Q: Workout time for moms?

gummibear2011
gummibear2011 Posts: 6
edited October 3 in Health and Weight Loss
Just curious - what time do you guys normally work out?

I get confused over all the tips I read about not working out x hours before or after eating, or near bedtime. I used to work out first thing in the morning, around 5AM - mainly because by the time I woke up enough to talk myself out of it, I'd be halfway to the gym, but also I never quite figured out the "right" time to go. Plus I feel lazier as the day goes on. But now I'm a SAHM and DH leaves for work at 4:30am, long before our local gym opens. I could probably lift weights at this time but mainly I'm needing to add cardio, and I don't want to wake DS at home. Marching quietly in place is kind of... well, stale. hehe. We don't have normal eating or sleeping times at home either, though we should.

Would love to hear what other moms do!

Replies

  • DaniellePF
    DaniellePF Posts: 308 Member
    Jogger stroller, or take kiddo to the gym if they are not super young?
  • irongirl73
    irongirl73 Posts: 98 Member
    Do you belong to the gym now and does it have childcare? I work nights and have three kids 5 and under. On the days that I work, or the mornings where I was off before, I try to get this kids to the gym by 10 and get my workout in. As the days wears on, I find my motivation lags. If I didn't go to gym, I try to go out for a quick 3 mile run as soon as my husband gets home so at least I feel like I did something!
  • hjollyrn
    hjollyrn Posts: 208 Member
    I don't do mornings. At all. Never been a morning person. I have a two year old and typically try to work out while he's napping, early afternoon. If that doesn't work it's either around 4 when hubby gets home from work, or like 7 or 8 after dinner. There's no right or wrong time. The right time is whenever you'll do it! ;)
  • Mrswheels01
    Mrswheels01 Posts: 201 Member
    I do my work outs whenever my daughter takes a nap. That is the only time I can get them in. When it cools down a little better I wil ltake her out more for walks
  • irongirl73
    irongirl73 Posts: 98 Member
    You could also try and find a stoller fit class near you! That's a good workout and the children seem to enjoy it!

    http://www.strollerfit.com/
  • TrishJimenez
    TrishJimenez Posts: 561 Member
    I am not a morning person. I always do my work out in the evening. With the kids in school it is harder to get to the gym so I have been doing Jillians 30 day shred (only 20 mins) and a pilates crunch routine off netflix.
  • maidentl
    maidentl Posts: 3,203 Member
    I am a SAHM also. Both of my kids are in school and I work out after I have dropped them both off. If I do it straight away, I can't talk myself out of doing it later or get distracted by other things I need to do.
  • Nikki582
    Nikki582 Posts: 561 Member
    Ack, I wake up at 5 but that's not handy for you at all! Can you pop your son in the stroller and go for a brisk, hilly walk? Or head out once your hubby gets home?
    I used to drive to my husband's work and swap cars, leaving the kid with him because I had a gym class on right at the same time he finished work, so they'd let him have the kiddo for an extra 5 minutes and i could get to my class
  • amyschaefer
    amyschaefer Posts: 80
    I have to get up and run before they wake up or I don't get to go. I try to walk them to the park later but for my major workout I have to do it before they are up.
  • ashleydeane
    ashleydeane Posts: 50 Member
    I try to work out in the am before mine wake up. I don't love in a place where its warm all year... too hard to take them out and i live 30 miles from a gym. its so hard. I am interested in any tips u get from this post too :)
  • nakabi
    nakabi Posts: 589 Member
    you do what works best for you!!! I schedule it around my husband's work/school schedule. I usually run Mon 9:30-10pm, Tue 5:30-6pm, ( I get off work at noon since my husband has to be in class by 12:30) Wed 9:30-10pm, Thur 4:45-5:15 and Sun 5:30-6pm. of course that depends on what time my husband gets home from work (usually 9:30) and then he watches our daughter so I can get on the treadmill. My son goes to bed at 9. I work full-time M-F (9-5)so hence the reason for working out at night. I also walk my son to one of the parks at least 3 times a week (carry my daughter in a sling to burn more calories) and that's about a mile both ways. Like I said, you just have to do what works the best for you and adjust your schedule as life changes :)
    Feel free to friend me if you like :)
  • Yooperm35
    Yooperm35 Posts: 787 Member
    I was doing my workouts when my 2 tear old went to bed- around 8pm - she doesn't nap, and now she's been pushing her bedtime to 9, so tomorrow I am going to try a morning workout when I get up with my son for school. I'd rather drink my coffee and read email, so hopefully I can get a good workout mindset before morning
  • megmariew1
    megmariew1 Posts: 60
    When my kids were babies I usually worked out after I put the kids to bed, sometimes early in the morning before they wake up. I just pop in a dvd or hop on the elliptical and go to town. Now that they are a bit older I will have them ride bikes along with me while I run or they will do the work out dvd with me.
  • gummibear2011
    gummibear2011 Posts: 6
    Thanks a TON for the input. DS is 2, almost 3. No daycare, so he's with me all day. The input from moms with older kids is great for ideas on what to do when he's older. I go to our condo's gym facilities, so no childcare there. DH gets home in the afternoons, often right before or after we have lunch. The boys nap together so I've generally used that time to get a bit of work done so I'm not up too late (I work from home on my own schedule). After bedtime might be best.

