipment is needed. You could do it in the morning, and then shower and be ready for him to wake up at 7am. Or do it once he falls asleep and be in bed by 12:30am.
For lunch, eat for 15 minutes and then for a 15 minute walk.
Play around with a little bit. You'll find a balance.1
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