My schedule feels like a motivation killer

jayv85
jayv85 Posts: 142 Member
edited November 16 in Motivation and Support
I find myself in a constant struggle to stay on a workout routine. I work 10 hour days, 4 days a week. I leave home around 5am and I don't get home until about 6:30pm because I have a 90 minute drive (yes, I need a new job, which I'm in the process of trying to find. It's just a little hard when I'm the one that works full-time right now, and we have no money to move). Then I have drill some weekends, or schools to go to and that ruins my routine again.

I'm used to being a morning person and working out early (I've worked out in the morning for years) but with this job I just don't want to wake up at 3am to workout. I've tried it and I'm half asleep so I don't push myself and it defeats the purpose. On the other end, after driving 90 minutes and helping settle kids for the night, I'm just too hungry and tired to want to deal with working out at 8pm or later (and I need to be in bed early so I don't fall asleep driving to work).

There is a park across the river where I work that I can go run in, but if I'm even 5-10 minutes late my husband starts stressing me out because he can't spend an extra 30 minutes alone with the kids (he works part-time and goes to school full-time so he's not home with them all day).

Weekends are my best option, Friday-Sunday. But if I have drill, that's out. The only plus side to that is that we do PT during drill so I do get to workout then. But I really want to add in more than 3 days worth of working out to my routine.

I work out just enough that I'm able to pass my PT test with more than just bare minimum, but it's not where I want to be at by a long shot. I know I can get where I want to be, but I'd have to add in more days of running. It's easy enough to do abs and arms at home with the kids, but the run is the hard part for me.

Anyone else feel like their schedule is a motivation killer? What are some of the things you do to combat it and get your workouts in?

Replies

  • _runnerbean_
    _runnerbean_ Posts: 640 Member
    Do you get a lunch break? If you get an hour you couid go for a run.
  • jayv85
    jayv85 Posts: 142 Member
    edited February 2017
    We get 30 minutes, but I end up eating in the building because everyone else goes out (there's 8 of us) and the UPS and cleaning guy ends up showing up around lunch a lot of the time so I have to let them in the gate. I might start asking my boss to let me leave 30 minutes early. Or telling my husband to suck it up Monday and Wednesday so I can run after work.
  • KweenKJS
    KweenKJS Posts: 9 Member
    Yea, I just do it after work. I've tried doing it at 4 am and it's not pretty. I'd rather push dinner back and do it while I'm still keyed up from work. Lunch in a pinch just to make sure I don't mess up my routine, is the standing plan for me.
  • bee11mct
    bee11mct Posts: 18 Member
    edited February 2017
    I've done the 12 hours shift before,and alternating night-day shifts. The only way I have been able to fit this in was to do 15 min run on my treadmill in the am and another 15 min in the evening. Or 10-20. Whatever works for you
  • jayv85
    jayv85 Posts: 142 Member
    bee11mct wrote: »
    I've done the 12 hours shift before,and alternating night-day shifts. The only way I have been able to fit this in was to do 15 min run on my treadmill in the am and another 15 min in the evening. Or 10-20. Whatever works for you

    That's a good idea! I was off today so my husband and I went running with our almost 3 year old in the stroller. The older one was at daycare. We might make that a plan for Fridays. And maybe we can con my FIL with dinner to watch them for 30 minutes while we run on Saturday. I'll see how it works. If anything maybe we can go to the track at the HS and they can play. And I guess I'll do the split runs Monday and Wednesday maybe.
  • fiddletime
    fiddletime Posts: 1,868 Member
    I started getting up about 40 min earlier to work out in the morning many years ago when my kids were young. I was too tired after work. I bought a treadmill and ran 2 miles and did some stretching. It wasn't a lot but kept me in cardiovascular shape. I switched to a stationary bike after foot issues ended my jogging. I bike for 30 min which is 10-11 miles. I do it 4 days a week. I know you get up early but if you could go to bed 30 min earlier you could get a 30 workout in in the morning. Something is a lot better than nothing!
  • HGarcia1527
    HGarcia1527 Posts: 69 Member
    I always used my schedule as an excuse for years. I work full time so I'm out of the house 10 hours per day. I have three kids and my husband and I work opposite shifts. So I am basically a single parent when I get home and have to cook, clean, give baths, teach, play and tuck in as well as find time to work out. No more excuses. When determined you find the time. I have found the time to eat well and workout daily for 45 days straight and am so angry I made so many excuses for so long. My kids get in the way and make it very difficult sometimes as I am afraid I will kick one of them when running or during a workout but it's not impossible and I am proof you can do it.
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