    I should definitely make more use of the stroller in the next 2 months. It's just a regular stroller, not a jogging type. I'm not sure if he'll stay in it outside, since he loves the outdoors - and plus it's going to get cold here soon - but he'll sit for the mall. =) Btw, does anyone know which exercise category that would fall under, "pushing stroller, walking"? I haven't been inputting any walking from shopping since I started MFP (I'm about 10 days new), which normally includes either pushing DS in a cart or stroller. When we walk around the neighborhood, the pace of the walks are very much under the lowest "2.0 mph walking" exercise category in MFP, with a few excited sprints and giggles thrown in.

    I'll look into the Jillian video and stroller fit. Thanks again!
  • gummibear2011
    gummibear2011 Posts: 6
    Quick update, no strollerfit but I did find a nearby meetup group that has stroller walks, indoors and outdoors. =D Hitting the gym alone is definitely the best, but this will be good, for both me and DS.

    Am I right in ignoring the walking from shopping on my exercise log? When I registered with MFP I listed the most sedentary lifestyle. >.<
  • kellyscomeback
    kellyscomeback Posts: 1,369 Member
    5 to 6 days a week I take an hour to myself when the kiddo is awake and take a class at the gym.
    3 mornings a week we go out for a jog for 40 minutes after she wakes up.
    Most times I work out at home during her nap time.
    If my husband is gone at a softball game at night I may sneak a quickie workout in after she's out for the night.
    I've tr\ed to work out in the mornings before she's up but I just don't have the energy and I'd rather veg out on the couch by myself for an hr vs. try to get in a 45 minute workout when I'm still tired and I know I'll only half-*kitten* it.

    I don't like to log walking if I'm at the store, mall, etc. because I don't break a sweat and it's not 'out of my norm'. If I walk to the grocery store I will log that because I power walk, leg lifts while waiting for the lights to change and I sweat.
  • sme1985
    sme1985 Posts: 16
    I always strive to get my workout in in the mornings before my baby girl wakes up, but I have such a struggle with that. But when it comes down to it, it's truly the only time that works for me. So I guess I just gotta suck it up and get it over with every morning. I feel a bit lucky right now because I'm required to complete a fitness GE Requirement for college, so I go to that twice a week; it's nice and helps incredibly! I take my daughter walking all the time and for the first time last week took her to the childcare at the gym. . .that lasted 15 minutes! Ha, we'll try again tomorrow!
  • dovesgate
    dovesgate Posts: 894 Member
    I list my shopping. But, my shopping involves at least 3 different stores and 3-4 hours once or twice a month so I usually put in 1-2 hours of 2.0 mph walking since my lifestyle is set as sedentary. Thats just me though. I can usually get in lots of extra walking since I go down aisles I have nothing to purchase from just to take the long way to the aisle I am going. I'm really glad my kids haven't caught on that Mommy makes them walk extra with her just because! And I do this at every store I go to. When we went to Walmart for Halloween costumes, I did a lap through the main aisle square of the store and then I wove my way around the perimeter aisles. The kids never noticed what I was up to. My mom didn't either when I did this with her at Target the next day. :devil:

