To the mums out there - how do you manage

A one hour workout is only 4% of your day. You just have to find the time.. Move things around or save it for another day. Before I found a gym with a daycare, I was waking up at 4:30am to get to the gym at 5am.. On days when I can't make it during the day, I go at night. There's always time for a workout.. People that say there isn't are just making excuses, in my opinion.

Who was looking after your children at 4am? I know they were probably asleep but some one had to be with them. This lady may be a single parent

She's obviously not a single parent, as she said she feels guilty about running out when her husband gets home from work

It can be done. You just have to decide what is important to you. If all the reasons you have listed are more important that is your choice. I decided for myself that I am going to make time for myself to go to the gym, If I can't get my exercise it makes me very grumpy and nobody wants that. You need to make time for yourself.

There are 3 other able bodied people in my house that can help with the rest and if they can't help maybe it just won't get done. Maybe it is time to recruit your family to start helping instead of doing everything for them. Will make your life much easier and teach them responsibility.

I workout at home. I have 5 kids, deployed husband and there are no gyms within 100 miles that offer childcare (small town, yay). I do a lot of activities with the kids, biking, swimming, hiking... and also do home workout videos like Jillian Michaels.

Yesterday I helped my 4 yr old learn to ride her bike. Let me tell you, bending half way over and running up and down the street 60 times is definitely a workout!!

You CAN do it! Like others have said, there's lots of things (especially cardio) you could do at home so that you're not away as often. Then, a couple of days a week, you could go to the gym to check in with the PT, and to do some weight training. If your boys are well behaved, you could bring them with you and have them do their homework while you work out. If not, make dinner and clean the house until your husband gets home, and then go. Why should you feel guilty about taking care of yourself? If your husband is like most, I'm sure he has things he does on his own on a regular basis, and I GUARANTEE he doesn't feel the least bit guilty about it! Plus, by taking care of yourself, you can better take care of your family. If you truly want to get in shape, you can make it work. But, I would look for a PT who will support and motivate you rather than belittling you.

I have a 2-year old, work full-time, go to school part-time, am a trustee at an art museum with bi-weekly meetings, and am training for a half marathon. I always said I didn't have time either--you have to make the time. I wake up at 4:00 am every day (5:00 on weekends) to work out.

Well, simple answer? You have to schedule it just like the 2 trips to the grocery store and trip to the butchers and changing the sheets. You may need to rearrange some things to do it. He is right though. You are the only one that can make the choice to be able to do it 5 times a week.

I don,t have time to go to the gym, my gym membership went largely unused because i didn,t have the time. I have 3 children 2 of them with special needs and I need to fit in my workout around them. This is mainly when they are at school in between the housework etc. I run because it is a great calorie burner and over with quickly for the amount of burn. If i use weights or kettlbells I either do this when the kids are at school or in bed. My oldest is 16 and used to finding me a panting sweaty mess he doesn,t bat an eyelid. I fit it in when i can the other children on our street think i am mad because they often come into the house when i am in the middle of a workout. Exercise is important to me but as you say other stuff needs to be done too.On top of this i work regular nights. I agree your PT hasn,t got a clue and doubt he would find the time also. Don,t listen and do waht you can. Add me as a friend if you want to then we can motivate each other.

I'm a mom to twin 4-year-old boys. I make the time to workout, 45 minutes to an hour a day, 6 days per week (unless I'm sick). My husband watches them if I don't have the time in the day because he knows I'm improving myself. I don't go to a gym, I have a home gym. If I didn't have that, I'd be doing my free-weights and/or resistance band exercises in the living room. You have to want to do it and find or make the time.

I didn't have time to read through the enite thread but here's what worked for me. I can not go to the gym. I am a working wife and mom with a volunteer job on top of it. The gym is a minimum of 1 hour and 45 minutes to 2 hours for me with the drive. What does work for me is I get my butt out of bed at 4:30 a.m. and workout at home. I have a treadmill and strength training equipment. It works like a charm. I mix up some things in the afternoon once in a while like a walk outside or a bikeride. I don't have a trainer. I am reaching my goals. I would love to have a trainer and go to the gym everyday but the reality is I can't and still meet my other responsibilities. There is a yway, you just have to find your way. Good luck!

Your PT likely gets more $$ the more sessions you have with him, yes? Take his advice with a big giant grain of salt. Do you need to work out 5 times a day? Yes. Do you have to do it with him or at the gym? Absolutely not!

Also, I'm not sure of your relationship with your husband, but it sounds like you need to let him take care of some things. I'm sure he wants you healthy and happy. Sit down with him and figure out what he can take care of consistently that will reduce some of the load on you.

I do it. I typically hit the gym about 6 days a week. I don't know how I make it happen, I just do.

I work 8-5, Monday through Friday. So I get my son to school, go to work, pick him up and give him a snack in the car, head to the gym (childcare at my gym is amazing, they take the kids that are old enough to climb on the rock wall or do kids yoga--he really enjoys it). Then we head home and eat dinner by usually around 8:30. Then we read a little, work on some phonics stuff for school (he's only 5, but we're really working on reading and writing), then bath time and he's in bed by 10. That's probably kind of late for a 5 year old, but it works for us.

