Working 12+ hours a day and no energy to exercise!

BrookelynJ
BrookelynJ Posts: 13
edited October 2 in Health and Weight Loss
Does anyone else feel this way or is it just me? After work, kids, and housework I have no energy to exercise but I know it is key for me to lose weight!
Any suggestions? Thanks :ohwell:

Replies

  • Meggles63
    Meggles63 Posts: 916 Member
    Can you do it in the early morning? I get up at 5:30, have my coffee and work out, prior to getting the kiddoes off to school and my butt off to work. I work half-days, but when I get home, I usually have to work on our home-based biz. and then it's pick up, dinner, etc. If I don't do it early, it doesn't get done.
  • SoDamnHungry
    SoDamnHungry Posts: 6,998 Member
    Are your kids old enough to pitch in? You shouldn't have to do it all. You could take them for a walk.
  • alliewine
    alliewine Posts: 4 Member
    I wake up at 5 am to attend a 5:30 am cardio class offered 2 times a week. Nobody needs me at that time. It took me 2 years to admit that working out after work does not fit my schedule.
  • FitMommaSnow
    FitMommaSnow Posts: 5 Member
    I hear you!!!! I work 12 hours a day 5 days a week and sometimes weekends......

    I use my treadmill by getting up ten minutes early in the morning and going for 15 minutes ( only puts me 5 minutes behind and it really make me start my day better. )

    It actually gives me energy!

    Hope you can find your personal time soon!
  • wendyannie1976
    wendyannie1976 Posts: 205 Member
    Hi, I'm a single mum and can work up to 90 hours a week plus keep the house in order with a nearly 3 year old at my heels, I try to work out at the start of the day before work or in my lunch break - these are the best times for me but if short on time i will work out 2 or 3 times with 30 mins each, I've marathon trained this year and have a bigger goal for next year thats going to demand 16 hours training a week I find energy comes from doing the exercise especially at the start of the day. I run with my toddler in the pushchair and I bike with her so it isn't completely selfish time and includes her and hopefully encourages a healthy lifestyle as she grows.

    Its hard but it would be harder to do everything if you didn't stay fit and healthy

    good luck x
  • Johnelwood
    Johnelwood Posts: 3 Member
    Fortunately, you don't need to feel like you have energy to exercise...you just need to do it! I have found that, ironically, the days I feel the worst and like I need to skip a workout is when I perform the best and surprise myself. It's weird, but it happens a lot. Also, I find that working out gives me more energy, at least in the long run. You've just got to make the time to do it--make it a priority. Good luck.
  • nisijam5
    nisijam5 Posts: 9,964 Member
    You could do the Jillian Michaels' DVDs from home in the AM...They are literally 27 minutes...if you can't find 27 minutes for yourself 3 to 4 times a week. You definitely need to re-evaluate things.
  • AliceRabbit13
    AliceRabbit13 Posts: 138 Member
    I work 12 hour shifts at the hospital, so it's go, go, go. I try and take a walk with my boys in the evening, time with them and for me. On my off days I do the strength training plus cardio. Having a gym that has daycare is a must for me :)
  • Misslissa16
    Misslissa16 Posts: 15
    I work shift work as a nurse, and 12 hour shifts plus about 40min commute each way. I also find i'm exhaused at the end of the day. I get up at 430am when i work a day shift and go for a run then. I find it actually quite quiet and peacefull to be out running at that time. A little cold lately, but nice. Otherwise i get home and do nothing cause i'm to exhausted to do anything but unpack my lunch dishes and repack for the next day of work. Then eat dinner and off to bed. I think if you tried early mornings you might find it works out ok. After a couple days getting up that early isn't so hard anymore, and i find my workout energizes me for the day ahead. Good luck and keep at it, you'll find something that works for you!
  • BrookelynJ
    BrookelynJ Posts: 13
    Thanks guys! I am just getting started so these are great ideas!
  • SWEETS1234
    SWEETS1234 Posts: 243 Member
    That's called life. LOL. When I first started I was the same way. So my focus was just on changing my eating habits. Learning to eat clean. WIth my exercise goal only being workout once a week. That's how I lost most of my weight. As I got closer to goal I my workouts increased and now there apart my daily routine.
  • Nae_Chon
    Nae_Chon Posts: 7
    I work 12 hours also. 6am-6pm, and I do my workouts in the evening on my work days. I consider it my downtime, but I have created a room in my home that is a gym. It has a treadmill, weights, kettlebells and a bench. Everyting I bought was from Craigslist, and was very inexpensive. It doesnt solve everything, but it helps to have it at home sometimes. Good Luck!
  • rabbit99_47203
    rabbit99_47203 Posts: 85
    Exercise doesn't have to be something sturctured. Like so long on a treadmill, a Jillian Micheals dvd or whatever you do. These are great and sometimes you do need the structure. But if you are up and active that takes into account for moving and exercise too. Try getting a pedometer and measuring how active you are durning the day. 10,000 steps is considered what you need to be considred active for the day. Than if you don't have your 10,000 you can do what you need to do to make up the difference. Keep in mind sometimes your body will need that extra boost that a structured exercise will give, but if you don't have time and your not doing it simply counting the steps that you are taking everyday is better than nothing.
  • lizziebeth1028
    lizziebeth1028 Posts: 3,602 Member
    I have a 12 hour day too. Fortunately for me I'm single and my kids are grown so I can make it a top priority..as soon as I walk in the door after work to work out. I find if I hesitate or start putting around the house I'll loose all my motivation (duel to lack of energy) so I bike the bullet and just do it right away. It's helpful to have plenty of work out DVD's on hand at home. They're a big timesaver!
  • sexyharleymama
    sexyharleymama Posts: 163
    I have been running into a challenge with getting my workouts in lately too. I only work 40 hrs a week, but I go to school full time, my husband also works full time and goes to school, and we have a 3 1/2 yr old and a 19 month old. Just trying to keep up with the kids, the house, and school work is a challenge. During the summer when we didn't have school and I could go to bed by 9, so getting up at 3:30 am to get my workout in wasn't to bad. But now that I am in school and up till 11 or 12 everynight, just getting up at 4:15/4:30 to get me ready and the kids to leave by 6:15 is a challenge. I take the kids for an after dinner walk each night, but now it is getting darker earlier and colder, so those days are numbered. This week I have been trying to take 5 minutes first thing in the morning before I eat my breakfast to do some jumping jacks, pushups, squats, chair dips, calf raises..etc. Just something to get my body woke up and my metabolism going for the day. Still trying to figure out how to balance everything going on in my life, but give me a couple more weeks and I hope to have a better handle on things :noway:
  • ABetterBalance
    ABetterBalance Posts: 298
    My husband works 12 hour days (he is in law enforcement, and works with the guard too) I know it's hard for him to get motivated, but he makes it work.

