Busy working mom's...

Options
kbrown1171
kbrown1171 Posts: 48
in Fitness and Exercise
Any suggestions on where to stick in some exercise time? What do YOU do to add some fitness to your day? I seem to be swamped with a fulltime job, two kids (8 & 2 years) & a husband - as I am sure many of us are. Would love your suggestions.

Thanks guys!!!!!
«1

Replies

  • talaluna
    talaluna Posts: 7
    Options
    Hello! I completely understand what you're juggling. I have two part-time jobs, school, and taking care of my two-year-old. Fitness comes where I can squish it in. I take walks with my son, do Zumba while he jives to the Latin beat, play with the kids at my child care job...even though sometimes it's only 5 minutes each segment, it's SOMETHING.
  • kykykenna
    kykykenna Posts: 656 Member
    Options
    In the AM....if I dont do it then, I dont do it. I am not one who works out for 90 min either. I tell myself, If I can sit and look at MFP for 20-30 min, I have time to exercise!!! :) LOL (But that is just me....)

    also, full time job and 2 kids...and a farmers wife. :D
  • jlowensby
    jlowensby Posts: 142
    Options
    I know just what you mean. I am married, two kids (13 & 9), and also working full-time. It used to be if I couldn't fit in a hour of straight exercise I would think, its not worth it! (and eventually I found myself hardly working out at all, til it all would come to a complete stop!)

    This time, I am fitting in 20-25 minute exercises and realizing that some calories burned are better than none! I will workout while making dinner...I will take a walk up the road after dinner....Even while watching TV I usually wiggle my foot around so I am never completely still it seems!

    I had to realize that yes my family is very important...but so am I! :)
  • lili200
    lili200 Posts: 200 Member
    Options
    sometimes I wake up at 5 so I have gym time before the day starts.u cn give the elder kid bikes, take the other on your bike and ride together in the afternoon.
  • lisabstrong
    lisabstrong Posts: 165 Member
    Options
    I'm a busy working mom of 3 with a hubby who runs a business. It sure is busy around here. I have found that 30 minutes of excercise between 3 and 5 times per week is realistic for me. I did invest in a treadmill that I started with a year and a half ago-- I started out walking for 30 minutes and now I am up to jogging 3 km's in 30 minutes. I do find this to be the best strategy for me. The rest I focus on high nutrition packing my cooler full of food everywhere I go...plan for meals ahead of time and cook up on the weekends for the week. I also do my excercises at 6 am before the small people get up. Now that they are not babies it's much easier for me...

    I also hired a housecleaner!

    Set small realistic goals and you will get there...
  • MamaBear57
    MamaBear57 Posts: 336 Member
    Options
    I am also a working mom and my two girls are 4 and 6. Totally understand where you are coming from. One thing I do is get up early to do one workout in the morning. This ensures that 1 I do it, 2 no interuptions, and 3 it is time for me alone. It took me a long time to enjoy this since I am not a morning person and HATE getting up. Second thing I do is workout after the kids go to bed. Total I do 3 or 4 different types of workouts every day. It is rare that I miss a day right now because I have so much to loose. Your kids are older so maybe get them to workout with you.

    My older daughter loves doing the videos and things on the weekend. (even though I cannot do them with you, she drives me nuts) She does them when I am done.

    Good luck and You can do this.
  • MichelleFirestone
    MichelleFirestone Posts: 212 Member
    Options
    I exercise on my breaks at work. I get 2 15 min breaks during the day. I go for a walk or jog during those breaks. Then it doen't cut into any time with my kids. I work full time, and also part time at night. have 2 kids ages 3 and 2. and house full of animals and a husband. if I can't work any other time, at least I know I got 30 min of exercise in.
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
    Options
    Full time working mom here, with one kid (20 mo) and a partner. I try to walk as much as I can during the day (I walk to work unless I'm wearing high heels) and follow a short workout DVD when my son's asleep. I'm currently doing the 30 Day Shred, which is pretty effective even if only 22 minutes long! Once I'm done with it, I can finally sit and relax in front of television, while making bracelets for my Etsy shop. I don't have much down time and could certainly not commit to going to the gym several times a week... But workout DVDs seem to work for me!

    If you have enough space in your house, you can also invest in an elliptical/treadmill to do extra cardio.
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
    Options
    My kids are grown and gone with kids of their own, but when they were young I used to run and they would go along on their bikes or roller blades. Great exercise for all of us, plus their constant chatter about school and friends and such kept my mind off how much I hate running. :wink:
  • scraver2003
    scraver2003 Posts: 528 Member
    Options
    Lunch time! That is best for me... I am not a morning person. I am blessed with a gym at work... so I make use of it. Occassionally, I will do something in the evenings. Then on the weekends, hubs watches our son while I work out and then I watch him while hubs goes for a bike ride.

