Working Out ..... Is it enough???

sarahavery
sarahavery Posts: 167 Member
edited September 29 in Fitness and Exercise
So i seem to be doing some sort of exercise each 2days but wondered if it is enough. I really struggle for time (and I mean this honestly) I work full time in a nursery with children so im moving about all day, have a 4 yr old and a teenager to look after, doing the final year of my degree, which is SOOO exhausting, have a partner who is not around much, and has a lot of stress at work.

When i do find time, i do my wii, cycling, zumba, swimming and occassionally gym, each for about an hour at a time burning around 200 cals.

Is this enough?? Please someone tell me how I can fit more in???

I am losing the will to live

Replies

  • chevy88grl
    chevy88grl Posts: 3,937 Member
    Every little bit of exercise is better than nothing. It really is.

    I'm a single mom of 2 teenage girls and I work 4-5 days a week. We are all busy. While it may seem impossible - if you want to work out more, you just have to prioritize things. The dishes can wait til later, the laundry will still be need to be folded after you workout, etc.

    Is it easy? Nope, but it is worth it. Trust me. :)
  • TheSarahHill
    TheSarahHill Posts: 185
    If you don't have the time hun, you don't have the time! I'd probably try and walk to places in your normal routine instead of drive or bus etc (if possible anyway) then it's something extra but not taking up anymore time,

    You're body will let you know what is enough - we are all different. Anything additional to your normal routine will make a difference along with a healthy diet.
  • abbigail_r
    abbigail_r Posts: 283 Member
    Try something with a higher calorie burn and make sure you are eating clean and healthy and you should lose some weight.
  • freerange
    freerange Posts: 1,722 Member
    YOU have to define enough. It sounds like you are very busy, if you want to do more exercise look at your schedule and see if there is any time you can exercise instead of watch the TV or something. If not then for now it’s enough, when you get done with your degree add some time in. Remember eating right is the biggest factor for weight loss, and it doesn’t take any more time to eat healthy as it does to eat crap.
  • SusanneWhittington
    SusanneWhittington Posts: 339 Member
    it is enough, it is supposed to be fun for you too and help you relax, not stress you out. Sometimes I feel like doing exercises every 2 days, sometimes only for 20 minutes, other weeks I work out 5 to 6 times for an hour. Stressing yourself out is not healthy for your body and for your mind. I try to look at my exercises as a place and time to vent... doing a power-exercise when being upset to vent or zumba when in a good mood anyways, I want to fit some Tai Chi in it for peace of mind and inner balance.

    You already lost good weight, hang in there, you do it right, you see the success already, just don't make exercising a pressure thing that stresses you out, make it me time - fun time!

    You can do it!!
  • barbiex3
    barbiex3 Posts: 1,036 Member
    maybe try doing at a higher intensity because usually if you work out for an hour and you are burning only 200, that is not really good. Are you sure you have calculated that right? I go for a walk for an hour and burn more than that. Perhaps you are underestimating this? You should try the 30DS-- you burn around 200 calories in about 20-25 min of the workout video. You can do it at home, and you will get good results.

    I know it's hard to workout, but you can lose weight without working out-- it def. IS possible!
  • Myra73
    Myra73 Posts: 54 Member
    You have to make time for yourself, but it's hard. I have been doing a 20 minute workout that burns around 230 calories (Jilian Michaels 30 day shred). It's really intense, but you get "more bang" in a limited amount of time, and it could be done at home (if the people in your house give you access to the TV!). Also, encourage your teen to help out, and/or work out with you. Good luck.
  • brittanybee07
    brittanybee07 Posts: 39
    Wow, sounds like you have a very busy schedule! Fitting in exercise is possible it just may take some creativity. I will use myself as an example. When I am in school for Dietetics, I am so busy between classes, work, and studying I barely have time to breath. So, when I can not find time to hit the trails or gym for a run I will do little things throughout the day...

    Like, when I am walking across the house to the coffee maker... I do lunges there instead. While waiting for my oatmeal to cook in the microwave I do jumping jacks or something. I take my homework to a taller table and stand... When I am unwinding at night by watching TV I do sit ups and push ups on commercial breaks or boring parts of the show. Or I life hand weights while watching tv.

    It does not have to be a set time to work out, you can just fit in a few minutes here and there and you will still receive benefits from it!

    I hope this helps!!!
  • zml_mom
    zml_mom Posts: 270 Member
    if your doing zumba for an hour your should be burning way more than 200 calories- same with swimming or the wii

    I did zumba the other day for 30 minutes and burned over 350 calories so you should be burning about 500-800 in an hour,
  • Sparrow_Feet
    Sparrow_Feet Posts: 76 Member
    When i do find time, i do my wii, cycling, zumba, swimming and occassionally gym, each for about an hour at a time burning around 200 cals.