I've figured out lots of ways to make meals really quickly and healthily. I make a large batch of chicken breast tenders (boneless, skinless, grilled or baked) and have them ready to heat up in the microwave. I also get those steamfresh bags of veggies so I can just pop em in the microwave for a few minutes and there's dinner. I make large batches of rice as well, and have salad/spinach ready to go in the fridge at the beginning of the week. Maybe on Wednesday or so I'll have to cook another batch of food, but I keep meals basically ready to go so it takes maybe 10 minutes to get a healthy dinner on the table.

My son is a big helper. He picks up after himself, he helps me with the dishes/laundry, and we just get it done in the time we've got. In the past it's been really easy for me to say "Well, I don't have time to work out, so I just won't." But I realized that was a cop-out because I CAN make it work. It's not easy, and during the week it's like I'm going non-stop until my head hits the pillow, but it's worth it. My mom did the same thing when I was a kid (and somehow went to grad school AND taught aerobics classes at the same time...I don't know how she did it all), and she still helped me with my homework and made it to every dance recital/choir concert/etc.

Maybe if physically going to the gym is not possible as often as he is saying, you could do workouts from home a couple times a week once the kids are in bed, or before they get up in the mornings? And like a previous poster said, really try to maximize the time you do have in the gym. Make the best out of that hour or 30 minutes or however long you've got there. Have your kids help out at home (I think this is why it worked so well when I was a kid, my sister and I did a lot of household chores since both my parents worked full time; it's how we earned our allowance money), and try the batch cooking idea so you've got healthy meals ready to go. Remember, you only have ONE body and you've gotta make your health a priority. Not just for you, but for your family as well. Healthy, active mom= happy mom! Your kids will learn from your example

I agree with the others who are saying that your PT is overstepping here. He should be helping you design a program that fits with your life, not criticizing you for you "lack of motivation". If it were me, I'd can him.

I also agree that when life is as busy as it is with kids, often working out at home is the best solution. That's the solution I've employed. I am fortunate enough to have a treadmill, so that's a big help, but there also lots of workouts online, and DVDs etc, that you can get. And walks outside are a great way to get moving.

I think basically anything is technically possible to work into your schedule. It just depends on what you are willing to trade for it. I could probably get to the gym several times a week, but I would have to sacrifice time to prepare for the next day, time with my family or sleep (which I am already deficient on). I'm not willing to trade those things. So I have decided to workout at home, and just fit activity into my life where I can. And any PT (or anyone else) who told me that that meant I wasn't committed enough, or that I was making excuses, would not be giving me any advice much longer.

I'm coming a little late to this discussion but I know how it is.

I'm 47, work full time, have a 3 year old at home. It takes dedication to exercise to make it work. It also takes a lot of organization. It also takes help from husband, children, etc.

I get up at 4 am to work out because it's the only time of day I can do it. Everyone else is asleep and I can forcus on myself without interruption. I don't go to a gym. It takes too much time to drive there, change, workout, change, drive back, etc. I workout at home with Tony Horton and the gang. After my morning workout, while the family is still asleep, I can make lunches in peace and quiet while I cool down and stop sweating. Then its shower, get dressed, makeup and hair. Then, I turn on all the lights and get everyone else up. This way, I'm taken care of first.

I've organized my life to make it more manageable (did I spell that right??). I save the grocery shopping for one day/week, usually a weekend morning when the store is empty. If I need something, I run to the store during my lunch break. Otherwise, I'm walking at lunch. I do a load of laundry each day. This makes it a smaller, more manageable job without a bunch of fuss. The kids can help with this.

Do jumping jacks while your kids are doing there homework. They need your help but when they don't, knock off a couple of jumping jacks. Or do some planks, push ups, squats. It all adds up and it's a great way to keep your energy up.

I agree with those who recommended working out at home. My kids have been raised while I exercise - they know that that 1 hour a day is sacred and they can have me for the remaining 23! Exercise when they do homework - if they're stumped, Dad has a brain, right? Or they can wait patiently until you're done. I've found my oldest solves a LOT more of his homework on his own if I'm not available, BTW!

The first thing to do is stop ironing. There is really no reason at all to iron. I stopped years ago and I have never felt better.

After you quit that mess, you will have a lot more time. Either get up early and go to the gym and be back before your husband leaves for work, go during lunch (if possible), or go in the evening and put the kids in childwatch.

It can be done. I have 4 kids and I have been working out daily since the 3rd was 7 mos. old.

There were 2 years I used to go to spin at 530 am twice a week (granted I did not like getting up that early, but I needed to get home before my husband left for work. Oftentimes I would go in the evening after dinner and the kids were in bed.

I am currently able to pretty much go whenever the kids don't have activities, bc I have a 14-yr-old now who can babysit, or I can take the 4-year-old to childwatch.

Once you start making yourself go, it won't take long before it becomes your favorite thing.