Early morning workouts for new(ish) mamas..

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nadiaez
nadiaez Posts: 132 Member
in Fitness and Exercise
Hey all,

I am really struggling to get proper workouts in during the day as my 19 week old only sleeps for 20 mins at a time, and when she is in bed I am exhausted and just can't bring myself to do it!

Soooo I was thinking of getting up before her and getting my workout in then, and was wondering what sort of time to you all go to bed/wake up, and have you got any ideas on things I can do at home or take my baby with me? (Already ordered the 30DS)

Thanks in advance :)

Replies

  • kthom
    kthom Posts: 175
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    I get up at 5:30 and there are lots of DVDs you can do at home.
  • iamanne
    iamanne Posts: 67
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    I get up at 4:30 and go to the gym. With a little one and needing to workout out home, there are great DVDs. 30SD and P90x are good. I find the early morning time peacful. I know no one is going to need me that early. :)
  • lalasmar
    lalasmar Posts: 18 Member
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    Check out what you have available "On Demand" on Exercise TV. I workout early (around 5 am ) even though my youngest is 9. Sometimes it is the only time that I can get something in during the day. There is so much available On Demand - from Yoga to Dance to targetted workouts. I like alot of change in my workouts - so I usually do something different everyday.
  • NinjaMonkey201
    NinjaMonkey201 Posts: 123
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    DVD's are fantastic. And of course, walking/jogging with them in a stroller. My son is now 19 months old. I workout when he takes a nap. Another good idea, instead of when they wake up... workout when they go to bed. I was doing that for a while, too. The second they're in bed, hit the play button on the DVD player (just put the sound really low).
    We picked up one of those jogging strollers. I walk, instead of jog, but they are so much easier and more comfortable to push and steer. If you get a good one, it feels like it floats.

    Good luck!
  • megankayden
    megankayden Posts: 37 Member
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    There are lot's of DVD's at my library that involve your baby, for example I did a Mambo Mammas DVD where you dance the mambo with your baby in a carrier. Fun and my baby loved it. My baby used to be a horrible sleeper as well so I feel your pain, I just now got into a routine where I know when his morning nap is and can walk for an hour with him in the stroller and WALK WALK WALK! I have probably put on hundreds of miles on our stroller, with that and watching my cals I have lost all and more of my baby weight. Don't underestimate walking! Good luck :)
  • cocolo89
    cocolo89 Posts: 1,171 Member
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    hi, i usually do my work out when my daughter takes her afternoon nap. i enjoy my sleep so you will never find me awake that early. LOL I am currently doing the 30DS and i love it cause its only 25mins long so i know i have time for it! Oh and if i don't get my workout during nap time, i will get it after i put her to bed for the night :))
  • AndreSF
    AndreSF Posts: 84 Member
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    I workout at home bright and early, while kids (and wife :) ) still sleeping...
  • munchkinsmommy
    munchkinsmommy Posts: 3
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    I'm in the same boat having a 4 month old (and a very active 3yr old). Does your baby sleep through the night and wake at the same time? if she wakes at about the same time every morning, you could just get up 1 hr before she normally does to get in the excersize. If she does wake up before you work out, put her in a bouncer/swing/play pen near you so she can see you.
  • Meghan0116
    Meghan0116 Posts: 1,340 Member
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    My goal is always to get up in the morning and exercise but I find that I stay up too late every night taking care of the things I can't take care of when my 2 year old is awake. Would you like to try and be exercise buddies and maybe keep each other accountable to getting up early in the morning?
  • Rae6503
    Rae6503 Posts: 6,294 Member
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    I try to get up between 5 and 6 am to do my workouts before the kids are up.

    That being sad, is she sleeping through the night? I tried to get into workout routines with a non-sleeping baby and it just didn't work.
  • megz4987
    megz4987 Posts: 1,008 Member
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    Oh my goodness, you need to get that baby on a good nap schedule, for your sanity! Try keeping her awake longer. It'll seem mean but it's a must do. My daughter's 6.5months and she's been taking two 2 hour naps a day since she was 3 months. It's truely the best thing ever.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE46Du4dpYc
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=zYLU1ileodw

    There's a ton more, just search exercising with baby :)

    Please don't take the top part as "I'm a know it all mom and this is what you NEED TO DO" sort of thing. Completely not how I meant it but after reading back, it kind of reads that way. I'm just saying that my daughters naps are the best thing ever and long enough for me to get a workout in and clean up :)
  • nadiaez
    nadiaez Posts: 132 Member
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    wow thank you all for your suggestions!

    She is now sleeping from 7pm to around 3am, feeds, then sleeps till 7 (if I'm lucky) and is sometimes up for a feed in between so I should be grateful for that!....then when she is asleep I do all my chores - cook dinner, tidy up (you know how it is)

    I tried working out with her in her bouncer but after about 10/15 mins she is not a happy bunny unless she has your undivided attention!