    A really good rule of thumb I read on here said not to count as exercise anything you did when you were gaining weight. If I don't shop this way, I don't log it because I used to just go in and get what I needed and leave.
  • Cityperks
    Cityperks Posts: 69 Member
    I work and have a toddler, so like most I don't get much time to myself. I lost my pregnancy weight and gained back my fitness using a rebounder. When ever I get some spare time I put on some music and off i go! All I ever manage is 2 x 20 min sessions and it seems to help with toning the mid section. It's great for your lymph system and rebounders are way cheaper and easier to store than a treadmill. It doesn't matter when you exercise, as long as you get it in your day.
  • MinaAriel
    MinaAriel Posts: 138 Member
    I just started tracking with MFP but I have been tweaking a routine for a couple of weeks now. My oldest (5) leaves for school at 7 so the plan is to do a video or jump rope right after he leaves. I give my two year old a snack and pop on a cartoon. He'll come down and watch me exercise, usually dancing right along with me. It doesn't work to do my yoga video when he's around so I'm going to try to work that into after he goes to bed as part of my winddown. I dunno, we'll see.

    I'm not great about getting the videos done yet but I have been making it a point to go for walks at the park with him. He likes the change of scenery. I only have an umbrella stroller so I stick to pathways, trails, and sidewalks. I am very out of shape so a 45 minute walk at a decent clip is enough to get my heart rate up.

    I do not track calories burned while shopping or anything. I just think of those as bonus calories.

    Good luck finding what works for you!
  • Megan2Project
    Megan2Project Posts: 351 Member
    I run a daycare in my home from 8am-5pm, and have a 6m old, and a 2y old. I get up at 6, and right now I have been just walking for 40 min every morning, but I think I'm going to switch it up and do some of my DVDs, WAY higher calorie burn. I am also doing c25k during "quiet or nap time". I have someone who works with me so I can skip out for 30min. Then on Saturdays, I usually take the kids for a walk, and do some other form of working out when they nap... If for some reason my son is up, I set him up with something to do so I can do a DVD, and put my 6m old in her exersaucer. If I need to take a quick break to tend to them, I just pause and continue when I can!

    Also, sometimes with the daycare kids, when I'm on my own, we have a "dance party". Turn the tunes up and get sweaty :)
  • amcmurran
    amcmurran Posts: 5
    I've had the same issues as you, but I recently started strolling with 2 of my mom friends 2 mornings a week, which helps BIG TIME. We rotate neighborhoods and get in at least 45 minutes. Plus, it makes the kids happy! Just bring snacks and drinks for them, and they love it! I also just started Jillian Michael's Ripped in 30. I also tried her 30 Day Shred and liked it. You could get from Netflix if you're a member or buy from Amazon. It was just $12 with shipping. It's a 25 minute workout you do 6 days a week... incorporates weights and cardio and abs. It's great for moms! Best wishes!
  • gummibear2011
    gummibear2011 Posts: 6
    Thanks for the feedback everyone! I'll just count the gym episodes and leave the shopping/walking and cleaning out. xD

    "not to count as exercise anything you did when you were gaining weight" --> That's a great way to look at it, thanks!

    ETA: I checked out the descriptions on the Jillians videos. I'm going to hold off for now. I'll keep it in mind and might reconsider when I improve my fitness level a bit, hehe.
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