When do you find time to exercise??

xoalyssaox
xoalyssaox Posts: 318 Member
edited September 19 in Fitness and Exercise
I used to go to my apartments gym every night, but then I went back to college. I am currently a full time college student. I also have a 2 year old son that I stay home with during the week, then I work on the weekends, and do school online and 2 night classes..

I have a pretty busy life, I am thinking about doing exercise videos I get free on demand from Brighthouse Networks(my cable). They even have the 30 day shred on their for free, but I just don't know when I'd even have time!!!

How do ya'll find time?

Replies

  • VballLeash
    VballLeash Posts: 2,456 Member
    Is getting up early an option for you?! When I have a really busy day planned I will get up at 5 or 6 and workout. For me its hard to keep this up everyday but its doable thats for sure even if its just a few days a week. Maybe when your son is taking a nap? Anytime that you can squeeze in a few minutes is good! :happy:

    ~Leash :heart:
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
    You just have to make time. Also...take your son out in his stroller and walk for 30 minutes. It'll get him some stimulation and you some work on your legs. I typically do my workouts after I put my daughter to bed. When I was in college (she was 3) and I would sit on my exersize ball at the computer instead of in a chair...it works your core. Hope this helps.
  • TaraDenise
    TaraDenise Posts: 164 Member
    I exercise first thing in the morning when I wake up. I eat breakfast and then do a pilates or cardio dvd in my living room before getting ready for work. During the day, I do little 5 or 10 min exercises at my desk, and make more frequent trips up the stairs. In the evenings I take a walk outside after dinner, or just do squats and crunches in my living room if the weather is bad.
  • Ahmee2034
    Ahmee2034 Posts: 1,330 Member
    :wink: Well, I can relate. I returned to work this week after having been out for about 2 1/2 months. I'm lucky, though. I have a team here at school where I work who wogs no less than 2 miles a day. At least I'm getting SOMETHING accomplished! I had started Slim in 6 a couple of weeks ago. I miss not having time to do that. I'll be off again for a few weeks after the 18th so I'll be able to get back on track then.

    I, too, have the fit tv channel and love to do workouts along with the programs. I have DVR so I'm able to record my favorite workouts and replay them over and over. You might want to make DVD's of your favorite ones and use those. I think that's a great resource.

    Anyway, I hope this helps. Just keep doing what you can and don't give up. It will all fall into place eventually.

    :drinker: :flowerforyou:
  • Chenoachem
    Chenoachem Posts: 1,758 Member
    I get up at 4:30 in the morning to work out before for my husband and daughter wakeup. I also take my daughter out at night, who is 2, and we go for a walk or the playground. At the playground I do pull-ups on the monkey bars. It is about being creative.

    I know when I was working full time and going to school part time and my daughter was 1 it was difficult. I put her in a backpack and took her for hikes on the weekend. It was good quality time.
  • amberc82
    amberc82 Posts: 25
    I get up at 4:00 every morning and work out. It is the only time I have free. I work from 7:30 to 4:00 and after that I spend all my time with my son and my husband.
  • michele73
    michele73 Posts: 102
    I have been doing the 30 day shred dvd by Jillian Michael's. It's only 20 min so you can always find 20 min to add that in. That's why I love it so much. I get the same benefits in 20 that I could get doing something else for 1 hour. It's great!
  • xoalyssaox
    xoalyssaox Posts: 318 Member
    You just have to make time. Also...take your son out in his stroller and walk for 30 minutes. It'll get him some stimulation and you some work on your legs. I typically do my workouts after I put my daughter to bed. When I was in college (she was 3) and I would sit on my exersize ball at the computer instead of in a chair...it works your core. Hope this helps.

    Yeah the stroller is a good idea, the only hard part is I live in Melbourne Florida and it is HOT right now, like 95 degrees by noon, and I don't know if your familar with FL weather but its just as hot feeling in the morning cause the dang humidity. See me, I am sitting here making excuses.