    I think getting up early is the best thing for me to do, thank you all again!
  • nadiaez
    nadiaez Posts: 132 Member
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    Oh my goodness, you need to get that baby on a good nap schedule, for your sanity! Try keeping her awake longer. It'll seem mean but it's a must do. My daughter's 6.5months and she's been taking two 2 hour naps a day since she was 3 months. It's truely the best thing ever.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE46Du4dpYc
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=zYLU1ileodw

    There's a ton more, just search exercising with baby :)

    Please don't take the top part as "I'm a know it all mom and this is what you NEED TO DO" sort of thing. Completely not how I meant it but after reading back, it kind of reads that way. I'm just saying that my daughters naps are the best thing ever and long enough for me to get a workout in and clean up :)

    Lol don't worry....I know what u mean! I am just so grateful to have her sleeping through now (she used to be up every 1-2 hours for a feed) but I need to get her in a routine in the day...it would be amazing to even have a guaranteed hour! You are blessed!
  • KRB28
    KRB28 Posts: 248 Member
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    Hey MFP buddy! I get my workout (the Shred) in during his first morning nap, luckily he will usually sleep more than an hour (sometimes not). My biggest thing is walking with him. Sometimes I go twice a day, I know we can only do that so much longer until the weather changes. A few times I have put him in his exersaucer and he watches me, at least I am entertaining. Do you have a playpen you can use, and put some toys in it?
  • mamabearr
    mamabearr Posts: 304
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    I'm a not so new mama BUT I work out during her nap. Soon your baby will be taking two long naps a day, and you could easily work out during one of them. I personally like TurboFire. Since my (not so much anymore) baby only takes one nap about 1.5 hours long, I do my DVDs while she's asleep and then we go for walks either in the morning or afternoon. So trust me when I say, it gets easier to find time to do it! And you can always put baby in a exersaucer/swing/pack-n-play and get in a quick workout.
  • nadiaez
    nadiaez Posts: 132 Member
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    thanks again ladies.....I think I definitely need to invest in an exersaucer or pack-n-play....was thinking about getting her the jumperoo so she can bounce away but they are pretty expensive....then again will be so worth it if it keeps her happy while I workout!
  • sleepytexan
    sleepytexan Posts: 3,138 Member
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    I have never been able to make early morning workouts sustainable for any period of time. For one year I taught a 530 am spin class on Thurs and a 600 am on Fridays; it about killed me--I just could not function by 2 pm.

    I would say the best thing to do when you have a child that young is to join a gym with a baby-watch center. Honestly you need 1 hour a day for yourself and unless you make a commitment to yourself and have the guaranteed sitter, it is not going to happen regularly enough. There are too many things to do at home when baby is there, laundry buzzes, lunches need to be made, etc.

    "Mothers of one" sometimes believe that people will think poorly of them if they allow someone else to babysit their child, even for an hour, when they are down the hall. This is bizarre to me. There also seems to be a strange sisterhood of women who compete against one another for what I call "martyrdom of motherhood" -- who gets the least sleep, whose baby cries the most, who had the most difficult birth, who has to carry their child the most hours out of the day, lest the poor thing turn blue from crying and missing his mama so much . . . it goes on and on. Until they have another child. ha.

    Anyway . . . you will be the best mama you can be when you take care of yourself -- sleep, eat and exercise and be healthy. Make it easy on yourself and use the free babysitting at the gym!

    blessings.
  • nadiaez
    nadiaez Posts: 132 Member
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    I have never been able to make early morning workouts sustainable for any period of time. For one year I taught a 530 am spin class on Thurs and a 600 am on Fridays; it about killed me--I just could not function by 2 pm.

    I would say the best thing to do when you have a child that young is to join a gym with a baby-watch center. Honestly you need 1 hour a day for yourself and unless you make a commitment to yourself and have the guaranteed sitter, it is not going to happen regularly enough. There are too many things to do at home when baby is there, laundry buzzes, lunches need to be made, etc.

    "Mothers of one" sometimes believe that people will think poorly of them if they allow someone else to babysit their child, even for an hour, when they are down the hall. This is bizarre to me. There also seems to be a strange sisterhood of women who compete against one another for what I call "martyrdom of motherhood" -- who gets the least sleep, whose baby cries the most, who had the most difficult birth, who has to carry their child the most hours out of the day, lest the poor thing turn blue from crying and missing his mama so much . . . it goes on and on. Until they have another child. ha.

    Anyway . . . you will be the best mama you can be when you take care of yourself -- sleep, eat and exercise and be healthy. Make it easy on yourself and use the free babysitting at the gym!

    blessings.

    Lol so so true! I used to think like that but as my hubby was works long hours it was pretty much me and baby for the first 15 weeks....then we went back home and it was a blessing to have her grandmas and aunties to take care of her even for an hour or so (yes I did feel terrible the first few times!)...u do need the time I just wish I had more family close !

    I do need to start taking better care of myself! :)
  • megz4987
    megz4987 Posts: 1,008 Member
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    thanks again ladies.....I think I definitely need to invest in an exersaucer or pack-n-play....was thinking about getting her the jumperoo so she can bounce away but they are pretty expensive....then again will be so worth it if it keeps her happy while I workout!

    Check out ebay! Many of these contraptions aren't really used for very long so they end up being in good shape when someone is finished with them :)

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