busy mom needs help!

I get up at 4:00 a.m. three days a week to walk/jog. Two days a week, I wait for the husband to get home so I can go. The other times, I exercise with the family or just try to squeeze in time after everyone is in bed! I have found myself turning on the radio and just dancing with my children! They think its silly, and I get a little movement in. Walking helps any time! Just make an effort to move more-take the long way around at the office, park further out, take stairs, eat at your desk so you can walk during lunch. Every little bit helps

WOW....4 am. There is not much that would get me outta bed at that hour....I have tried to do the whole "work out in the am" thing....sadly, I have failed miserably. I work out at night...after dinner/homework/bedtime.....It generally does not leave me much time, but I get in at least a video.

I really need to get up earlier.

Anyone else just find it next to impossible?

Ho hum.

Be flexiable & creative. When the weather is nice I take walks on my lunch break. I wake up at 4:30am to squeeze my runs in before my one year old wakes up. I do workout DVD's (from my local library so I always have a variety) after my son goes to bed. On weekends exercise is a fmaily activity...I take my son for runs with the carriage, or walks in the wagon, we play at the playground (but, don't sit & watch - get up & play with your kids) and in the summer we take day trips to the beach so we can swim and play in the sand. Looking forward to going on family hikes when my son gets a little older.

If you are anything like me I am not only a busy mom but, a broke mom (lol) so I find free & fun ways to exercise.

Good luck finding what works best with your schedule

Finding time is impossible; I leave things undone and MAKE time. My job is stressful, and it's hard to justify time not actively working on the ever-growing to-do list. I eat at my desk and work through my lunch most of the time. We own our own business as well, and the accounting is all mine. Our house is on the market, and so must be continually show-ready. I've failed over and over to find time to exercise, but finally decided last October that I'm running out of time to put it off.

I paid for an expensive training class at my gym, so it's a priority to me AND my husband that I get my money's worth. He has learned it's not actually that hard to make dinner for himself and our daughter and get her in bed on time. She gets fewer baths and watches more TV, but it's not that big of a deal in the grand scheme of things. They think I'm worth the 3-4 hours a week, and so do I.

I've been going since November, and it's hard sometimes. I am constantly late to class, because there's always something I need to do real quick before heading to the gym. My trainer started a 10 push up late fine, which helps me scoot out the door.

On days the world implodes with stuff I HAVE to get done, I just try to move more or with more intensity. I lie on the couch, and lift Katie straight up looking down at me as many times as I can. I let her sit on my back while I do leg extensions or plank (ouch!). I'll just take a couple minutes to get my heart rate up as often as I can. With a 26 lb wiggly weight always ready to play, it doesn't take much. A trip up and down the stairs will do in a pinch.

HIIT is your friend. Do circuits of full body exercises and plyometrics. Great calorie burn for the time. You can take walks or bodyweight exercises on your breaks.

I am lucky that my husband watches the kids while I work out right after work, at 4:30-5pm. Some days, we have plans or stuffs to do, and I work out after the kids go to bed at 10:30pm.

I have two kids and work full time. When we get home, I fix them dinner, then go workout. On the weekends I workout in the mornings. Occasionally I'll get up early (5a) to workout before going to work.

I'm another working mom who's made it a habit to get up @ 5 and work out for an hour before anyone else is out of bed. I made excuses about "no time" for years, and I've been pleasantly surprised that it's actually easier to get up early (on days that I have no choice but to skip the gym, it's HARDER for me to get up & going later now).

I'm not a mom, but I just got an email from SparkPeople about busy moms and exercise...

---


Do you feel more like a chauffeur than a parent? We all know that exercise is important for us to stay healthy, but between cooking, cleaning up, budgeting, homework help, and—oh, yeah—sleep, who has the time?

Next time you feel too busy to exercise, try squeezing it in to your schedule with these tips.

During Drive Time
Try some isometric exercises: Squeeze your glutes, contract your abs, and work your calves by raising your legs up on your toes at red lights. Park far from your destination so you have to walk farther. Arrive early to your event, if possible, to allow time for a brisk walk.

At Programs, Practices, and Games
Walk around the facility before or after the event; look for chances to combine a class or activity with those of your children. For example, take aerobics while your daughter has basketball practice at the YMCA.

While Keeping House
Shop at big stores where there’ll be lots of walking; do meal prep and cleanup with a little music and dancing. Clean to music, and shun some of your labor saving devices (like remotes). When doing yard work, keep moving! Use your leg and glute muscles (instead of your back) to shovel, rake, move dirt, etc.

When doing laundry, do squats to pick up unfolded laundry from the basket, and take fitness breaks during homework time, such as stretching or jumping rope for a few minutes. (Your kids will love it too!) Become your dog’s best friend—most dogs are always ready to play or go on a walk!

For Play Dates
Keep in mind the old adage that children live what they learn. If you don't want your kids to be couch potatoes, be a good example. Walk to the library for story hour; plan regular play times at the park or pool; when snow keeps you home, go play in it. By making physical activity fun, you'll lay the foundation for your kids to have healthy, active lives. What’s more, you’ll rediscover that activity can be fun—not just another item to check off your grown-up list!

The best thing that worked for me was to get up early. I get up at 5AM and either go for a run or pop in a Jillian Michaels DVD.

That way it's done and out of the way before anyone else in the house even wakes up.

Prior to that, I would walk a few miles at a track on my lunch break.

My solution. And it probably sounds as horribke to you as it did to me when I started, but the honest reality is that until I decided to prioritize it I was never going to find time - until you really want it, until it's as big a priority as the rest of the day, it's just too easy to put off. I finally realized the only way I was going to get in shape is if I made it as much a priority and part of my necessary daily routine as doing other bodily maintenance things like eating and drinking. I realize that sounds sort of...harsh, but for me it was very true - I never consistently did it before because it was only a sort of priority. It was too easy for other things to win against in in that kind of competition.