    Maybe I will go at night that way it wont be as hot! But, I guess the heat would make me sweat more?
  • connie96
    connie96 Posts: 22
    I get up at 4:30 in the morning to work out before for my husband and daughter wakeup. I also take my daughter out at night, who is 2, and we go for a walk or the playground. At the playground I do pull-ups on the monkey bars. It is about being creative.

    I know when I was working full time and going to school part time and my daughter was 1 it was difficult. I put her in a backpack and took her for hikes on the weekend. It was good quality time.

    I'm with you! Up by 4:45 before my husband and daughter get up. My daughter is 2 also and her favorite thing is for me to put her on my back and (gently) run around the back yard so she's bouncing all around and cracking us up. I'm usually pretty wiped out by the evening, so I can't do that for more than a few minutes, but it's good exercise when I can keep it up.

    BTW... to get up this early, I try to go to bed early too and THAT is probably the hardest part. :yawn:
  • MissNova
    MissNova Posts: 563 Member
    Well I have two night classes online as well. I work full time and school full time. I do a lot of time management. While your son is napping try to do one of the workouts in your cable network. Also do things with your son, if you have a local park go walk with him or even chasing him around will be some sort of cardio. When I get home its school, dinner and working out. Just try to pace yourself and plan your day ahead of time. Use your time wisely. Good luck!
  • MissVitaVonCherry
    MissVitaVonCherry Posts: 709 Member
    Gettig up up early, or going to bed really late ! thoses are the two best times it sounds like to do it, or you do know that on demand, you can stop it at any time and continue later (up to 24 hours) well you could start one when you have a free min, and then go back to it later and so on?
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    It finally boiled down to this for me:

    If I have time to watch TV, or drive to a Fast Food joint to eat, I have time to exercise.

    I actually wrote down my spare time in a journal for a week and it ended up being an AHA moment for me!

    :drinker:
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    It finally boiled down to this for me:

    If I have time to watch TV, or drive to a Fast Food joint to eat, I have time to exercise.

    I actually wrote down my spare time in a journal for a week and it ended up being an AHA moment for me!

    :drinker:

    Oh yea and that is why my ticker has that custom made picture. I went to the walking park and took it. I didnt promise myself I would do 5 miles..........just 1 which turned into much much more.

    Good luck!
  • lstpaul
    lstpaul Posts: 2,013 Member
    I had gotten into the bad habit of only working out strenuously at the YMCA once a week on Saturdays, and trying to get in some walking during the week and had managed to gain 20 lbs (on top of the 85 I already needed to lose, and while trying to lose weight).
    In March I got a heart rate monitor (Polar F11) and it has really been a helpful motivation tool for me. It has a weekly goal of workout sessions and minutes and if you meet your goal you get a little trophy on the watch every week. I haven't missed a trophy since March. I know it's just a mental gimick, but anything that helps! It has gotten me to realize that when I was walking I wasn't walking fast enough to put my heart rate into the fat burning zone - ever!
    I had a talk with my husband and told him that I needed more support for working in exercise because it was always the first thing to be dropped whenever we are busy. Now at the beginning of each week I look at our family schedule and plan when I will be able to get to the YMCA to body step or body pump (weight lifting) class and then I make sure that my husband can be available to do whatever is needed with the kids those nights so that I can go to the Y straight from work. And I try to schedule at least 1 walk (at a faster pace than before) a week with a friend. So far planning on group exercise where I have to show up at a certain time is the only thing that works well for me, or making a date with a friend to walk. I still need to figure out how to get in more exercise at home on my own, because I have too many days a week that I don't exercise, but I am way better off than I was when I was only exercising 1 day a week!
    I think making exercising part of your weekly schedule and tracking it is the key.
    I just added an exercise tracking ticker to my signature here ... it's another fun way to set a weekly exercise goal and track progress towards it - www.tickerfactory.com. Good luck!
  • vanimami
    vanimami Posts: 433 Member
    I recently graduated from college I worked in the morning, took night classes and after the night classes I would work out around 9 PM. It was easier for me, though, because I have no kids. Now that I just work, I get up at 4:45 and work out first thing because I usually ahve to come home right away to take care of my puppy. If you can, try getting up first thing and work out then so you can get it over with. I promise you, you will feel so much more energized throughout the day and nothing should be able to interfere w/ early morning workouts:wink:
  • TheMaidOfAstolat
    TheMaidOfAstolat Posts: 3,222 Member
    You just have to make time. Also...take your son out in his stroller and walk for 30 minutes. It'll get him some stimulation and you some work on your legs. I typically do my workouts after I put my daughter to bed. When I was in college (she was 3) and I would sit on my exersize ball at the computer instead of in a chair...it works your core. Hope this helps.