    AND like Lisab - I hired a cleaning lady! I just can't do everything.
  • patti2852
    patti2852 Posts: 9
    Options
    Where ever I can! If my husband is working nights and I know I can't get out for a walk after supper (dishes can wait til my son is in bed!) I fit it in on my lunch hour, or a quick walk before I pick him up from day care. I walk with the Nordic walking poles so that I can bun more caleries and use more muscles in a shorter tim period (the poles "live" in my truck with my sweats so I am always prepared). I even walked in circles in our yard one night because I couldn't get out during the day and hubby had a meeting that night, I don't really care if the entie town (very small town) might be laughing at me as they drive by my house. I am doing this for my health and always feel better after a good walk. It is up to you to make time for your health. My son (7) even n out and walked around the yard with me for a bit, it is great to show them healthy habits!
  • AlsDonkBoxSquat
    AlsDonkBoxSquat Posts: 6,128 Member
    Options
    I go to the gym after work or I do it early in the morning.

    option 1 - leave work, pick up my son, snack in the car, drop off at child watch, get my burn on, go home, eat dinner, go through bedtime routine, put kids to bed, breath

    option 2 - set alarm for 4:15, actually get up with alarm goes off
  • bdreilly
    bdreilly Posts: 21
    Options
    I have a part time job, full time student and songle mother of 3 girls (3, 5, and 7). I always squeeze my workouts in after they go to bed and on Fridays I bring my youngest to the gym with me while the other two are in school and she goes to the daycare in the gym.
  • alyssa92982
    alyssa92982 Posts: 1,093 Member
    Options
    Its very hard! I have kids youngest 9 mos old work full time night shift. Me and my husband are doing the p90x workouts, which is a very time consuming program. We sit the 2 youngest w us and surround them w toys while we do our DVDs. So far so good because we are almost to our 90 days ;)
  • asyouseefit
    asyouseefit Posts: 1,265 Member
    Options
    Lunch time! That is best for me... I am not a morning person. I am blessed with a gym at work... so I make use of it. Occassionally, I will do something in the evenings. Then on the weekends, hubs watches our son while I work out and then I watch him while hubs goes for a bike ride.

    AND like Lisab - I hired a cleaning lady! I just can't do everything.

    Ditto (tritto?) the cleaning lady! I will NOT spend half of my week-end cleaning the apartment. :)
  • Gail3260
    Gail3260 Posts: 354 Member
    Options
    I'm a busy working mom of 3 with a hubby who runs a business. It sure is busy around here. I have found that 30 minutes of excercise between 3 and 5 times per week is realistic for me. I did invest in a treadmill that I started with a year and a half ago-- I started out walking for 30 minutes and now I am up to jogging 3 km's in 30 minutes. I do find this to be the best strategy for me. The rest I focus on high nutrition packing my cooler full of food everywhere I go...plan for meals ahead of time and cook up on the weekends for the week. I also do my excercises at 6 am before the small people get up. Now that they are not babies it's much easier for me...

    I also hired a housecleaner!

    Set small realistic goals and you will get there...

    I agree totally with all of this. I am losing the weight slowly but steadily by exercising for an hour twice a week. It's only going to work if you find something you enjoy and will stick at once you've reached your target. I go to a gym on a Sunday morning and swim or do aquafit one evening stright after work. I also have a cleaner!
  • jend114
    jend114 Posts: 1,058 Member
    Options
    single working mom to a 2.5 year old. I try to work out after she goes to bed since we aren't getting in our walks in anymore at night since its getting dark earlier
  • JenGranzow
    JenGranzow Posts: 116 Member
    Options
    I used to use my kids and their needs as an excuse for why I didn't have time to exercise. I'm so very glad that I stopped doing that. My kids are 3 and 5, and I am married and WOTH full-time. I exercise first thing in the morning (5:30) and my kids generally sleep through it or wake up toward the end - but they just come hang out with me, have a snack and chat while I finish working out.

    I've got an elliptical machine, and I do exercise videos, so I don't need to leave my house in order to get my workout in.

    I prefer to work out immediately after getting up for the day for a number of reasons. I feel more energized all day but am tired and fall asleep easily at bedtime, and I also know before I even eat breakfast how many calories I have in the bank for the day and I can plan my menus accordingly. I get so much more accomplished in a day now than I ever used to before I started to exercise and get my weight under control. You can do it! You will be very glad that you did.
  • tanner1019
    tanner1019 Posts: 5 Member
    Options
    I used to really get down on myself when I didn't workout. When I did find the time I really felt better and I felt I could be a better mom and wife since working out helped reduce stress. I work a full time job and have 2 kids (8 and 6). I made a promise to myself that I would find the time to work out because I wanted to give my family all of me and leave the stress behind. I found that if I get up and do my workout in the morning it works. There were many days that the alarm would go off and I would pull the covers over my head, BUT I eventuallyt got up and went to the gym and I was happy I did. I start my day stress free and it has really helped me stay on track of eating good through out the day since I don't want to undo all my hard work by eating bad.
  • nixickle
    nixickle Posts: 229 Member
    Options
    I also struggle with this! I work 3 days a week, married, have a 17month old little one, two dogs and a house that never seems to be clean no matter how much I clean it! My husband is also away alot and we live 8 hours away from any family! So I'm often doing everything myself. I am struggling to fit in some exercise, but I try to walk the dogs as much as poss. I've also taken to dancing around the kitchen when cooking and cleaning (and youcan record this on MFP!), walking where possible to nursery rather than taking the car, running up and down stairs as much as possible! And I've jist ordered 30ds in the hopes that I can squeeze a few mins in here and there. I also now park as far a way from shops/supermarket as possible so that's more walking and even when driving I'm constantly tensing and releasing my bum cheeks lol! It's encouraging to record all these small things on MFP, it does all add up! I burn 300-400 calories per day by doing this, and I'm hoping that 30ds will allow me to now tone up. Remember the exercise doesnt need to be in a solid block, you can do a few mins here and there if that is easier. Not sure if that helps?

    Ps I am very envious of those of you that have cleaners....one day, one day!
    Xx

Categories