Question for all you working parents out there

I am so with you on this one, I only returned to work last week after having 11 months off on maternity (I have 9month old twins) plus a 7 year old at home. While on maternity leave I was managing a massive amount of workout time mainly because of going to the gym in the evening and whenever the babies were sleeping doing home workouts such as Jillian Michaels and now Insanity. Seriously I have become obsessed we're talking arounf 15 hours a week with a rest day! So I was concerned about not being able to workout once went back to work.

Well Like I say im only 1 week in but working out in the morning seems to be working, I am up early (5am with the babies) I play with them and have a coffee and by 6 im awake and ready to workout. The babies go in the walkers and i have half the lounge they have the other and i do insanity before they want there cereal at 7am. Husband then gets up at 7 and feeds them while I shower and dress. I understand the fitting it in, the evenings i feel are the worst with dinner demands, bath time and grumpy tired babies. I feel its snatching some time for you,but I make sure I get this as a workout is well worth it I feel great for doing it and bad when I dont.... The dishes will still be there in 30/60 mins time.

Maybe look at workouts that take less time, smaller workouts that you wont feel so guilty for fitting in. you can get some that are 10 minute solutions and they have these on various areas (a few people i know swear by them) and it literally is a 10 minute workout 5 on a dvd and you fit them in where you can.

Being a working mum/ wife etc is such a busy life-......hoe you find a way to fit in some you time!

Seriously... how do you find time to exercise? I don't know how to get out of my rut. I know sometimes it's lack of motivation, but most of the time it's truely lack of time.

Since joining MFP I have not been brave enough to try to get up earlier than I already do. I am very stiff and sore when I first wake up, so moving a lot will only pull my muscles (I have tried in the past). Also, I have a 2yo at home that does not always sleep through the night. Since I am always exhausted, it does not make sense to me to get up early and be even more exhausted.

When I get home after my 8-10 hour work days I have just enough time to make dinner while helping the older kids with their homework/housework/lives. Maybe playing with the 2yo for a few uninterrupted minutes and trying to clean up from dinner, etc...

By that time it's 9-10 pm and I'm pooped.

I made a deal with my hubby that he would give the 2yo her bath 3 days a week so I could do a workout for 30 minutes. He normally does it anyway, but I wanted to firm up a plan that would help keep me motivated to do it. That worked 1 time before he got sick, then the rest of us got sick. That was 3 weeks ago.

How do you keep going when your life is not only your own? I can't say I'm going for a walk when there are dishes to be done, dinner to make and children to love and care for.
How do you fit it in? How do you take back some of your time for yourself without pushing all responsibilities onto your spouse? I feel like I've been waiting for my kids to leave the nest so that I could be me again. Another 16 years is too long to wait.

I don't know your home situation but how about give your spouse SOME responsibilities. It's been 3 weeks since he got sick. Why can't he bathe your child now. Being a mom of 2, I don't have time to get sick and relax. My kids get bathed even when I am sick. I understand that your child doesn't sleep, it happens. Can't you alternate between the two of you who gets up early? Make a chart with chores. You have 2 other kids, get them to set the table, do the dishes etc. Again, why can't you and your spouse alternate making dinner? You HAVE to make time for yourself.

I have a 6 yr old and 2 yr old twins... My husband works nights so my only time to get a workout in is at 5am. If I don't do it then and tell my self I will after work then it doesn't happen... A routine and support make all the difference. I have a neighbor who I go to the gym with so we keep eachother accountable too. For me, I had to fight through the "tired" feeling.. especially since my twins wake a few times a night when they are sick.. and they are sick alot!. If I used the "im tired and didn't sleep well" excuse then I would never become the healty me i look forward too.

Sow ith you on this one, my twins are only 9months but I still have more nights of popping in to them from stirring sleep then sleeping though. By 7am my workout is done. Tiredness i work through it get a bit of energy and after a shower get to sit down then its rest/ sleep time.. x

I'm a single mom, working full time, and living in a community where I really don't know many people. I can't afford childcare, so the kiddo is with me whenever I'm not working.

I am definately not a morning person, and chances are if that was when I planned to work out the snooze button would win the battle alsmot every time.

I've accepted the fact that my house isn't going to be spotless all the time, I do a lot of crockpot cooking, and a lot of quick and easy meals. We bike everywhere we can, go for walks, and when my daughter is outside playing I"m right there beside her running around, acting goofy, pumping my legs as hard as I can to swing higher... I figure anything that gets my heart rate up a bit is better then nothing at all.

She also knows that I am going to do my biggest loser video 3 times a week, and she's welcome to do it along side of me (She's 5, and her efforts always make me laugh), or find a quiet activity either in the room with me or in her room. AS much as I wish I could spend every minute focusing my energy and attention on her it's not realistic, and I need her to see that mommy cares about herself, and is doing good things for herself.

Sometimes I will do something extra once she's in bed for the night, but I find working out too late makes me wide awake and unable to get a decent sleep. If I do something after bedtime, it's usually slow and gentle, stretching, nice relaxing yoga as opposed to Jillians idea of yoga....