    Yeah the stroller is a good idea, the only hard part is I live in Melbourne Florida and it is HOT right now, like 95 degrees by noon, and I don't know if your familar with FL weather but its just as hot feeling in the morning cause the dang humidity. See me, I am sitting here making excuses.

    Maybe I will go at night that way it wont be as hot! But, I guess the heat would make me sweat more?

    Tell me about it...it was 85 yesterday...I live just north of Atlanta. Just try for early evenings.
  • tgh1914
    tgh1914 Posts: 1,036 Member
    You just have to make time. Also...take your son out in his stroller and walk for 30 minutes. It'll get him some stimulation and you some work on your legs. I typically do my workouts after I put my daughter to bed. When I was in college (she was 3) and I would sit on my exersize ball at the computer instead of in a chair...it works your core. Hope this helps.

    Yeah the stroller is a good idea, the only hard part is I live in Melbourne Florida and it is HOT right now, like 95 degrees by noon, and I don't know if your familar with FL weather but its just as hot feeling in the morning cause the dang humidity. See me, I am sitting here making excuses.

    Maybe I will go at night that way it wont be as hot! But, I guess the heat would make me sweat more?
    I know about the humidity. I'm from Houston - and it's a nasty, hot, sweaty armpit of a city right now. :sick: That's why I have to go around 6am (and even then it's not pleasant). That's also the only way I can work exercise into my schedule. I have a very busy lifestyle myself and anything other than early a.m. just won't happen.

    One other thing that might help - my only TV time is usually about 2-3 nights per week after kids are all in bed & I'm done with other responsibilities. I do some strength exercises like pullups & pushups during the commercials. Also on Saturdays, I'll maybe do my running in a park where I can literally run around a play area while my kids are playing. It's a win-win.

    Good luck!
  • jfilon
    jfilon Posts: 80
    I'm currently doing a full-time internship at a university where they have an amazing wellness center (and taking full advantage of it!). I wake up pretty early, around 5:00, and work out from 5:30 to 6:30. My job requires me to to work from about 8 to 5, so if I am feeling ambitious I usually work out again at night from 7:00 to 8:30. I usually have to compromise by passing on late-night social get togethers. But it helps when I can get my reading for classes on the bicycle, watch my favorite TV reruns while on the elliptical, or do my socializing while attending a workout class with a friend. Multitasking is key. :wink:
  • paulamma1
    paulamma1 Posts: 544 Member
    If I was to "find" time to exercise, I'd never do it!

    I make an appointment to get my *kitten* out of bed at 5.50 ish to get an hours workout (P90X) 6 mornings a week. (Not so early on the w/e mornings.)

    Can your husband help out?