    When he is on day shift he works out as soon as he gets home (if he puts it off even half an hour, he won't do it at all!) When he is working nights, he starts his workout about an hour before he needs to shower and get ready for the day.
  • tbudge
    tbudge Posts: 114
    I know how you feel, i get up at 5 am to go to work! I really don't want to get up earlier for a work out...what I found I had to do, was just go straight home, and put on the work out gear...I do my Insanity and then the rest of the night is devoted to kids, dinner, etc etc....but I had to make myself do it! It took me about 30 days to make it a good routine. find what works best for you and then just commit...it gets easier. Good luck!
  • Sweet_Pandora
    Sweet_Pandora Posts: 459 Member
    Do you get a lunch or dinner break that you could get out and go for a walk to get moving.

    If there is a will there is a way.

    I agree the Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred is a fabulous workout and it's less than 1/2 hour.

    All the best.

    K
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    I have a heart issue. I physically cannot workout after my 12 hour shifts because it makes my heart act up. I try to explain this to people they JUST DON'T GET IT (I have one lady who is constantly trying to convince me to walk to and from work. Riiight. So I should give an extra hour of my day to walking? Clearly she's never tried walking home after 6 - 12 hour shifts in a row).

    I work 12 hour days, 6 days a week. This is way too much stress for my body. Mind you my work is a mixture of desk work and physical work so my exhaustion is physical and mental by the end of a day. I have tried waking up in the morning to get exercise in but I find I lose too much sleep doing this and, again, when I don't get enough sleep my heart acts up.

    The most exercise I've managed to fit into my schedule is some walking during my lunch break but even that wears me out so much I have to lay down for a quick nap after (no joke). It's a bit difficult to work around that. Short walk - nap - quick food and then right back to work? Ugh. Not fun.

    IF you can fit exercise into your morning or lunch hour then go for it but I urge you not to push your body too hard. You need to let your mind and body rest and when you're working twelve hours exercise can either help to energize you or make you crash even harder (which is what it does to me).

    I would not suggest exercising after work. I think you'll find that it's demotivating. It's best to tackle physical activity in the morning when you feel your most energetic or at lunch before the stress of the day has worn you down.

