Working out with a busy schedule

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TrueGrit732
TrueGrit732 Posts: 52 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
My work life is demanding and requires more than an 8 hour day. I've started getting up by 5am in order to get in a workout before work. The 10pm workouts aren't doing it anymore.

Just curious to see how other folks with busy work lives are making time to work out. What's your routine?

I'm finding the early morning workouts to be better, though I find myself slowing down by 3pm.

Replies

  • MikePTY
    MikePTY Posts: 3,814 Member
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    I own my own business with 12 employees, and we have sever demanding clients. So 8-5 isn't really in my lifestyle either. But when it comes to fitness, I make it a priority. There is always time in the day for it if you do. I have a martial arts class I attend at 7:00pm that's close to my work 2-3 times a week. So on those days, I hard stop myself at 6:45, no matter what is going on. The other couple of days I will work later if needed. If I get done at a reasonable time (like sub 8:30), I'll go to another gym for weights or something similar. If not, or I'm wiped, I'll take it as a rest day. And I always prioritize workouts on the weekend. So even with my schedule, I can get at least 5 days in most weeks.
  • helen_goldthorpe
    helen_goldthorpe Posts: 340 Member
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    I cycle to work which makes a huge difference. I still do proper training sessions on top of that but it gives me a base that means if I skip a session I never go back to square one. I tend to prefer morning workouts because there's less chance of my day getting derailed and messing up evening plans. Lots of early nights and early alarms!
  • rockymir
    rockymir Posts: 498 Member
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    For 2 years, until my working hours changed, I have had my alarm set at 3.45 am to be out training at 4.
    You cannot imagine how happy I was when my schedule changed!!
  • allother94
    allother94 Posts: 588 Member
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    I go during lunch 2 times a week and skip lunch the other 3. So I still get my lunch hour on average, but 2.5hrs 2x a week.. I eat quickly at my desk on skipped days.
  • ythannah
    ythannah Posts: 4,365 Member
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    amanisedu1906 wrote: »
    My work life is demanding and requires more than an 8 hour day. I've started getting up by 5am in order to get in a workout before work. The 10pm workouts aren't doing it anymore.

    Just curious to see how other folks with busy work lives are making time to work out. What's your routine?

    I'm finding the early morning workouts to be better, though I find myself slowing down by 3pm.

    Early morning is what works for me. I found that evening workouts were too easily missed because of fatigue or some other commitment.

    What works best though is having my own gym equipment in my home. That way I'm not wasting an hour of my day travelling to and from a gym. I roll out of bed, feed the dogs, then head down to the basement to work out. Done.
  • emmamcgarity
    emmamcgarity Posts: 1,593 Member
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    I generally exercise in the evening because I am not a morning person. I’ve found that I can get in a decent weights or aerobic workout in about 30 minutes while dinner is cooking in the oven. I generally use a couple of different YouTube channels to guide me through the workouts.
  • jhanleybrown
    jhanleybrown Posts: 240 Member
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    Also very busy (job with responsibilities, kids, marriage). My strategy: 1) early morning, 2) if I need to I calendar an external "meeting" for a workout, I do. 3) have stuff I can do at or from home which cuts 30 min out.
  • astridtheviking
    astridtheviking Posts: 113 Member
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    I'm also very busy - I drive 40 minutes to work, work 8-3 as a teacher, followed by prep time after school for an hour or so, and then usually have other things going on before I head home. I try to make the most of my time by either working out in the morning (I usually get up at 6:00, if I get up at 5:00 for a 5:30 class I can get home by the time I'd be getting out of bed otherwise, with no impact on the rest of my day) or by stacking activities close together (on Mondays, I leave work around 4:00, meet with a weightloss group at 4:45, go to a pole class at 5:45, and then leave and drive 40 minutes back to where I live for 7:30 orchestra rehearsals, getting home at 9:45 at night). I make it work by scheduling days when I have basically nothing happening after work to have recovery time.

    One of the things that made a big difference for me is choosing a gym that's just a 10 minute walk from our apartment (we live in Chicago, so this is possible) and which also has almost exclusively 30 minute classes. So I haven't skipped a workout in months, if only because it feels like the ultimate expression of laziness to skip a workout that's just a 10 minute walk to the gym, 30 minutes of work, and a 10 minute walk home.

    Another thing that helps is having a meal plan for the entire week. I plan meals for my husband and I on Sunday and grocery shop, then we prep some food Sunday afternoon. We eat the same thing a few nights each week (every Monday is some kind of quick meal my husband prepares so I can eat when I get home; Wednesday we have frozen burgers; Thursday is always a pizza made on tortillas with veggies). That helps keep our cooking time low. I use an instant pot to batch cook things like taco filling, curry, rice, and oatmeal. And we almost always eat the same egg casserole for breakfast during the week. A lack of variety helps make cooking easier and keep costs low, which saves us time.
  • XLNC1981
    XLNC1981 Posts: 114 Member
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    Personally find that if I am too strict about dates and times to train it can mess me up. Life throws up all kindsa obstacles and sometimes I can be ready to fly outta the door and something crops up... kids, work, family you name it.