    Have you asked him?
  • jlhcrh3
    jlhcrh3 Posts: 314
    I don't have a kid, but I am going to school full time (2 completely online), babysitting, sitting with an elderly woman, and just got another job. Sometimes it's not about "finding" time at all, but making small sacrifices. For me, those sacrifices are something like a nap, some social time, or whatever, depending on the day. Maybe find a sitter who can come for an hour or two so you can workout undistracted? and do the on demand videos, and take your kid on a walk or to the playground/pool/etc.
  • jamielbeck
    jamielbeck Posts: 188 Member
    You find the time. I was in the same boat. I would make excuses like oh I don't want to leave my dog in the cage when she's been in there all day, I feel bad. I talked with my bf about it and he said you need to make the time if you want to workout. He also offered to start dinner if I went to workout after work. (provided I plan a very easy meal :wink: )
    I find it really hard to get up early in the morning. The only day I can justify it to myself is Fridays for some reason but thats a start. All the other days I go in the evenings. I am amazed that his softball season has started and I find the time to workout and walk my dog almost everyday.
    I couldn't agree with Arewethereyet more...I was finding the time to watch tv and go to fast food places.
    I am not that familiar with Florida weather but does it cool off in the evenings? Maybe thats a bit more tolerable then the mornings? Just an idea.

    Good luck! You can do it! :flowerforyou:
  • fjtcjt
    fjtcjt Posts: 199
    I get up at 4:00 am just to make sure I can workout. This doesn't take any time away from my wife or kids. When I get home from work, it is family time. It isn't easy or fun getting up that early, but it is no harder than getting up any other time where you rely on an alarm. 4:00 am or 6:00 am either one is just as difficult for me so why not get up earlier and workout. It makes you feel good the entire day.
  • Dave198lbs
    Dave198lbs Posts: 8,810 Member
    I know one thing-

    it is almost impossible to exercise and type at the same time
  • vanimami
    vanimami Posts: 433 Member
    It finally boiled down to this for me:

    If I have time to watch TV, or drive to a Fast Food joint to eat, I have time to exercise.

    I actually wrote down my spare time in a journal for a week and it ended up being an AHA moment for me!

    :drinker:

    I never thought of it that way :huh: It's a great point and would be a great motivator for me...i might try it :happy:
  • Sparklene
    Sparklene Posts: 38 Member
    Someone one mentioned FIT tv. I've recorded a couple of workouts and did one or two when I couldn't leave the house. Do any of you have any favorites? Someone mentioned the Shred being on their TV. That's not on FIT tv, is it?
  • xoalyssaox
    xoalyssaox Posts: 318 Member
    I know one thing-

    it is almost impossible to exercise and type at the same time

    HEHE very true. Thanks for that!! :)
  • vanimami
    vanimami Posts: 433 Member
    Someone one mentioned FIT tv. I've recorded a couple of workouts and did one or two when I couldn't leave the house. Do any of you have any favorites? Someone mentioned the Shred being on their TV. That's not on FIT tv, is it?

    I really like shimmy it's a great work out. I really should go onto fit tv more when they have the exercise programs and just do them :ohwell:
  • Ahmee2034
    Ahmee2034 Posts: 1,330 Member
    Well, I'm not sure if you're able to do this but, this what I have started doing since I returned to work. When I returned after being out for 2 1/2 months with my son's injuries, everyone couldn't believe how great I look (if I do say so myself) and so they asked me what I did. Long story short, I've gotten THEM moving! Yep, we wog 2 miles a day. I'm at work and have a team now and that way, if I don't get to work out at home, I still have done at least SOMETHING! Hope this helps.
  • Ahmee2034
    Ahmee2034 Posts: 1,330 Member
    Someone one mentioned FIT tv. I've recorded a couple of workouts and did one or two when I couldn't leave the house. Do any of you have any favorites? Someone mentioned the Shred being on their TV. That's not on FIT tv, is it?

    I love Pilates with Ellan Barrett. It doesn't come on very often but I've been able to DVR it so I can do the workouts whenever...
  • arewethereyet
    arewethereyet Posts: 18,702 Member
    It finally boiled down to this for me:

    If I have time to watch TV, or drive to a Fast Food joint to eat, I have time to exercise.

    I actually wrote down my spare time in a journal for a week and it ended up being an AHA moment for me!

    :drinker:

    I never thought of it that way :huh: It's a great point and would be a great motivator for me...i might try it :happy:

    Really, try it for a few days. I did it for a week and was :noway: at all the freaking time I spent staring at the boob tube or on here (:blushing: ) I found my hour that is for sure!!

    :flowerforyou:
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