    Pick a time - pick how many days a week you'll work out and just go for it. Give it a good shot but if you're feeling exhausted after a month or two and the exercise is just making you more tired instead of helping you feel more energetic then I'd suggest you cut back.

    Just my two cents. :) Of course, my advice should be taken with a grain of salt. I do have underlying health issues so my advice will be tailored towards that.
  • Joannguido
    Joannguido Posts: 67
    Dance!!!!! If you can fit a few minutes to dance(even with your kids) do it!!!! Park your car faaaarrrrr from the stores, it will force you to walk. It seems we always have time for everyone and everything except US, make the time. It is very important. You will feel more energy once you exercise
  • penrbrown
    penrbrown Posts: 2,685 Member
    Dance!!!!! If you can fit a few minutes to dance(even with your kids) do it!!!! Park your car faaaarrrrr from the stores, it will force you to walk. It seems we always have time for everyone and everything except US, make the time. It is very important. You will feel more energy once you exercise

    There is ALWAYS time to dance. ;)
    I actually do this one at work. SHHHH... don't tell my boss. I manage to sneak it in while doing my tasks so I think it's okay.
  • MagsFYoung
    MagsFYoung Posts: 4
    ive been in this situation.. get yourself some DVDs with 10-12 mintues work outs and do one every day or every second day. dont beat yourself up or binge in frustration. if you get the work out done when you come home you will feel better about yourself and have energy for your precious non working hours. good luck!
  • gertieblueboots
    gertieblueboots Posts: 46
    I don't exercise that much due to work either. What I do is take a walk for 30 minutes to an hour every night. A long, slow walk is good for fat burning, and is better than nothing. Another good one is pilates. Get a DVD and do 30 minutes of pilates, that's good stuff. Burns some calories and really works the core!
  • jjs22
    jjs22 Posts: 156
    Well, there's 2 ways to approach this (at least). One ("No Pain, No Gain") is just to tough it up, make it happen, don't be a wimp. I don't mean to be too sarcastic, because I know that many people are able to work this way. But not me.

    The other approach is what I call "No Pain. Period." I spent 30 years without exercise or any attempt at a diet, because I always thought it had to be something unpleasant and challenging. When I finally got around to doing something about it, I made a vow to myself : I will NOT force myself to do anything I don't enjoy or sacrifice anything I really want to eat. Going on a binge of self-deprivation and punishment is a proven path to failure, and I didn't want any part of that. A much better approach is to become more aware of your calorie intake and expenditure, and make adjustments that YOU can live with.

    For me, this meant just taking a short walk around the neighborhood when I could. Maybe 15 minutes. I figured it wasn't enough to matter at all, but at least it was a step. (Pause for the pun to sink in... Okay.) What surprised me was that after just a few walks, I could really feel it. Not in a bad way ("feel the burn !"), just that my body felt a little stronger and more toned inside, my pace was a little faster, my heart rate a little lower. And I never had to force myself do it. So I started to look forward to it, even if was just a silly little walk. So now I'm walking more, and I've upped my pace gradually to where I'm now pretty darned fast (45 minutes for a 5k, passing up a few joggers.) Since I can't walk any faster, I'm even adding in a few short bouts of running - 50 feet or so - just to bump my heart rate up a tad. But the main thing is that I do it because its fun.

    So how to fit exercise in ? If you're like me (not really the gung ho type), you might do like I did and set your sights low. Just do a little bit of something you like and make it a habit. You might park a short distance away from work and walk, or take the kids for a walk around the block, or whatever. When that tiny bit starts to sink in, you are bound to feel better. That's what healthy exercise does. And you can use that positive feeling to build up just a little at a time. In my case, I actually started waking up a little earlier than normal, and I'm not exhausted at the end of the day. So most of my walking (to/from work, 1 mile each way) doesn't seem like I'm using up any more time.
  • laneybird
    laneybird Posts: 532 Member
    I, too, work 12hours (7a-7p) and it can be tough to get exercise in but it is possible. I am a single mom of a 3yo. On my work days I have whoever is watching him keep him an extra hour (they're all family, so he's not in daycare.) On the days I am off I either go to the gym during the daycare hours or he will join me on a walk/jog. I bought a very used jogging stroller. I let him bring along a couple toys, drink and a snack to keep him occupied. Doing it with him I also burn more calories, which is awesome!

    It is hard. On the days I work it's sleep, work, gym, home to pack food for the next day, then sleep. But, I am worth the sacrifice.

    Best of luck to you!!
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