    Mornings are hard in winter when it’s dark and cold so evenings are my preference but I do my best cardio on an empty stomach so I usually try to bulk cardio in at weekends at 8am before daily commitments start.

    Be flexible with yourself but maintain the consistency of time spent training.

    Sometimes you have to overwrite the tiredness and I often have my best work-outs when I walk into the gym feeling dead.

    Do what works for you because that’s what we all do - but make sure you just do it!

    Peace 🖖
  • Courtscan2
    Courtscan2 Posts: 498 Member
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    I get up at 5am or before to workout as well. Also have a full time demanding job, am studying for my masters degree, have 2 primary aged kids and a husband who occasionally wants attention. If I don't do it first thing, I won't get to it, so I make it a priority.
    I do have a home gym set up in my garage though, so not having to travel to workout does simplify things for me a bit.
  • TrueGrit732
    TrueGrit732 Posts: 52 Member
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    lemongirlbc wrote: »
    I get up at 5am or before to workout as well. Also have a full time demanding job, am studying for my masters degree, have 2 primary aged kids and a husband who occasionally wants attention. If I don't do it first thing, I won't get to it, so I make it a priority.
    I do have a home gym set up in my garage though, so not having to travel to workout does simplify things for me a bit.

    Good luck on your masters. I'm about to go back to school as well. I find morning workouts better as well. Plus I like getting a head start on everyone else.
  • TrueGrit732
    TrueGrit732 Posts: 52 Member
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    XLNC1981 wrote: »
    Personally find that if I am too strict about dates and times to train it can mess me up. Life throws up all kindsa obstacles and sometimes I can be ready to fly outta the door and something crops up... kids, work, family you name it.

    Mornings are hard in winter when it’s dark and cold so evenings are my preference but I do my best cardio on an empty stomach so I usually try to bulk cardio in at weekends at 8am before daily commitments start.

    Be flexible with yourself but maintain the consistency of time spent training.

    Sometimes you have to overwrite the tiredness and I often have my best work-outs when I walk into the gym feeling dead.

    Do what works for you because that’s what we all do - but make sure you just do it!

    Peace 🖖

    I like evening workouts too, but then I find it hard to settle down and sleep.
  • TrueGrit732
    TrueGrit732 Posts: 52 Member
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    astridtheviking wrote: »
    I'm also very busy - I drive 40 minutes to work, work 8-3 as a teacher, followed by prep time after school for an hour or so, and then usually have other things going on before I head home. I try to make the most of my time by either working out in the morning (I usually get up at 6:00, if I get up at 5:00 for a 5:30 class I can get home by the time I'd be getting out of bed otherwise, with no impact on the rest of my day) or by stacking activities close together (on Mondays, I leave work around 4:00, meet with a weightloss group at 4:45, go to a pole class at 5:45, and then leave and drive 40 minutes back to where I live for 7:30 orchestra rehearsals, getting home at 9:45 at night). I make it work by scheduling days when I have basically nothing happening after work to have recovery time.

    One of the things that made a big difference for me is choosing a gym that's just a 10 minute walk from our apartment (we live in Chicago, so this is possible) and which also has almost exclusively 30 minute classes. So I haven't skipped a workout in months, if only because it feels like the ultimate expression of laziness to skip a workout that's just a 10 minute walk to the gym, 30 minutes of work, and a 10 minute walk home.

    Another thing that helps is having a meal plan for the entire week. I plan meals for my husband and I on Sunday and grocery shop, then we prep some food Sunday afternoon. We eat the same thing a few nights each week (every Monday is some kind of quick meal my husband prepares so I can eat when I get home; Wednesday we have frozen burgers; Thursday is always a pizza made on tortillas with veggies). That helps keep our cooking time low. I use an instant pot to batch cook things like taco filling, curry, rice, and oatmeal. And we almost always eat the same egg casserole for breakfast during the week. A lack of variety helps make cooking easier and keep costs low, which saves us time.

    I definitely need to start meal prepping. Eating clean is my biggest challenge.
  • TrueGrit732
    TrueGrit732 Posts: 52 Member
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    jhanleybrown wrote: »
    Also very busy (job with responsibilities, kids, marriage). My strategy: 1) early morning, 2) if I need to I calendar an external "meeting" for a workout, I do. 3) have stuff I can do at or from home which cuts 30 min out.

    I did P90X and T25 from home and got in excellent shape.

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