It is very hard to juggle it all, this I know. I work about 50 hours M-F. I leave my house by 6:30am and I get home around 5:30pm. I have two boys ages 2 and 6 and here is what a typical week looks like for me. Of course you wont do the same as me, but you can modify to what you have available. You just have to make it a priority. Have a couple of options available to you so as the day goes on you can choose which will work best for you ex: do I have time to go to the gym, or will a 30 min DVD be my only option. Or you can always incorporate your kids/family into your work out routines. Take the kids for a bike ride, or go running and have them bike along or push a stroller. Exercise can be found anywhere, it is not just heading out to the gym!

Mon: pick up oldest from school, get dinner ready, while they eat (hubby is home with them) I leave and go to the gym for my Hip Hop Class. I am home by 7:30pm to help with homework, baths, and bed time routine. This is the day I see the least of my children which sometimes makes me sad, since I already have such little time with them but they could care less!!!

Tues: pick up oldest from school, get dinner ready, eat with the kids, go for a bike ride or walk with them (hubby is at class on this night) Home all night with the boys so it makes up for the only few hours I had with them on Monday!

Wed: Take a Zumba class on my lunch break - get to be home all night with the boys!

Thurs: Pick up youngest from my mother in laws, get home around 6:00pm, make dinner, eat dinner as a family and bike ride or walk together and do a DVD work out when kiddos go to bed

Fri: I dont do anything, it is my rest day - Family movie night

Sat: Wake up, make breakfast for the kids, go to gym for HITT class. Back home by 10:30am and I already have had a great work out in and the rest of the day ahead of me! I usually do my cleaning on this day as well

Sun: Somtimes Zumba class or Yoga or Rest Day. This is the day I plan all my meals for the week and grocery shop

GOOD LUCK!

I hit the gym at 6:00 am most mornings or go exercise when my kidlets are at their event. (i.e. I run while my daughter is at piano, go to the gym while my son is at karate etc.)

Here are my suggestions:
1. Go on a 30-min walk RIGHT after you put the kids to bed. Literally have your workout gear on while you are tucking them in and walk right out the front door after you are done.
2. Push your 2 y.o. in a stroller on a 30-min walk right before bedtime. Kids sleep great after some fresh air.
3. Go to bed @ 9:30 and get up @ 6:00 am for a 30-min workout. That's 8 hours of sleep plus 30 min of "flex time" if your kiddo wakes up during the night.
4. Get up and exercise even if you had a rough night. You will be much more awake with 30 min of exercise vs. 30 min of extra sleep.

Seriously... how do you find time to exercise? I don't know how to get out of my rut. I know sometimes it's lack of motivation, but most of the time it's truely lack of time.

Since joining MFP I have not been brave enough to try to get up earlier than I already do. I am very stiff and sore when I first wake up, so moving a lot will only pull my muscles (I have tried in the past). Also, I have a 2yo at home that does not always sleep through the night. Since I am always exhausted, it does not make sense to me to get up early and be even more exhausted.

When I get home after my 8-10 hour work days I have just enough time to make dinner while helping the older kids with their homework/housework/lives. Maybe playing with the 2yo for a few uninterrupted minutes and trying to clean up from dinner, etc...

By that time it's 9-10 pm and I'm pooped.

I made a deal with my hubby that he would give the 2yo her bath 3 days a week so I could do a workout for 30 minutes. He normally does it anyway, but I wanted to firm up a plan that would help keep me motivated to do it. That worked 1 time before he got sick, then the rest of us got sick. That was 3 weeks ago.

How do you keep going when your life is not only your own? I can't say I'm going for a walk when there are dishes to be done, dinner to make and children to love and care for.
How do you fit it in? How do you take back some of your time for yourself without pushing all responsibilities onto your spouse? I feel like I've been waiting for my kids to leave the nest so that I could be me again. Another 16 years is too long to wait.

I used to think the same way that you do. I have three kiddos under the age of six. My youngest (2) still nurses and co-sleeps.

I began by going to the gym at dinner time. I just did -- no excuses, no whining. I would make dinner and then my husband would come home and eat dinner with everyone while I worked out for an hour or so. I started not liking the "high-five in the hallway" that we were doing, so I started going in the morning. My old gym opened at 5:15 and I would try and be there by 5:30am. Sounds tough? Well, it was at first. But I had to decide what was more important, being sleepy (which I most certainly wouldn't be after getting to the gym) or being healthy.

I switched gyms to one that didn't open until 6:00. I need to be home by 7:15 at the latest to help get my oldest off to Kindergarten and get ready myself for the day. I decided that I would make it work. Even though it didn't open until 6:00, someone is usually opening it up at 5:45, and after I was there consistently for while, they gave me the code to get in even earlier if I needed it.

My youngest went through a phase where she would wake up right around the time that I needed to get up and go. I did fall off the wagon (so to speak) around that time. She woke to nurse, and the timing was just off. However, I didn't give up, and now we have a nice schedule where she is usually asleep when I'm sneaking out of bed to head to the gym.

You will be exhausted for awhile until your body get used to it. It's just a matter of importance.

My gym also have abbysitting hours, and so if I miss a morning workout, my two little ones come with me. They love it!! It's a treat for them to go and I get a two-hour chunk of time to run, lift, etc.

Walking with the stroller is also a good suggestion, I love running with ours!!

I fully support the suggestions of just get up and go even if you had a rough night. Things will ONLY get easier for you, but much harder to begin if you don't ever start!