    Is this enough?? Please someone tell me how I can fit more in???

    I am losing the will to live

    Hi Sarah! :o)

    For a good hour's exercise I would expect most people to be burning more than 200 cals. Generally speaking the heavier you are the more you will burn as well. Where are you getting this 200 from? I use a Heart Rate Monitor which gives a very accurate read. I would recommend one if you haven't already got one.

    In answer to your question "is your exercise enough" well opinions vary on this. We have a nutritionalist at work that says the most important factor in losing weight is managing what you consume. Exercise to me is a bonus and is important for beating the excess however, as food intake is so important it's important to ensure that we don't ruin the good work we do by over-indulging at other times e.g. on a weekend.

    Hope this helps.

    Kelly
  • sarahavery
    sarahavery Posts: 167 Member
    i am tracking my calorie burn with a HRM (a polar ft4) and I am trying really hard and can see im getting fitter, just obviously not as fit as id like to be. I just feel as though all that for 200 cals is rubbish. :sad:
  • autosync
    autosync Posts: 6 Member
    Hey i just thought id mention that sometimes people forget that if there training and losing a bunch of calories are you still getting enough calories in the day to live on? I no this may seem a bit silly but i was doing the same when i was at a cutting stage and was finding the more i done cardio the less fat i lost due to not watching my calories!! And ofcourse if your eating too many few calories your body will go into stavation mode.

    What your doing is fine! As long as you are feeding your body what it needs you will lose weight! Fact is, you dnt have to exercise to lose weight!! So what your doing can only help :)

    Sorry if ive gone off the rails abit here, im new so be nice lol.

    Good luck with everything! :D
  • microwoman999
    microwoman999 Posts: 545 Member
    You should be doing at least 30 minutes a day 5 days a week. I know that sucks cause you have no time. I work at a daycare with children and I work with babies. Do you go outside with a stroller? Even if you could walk them in a stroller for 30 minutes that is a workout and would be helpful. I have also found when I have a few minutes I will do sit ups and pushups when the children are happy. If fact sometimes they find it amusing. Also you can use the babies for lifting LOL. They love that too :) I know its hard there has been times I worked out at 10 at night just to get my work out in for the day and believe me I barely have it in me to do it at that hour after a long day!
  • sarahavery
    sarahavery Posts: 167 Member
    i guess ill have more time once ive finished with school and my degree. it just bugs me that im doing an hour and only getting 200 cals - and believe me i did put in the effort
  • bjshooter
    bjshooter Posts: 1,174 Member
    Are you certain your Polar is set up right? Right height, weight etc?

    I use a polar FT4 also, but for most workouts I burn at least 500cals an hour. Ad thats after I take off 100 cals per half an hour, i would of burned anyway.
  • sarahavery
    sarahavery Posts: 167 Member
    I am sure it is set right but I will check everything. It seemed a bit lose today, could that be a problem too? If its loose I guess the readings could be off. Also tonight when doing zumba it lost its connection a few times
  • sarahavery
    sarahavery Posts: 167 Member
    bump
  • RILEYRED
    RILEYRED Posts: 647 Member
    I WORKED IN A DAYCARE, OWNED A DAYCARE, AND WAS A NANNY, YOU BURN MORE CALORIES THAN YOU ARE PROBABLY GIVING YOURSELF CREDIT FOR, IT IS THE HARDEST JOB. YOU'RE BEING TOO HARD ON YOURSELF, YOU'RE DOING BETTER THAN YOU THINK, RED
  • katemarjoram
    katemarjoram Posts: 203
    Sara what sort of heart rate are you hitting during these workouts? I have a polar too (have done for years) - if I average 130bpm I burn in the vicinity of 500 cals per hour. If you message me a few of your stats I'll try and figure out if the HRM is correctly calculating things.

    As others have suggested the 30 Day Shred is a really time-efficient workout and I can highly recommend it for busy people as you can do it (including warm up and cool down) in under 30 minutes and should burn upwards of 200 calories. No More Trouble Zones and Banish Fat Boost Metabolism are good too though they take about 50 minutes. I burn around 400 cals with NMTZ and about 450 with BFBM and given I am lighter than you you could expect to burn considerably more than me.

    Also as others have suggested, if you can't fit in a workout or want to add a little extra try and multitask. Personally, if I am pushed for time I like doing squats whilst brushing my teeth, lunges while waiting for the kettle to boil and stretching whilst talking on the phone (yay for speaker phone). Every little bit helps.
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