long commute and infant - little time to work out

Rage_Phish
Rage_Phish Posts: 1,507 Member
edited November 15 in Fitness and Exercise
im really struggling to find time to work out when i factor in my baby and hour long commute

while my wife was pregnant i was waking up 5am so i could go before work and it was just enough time to lift and make it to work at 8

now that the baby is here im finding it near impossible to find a time to go.

going before work would leave my wife to get him ready for day care and get herself ready to work all by her self. this doesnt seem fair to me

going after work would result in me getting home after the baby goes to bed (also not fair to my wife and id miss what little weeknight time i get with him)

going at lunch really sucks. but i have no other idea how to get my workout in

Replies

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Do you have room for lifting equipment at home? If so, consider a home gym. Taking travel time out of the picture is a huge plus for a home gym.
  • Rage_Phish
    Rage_Phish Posts: 1,507 Member
    taht would require losing one of the parking spots in the garage i think
  • deannalfisher
    deannalfisher Posts: 5,600 Member
    there are lots of free workouts on youtube that you can do at home with a set of weights (I have a powerblock adjustable set)
  • deluxmary2000
    deluxmary2000 Posts: 981 Member
    I think going at lunch sounds like your best bet, even if it is the lesser of 3 evils. Consider it a temporary adjustment you're making to deal with having an infant in the house. When the little guy gets older and more independent, it would be less of a burden for your wife to get him ready in the morning and you may be able to switch back to morning workouts.

    That's what I would do, anyway.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Do it at lunch, or do it after the baby's asleep, or alternate with your wife who deals with the baby on the morning?
  • Shutterbuggg
    Shutterbuggg Posts: 196 Member
    How old is your kiddo? What about going after the little one is down for the night?

    Do you have flex hours at work? Can you work through lunch and leave early to hit the gym?

    I would suggest investing in a couple good weighted kettlebells for home workouts. They don't take up much space and there is a ton of things that you can do with them. (Swings, goblet squats, Turkish get-ups, cleans, presses, farmers carry, weighted lunges, etc.)
    There is also plenty that can be done with body weight. (Air squats, sit-ups, push-ups, box step-ups/jumps, burpees, etc)
    You have to make time for yourself and for your health. Make sure that you are allowing your wife to do the same.

    I have a toddler, and while I have a little over half the commute time, I understand the struggle. My husband and I both work and we meet at the gym after work while our kiddo is at daycare. Not sure what your full situation is so it is hard to make suggestions. Since this parenting gig is a partnership, I would talk to your wife and see how you can adjust to make things work for the both of you.
  • emmarrgh
    emmarrgh Posts: 44 Member
    I would say when your LO is older and you're out of the 'survival mode' stage (varies, depending on when they start STTN), you can trade off daycare drop-off duty, so you can exercise in the morning while she does drop-off, then she can sleep or do whatever on the other day that you do the drop-off (if you're lifting, you need rest days too). That way it's fair, and she has extra time too.

    Or you can alternate evenings if she prefers me-time at night, so one day you do dinner, dishes & bedtime while she's out, and the other day, she does it while you work out.
  • velocitykate
    velocitykate Posts: 20 Member
    Tag team with your wife. So if you do mornings, she does bedtimes and vice versa and maybe save one or two days in the week where neither of you do anything so you can have family time.

    Can I just say what a lovely partner you sound? Many men wouldn't give a second thought about leaving their wives to care for their children while they did what they wanted to. I have three kids and consider myself very lucky, because my husband is considerate like you are, but I know many women are not so lucky
  • mdcoug
    mdcoug Posts: 397 Member
    Just remember that this stage is temporary, they all are. Do what you need to do now, even if that means losing a parking spot for a couple of years, and then adjust as your needs change.

    I'm back at the point now where I can go to the gym again, but it's after I've dropped them off at sports practice!
  • SmithsonianEmpress
    SmithsonianEmpress Posts: 1,163 Member
    I agree with pp...lunch! I'd love to be a 5am-er like I used to but with the children I can't do that consistently. Home workouts and your lunch hour are your best bet. In 6-9 months (assuming baby is a newborn) you'll be able to adjust your schedule again.
  • FatMoojor
    FatMoojor Posts: 483 Member
    Lunch time during the week and before your wife and child are up at the weekends. It's the only way to work it around the family.

    Also, I know this isn't the place, but @velocitykate what a total load of bollocks you are sprouting. Load of stereotypical crap about men not giving a crap about their wives and children and just doing what they want to do.

    Pisses me off so much when men get treated as either total incompetents when it comes to their children as if because a woman gave birth she instinctively knows how to change, wash and feed them where as men can just about work out which end is which or we are imaged as a group of people who would rather be out on the lash instead of spending time with our families.

    I and "many men" I know, all structure our lives around our families and their needs.
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
    When I was in your position I basically had to give up working out. Not an ideal solution, I know, but it was temporary. The only other thing I might do is to come home right after work, spend time with the baby, have dinner, etc, then work out after that.
  • leahkathleen13
    leahkathleen13 Posts: 272 Member
    Maybe someone mentioned this already, but perhaps you could plan to trade an hour of baby care with your wife? She gets an hour to herself, then you do? That's what my partner does for me and our youngest is 4 now and we still give eachother breaks.

    Plus, I agree that investing in the home gym may be helpful long term if possible. Less time wasted. You may not really need all that much stuff.
  • leahkathleen13
    leahkathleen13 Posts: 272 Member
    Ps... congratulations!
  • DavidRocketts
    DavidRocketts Posts: 80 Member
    edited February 2017
    Invest in a treadmill. What's your definition of 'workout'? You could go for a few miles pushing a stroller - the little one will love it! Also, google 'plyometrics' for intensive workouts at home...
  • zdyb23456
    zdyb23456 Posts: 1,706 Member
    My husband would take the kids for a run in the early morning before work. We had a really nice jogging stroller.

    Now he does mixed martial arts, so he leaves early every morning to do it before work starts. He does make the kids breakfast and cleans up the kitchen before leaving, so I just have to get them dressed and drive them to school.
  • ridiculous59
    ridiculous59 Posts: 2,910 Member
    Once the kids were in bed, I'd often workout. But I know that some people cant sleep after a late workout. To be honest.....this is your new normal. Things change, they get easier in some ways, but you will find that from now on you will always be trying to juggle family time with "me" time. A routine is a good thing but truthfully, being flexible is key. I agree with getting some type of equipment at home too. I rode my stationary bike for MILES when my kids were small. And I did strength training at the gym on my lunch hour. This is a season in your life. It's exhausting. It can be frustrating. It's crazy. But its also wonderful :)
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