Help me find time to work out!

[Anonymous]

OP, I was in your shoes, similar schedules, etc. Basically, I only worked out on weekends until my kids were older. Now they are 18 months and 3 and a bit less needy/work intensive, so one morning a week DH gets them ready (I get up early to help out, lay out breakfast, get the younger one changed, etc, but work out from 7 to 8, shower and get into work a little late); one night a week I go straight to work out and then get home later and he takes over dinner, and at least one bedtime, and one weekend day I work out. Right now 3 days a week is what I can muster (sometimes 4). I also have shifted to pretty intense workouts (boot camp versus doing cardio and a little weights on my own). I also alternate with my husband, although he often works out at work, where there is a gym.

[Anonymous]

30 day shred is 18 minutes.

[Anonymous]

Take a lunch hour at work. That's the only way I fit in exercise during the week when my kids were babies and I worked full time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Take a lunch hour at work. That's the only way I fit in exercise during the week when my kids were babies and I worked full time.

And forgot to add, I'm an attorney too but was way more productive after taking that exercise break during the day.

[Anonymous]

OP here. Since I posted, I've taken 2 40 minute walks early in the morning with the baby in the carrier; rode my bike to work twice (40 minutes each way); done pushup/situp/lunge circuits twice; done dumbells twice; gone swimming once and signed up for an exercise class for next week. I feel better already. Especially the biking to work-- I feel like I've accomplished something and look forward to the ride home.

[Anonymous]

Get up at 4:30 or 5AM. Many people do it, I know a lot of runners who get up even at 3AM to squeeze in their workouts. If it's that important to you, you'll find the time.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Get up at 4:30 or 5AM. Many people do it, I know a lot of runners who get up even at 3AM to squeeze in their workouts. If it's that important to you, you'll find the time.

I don't know what kind of person would dive such a crazy piece of advice. Sleep deprivation is dangerous. I can cause illness and weight gain. Sleep is by far more important to one's well-being than working out. Sacrificing sleep to work out is counterproductive to put it mildly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Get up at 4:30 or 5AM. Many people do it, I know a lot of runners who get up even at 3AM to squeeze in their workouts. If it's that important to you, you'll find the time.

I don't know what kind of person would dive such a crazy piece of advice. Sleep deprivation is dangerous. I can cause illness and weight gain. Sleep is by far more important to one's well-being than working out. Sacrificing sleep to work out is counterproductive to put it mildly.

You just made that up. Besides the poster didn't say not to sleep. They said to get up early.

[Anonymous]

I have a smiliar schedule, and I finally just had to bite the bullet. I get up at 4:30 or 5 and go to the gym until 6:30 or so. It SUCKS and I'm in bed by 9:30 but it's the only way I'll get it done. I also found I had to actually leave my house -- I can't stay and do videos because I just lay on the couch and watch them! GOOD LUCK!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have a smiliar schedule, and I finally just had to bite the bullet. I get up at 4:30 or 5 and go to the gym until 6:30 or so. It SUCKS and I'm in bed by 9:30 but it's the only way I'll get it done. I also found I had to actually leave my house -- I can't stay and do videos because I just lay on the couch and watch them! GOOD LUCK!

This is so true.

OP, ulitmately the only thing that will work is you deciding that exercise is a major priority in your life. That means it's right up there with family time and work. There may be days that you have to cut back on one of the other two to fit it in. Everything else may have to go, but if it's really important to you, as it should be, you have to treat it as such. "Finding time" to work out is not the best approach. It has to be incorporated into your routine, just like eating and sleeping.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Since I posted, I've taken 2 40 minute walks early in the morning with the baby in the carrier; rode my bike to work twice (40 minutes each way); done pushup/situp/lunge circuits twice; done dumbells twice; gone swimming once and signed up for an exercise class for next week. I feel better already. Especially the biking to work-- I feel like I've accomplished something and look forward to the ride home.

Good for you OP. I'm a single mom and my kids are too young for me to leave the house to get a workout in, but I'm looking forward to getting back to some biking. (I have a treadmill and other exercise equipment at the house that I use until then).

[Anonymous]

I do 1 to 2 minute workouts ( push ups, sit ups,etc) at my desk through out the day. Coworkers look at me strange but they've gotten use to it.

[Anonymous]

OP, I went from not having time to work out to having 5, hour long workouts in my schedule - non negotiable. I am an attorney too and WOH FT. DH travels all week so I am alone with my kid. My suggestions:

1. Start by working out twice a week. Say, Saturday morning (or whenever you have time over the weekend) and one day during the week. Maybe wake up 25 minutes earlier, have the DVD player set, and gym clothes out, and do a short workout video. Jillian Michaels is popular, you can also do TAe Bo, or whatever. BAM. two workouts in. When that is comfortable in terms of time management, add another workout. And then another.

2. I stay a little longer at work, but workout during the day. Show up a half hour early, and take a full hour for lunch, instead of eating quickly and surfing the web, by the time that is said and done you will have wasted 30 minutes. More if you don't pack your lunch every day.

3. Designate certain workout days as non negotiable. For example, if your workout days are Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, do not give yourself the option of just postponing to Tuesday. If it is 8 on Monday and you haven't gotten your workout in, you workout right then. Even if it's a ten minute workout.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have a smiliar schedule, and I finally just had to bite the bullet. I get up at 4:30 or 5 and go to the gym until 6:30 or so. It SUCKS and I'm in bed by 9:30 but it's the only way I'll get it done. I also found I had to actually leave my house -- I can't stay and do videos because I just lay on the couch and watch them! GOOD LUCK!

This is so true.

OP, ulitmately the only thing that will work is you deciding that exercise is a major priority in your life. That means it's right up there with family time and work. There may be days that you have to cut back on one of the other two to fit it in. Everything else may have to go, but if it's really important to you, as it should be, you have to treat it as such. "Finding time" to work out is not the best approach. It has to be incorporated into your routine, just like eating and sleeping.

This. There's no magic solution other than prioritizing it.

[Anonymous]

Instead of watching TV with your husband do a workout together. maybe get the insanity DVD or Jillian michaels.

I have 2 kids. The older one has a much longer bedtime routine where the younger one is too young to care ig he gets 5 books. So we alternate who puts which kid to bed. So whomever puts the younger one to bed is done much earlier and can use that time to workout.