Working parents who work out regularly… what’s your secret?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:If you worked out, you wouldn't be so tired. Work out during your lunch hour.

How do you have time to workout, shower and eat in an hour?

Change/Workout for 40 minutes. Shower/Change for 15 minutes. Walk to and from your office - 5 minutes. Eat the lunch you packed at your desk before or after workout (depending on the type of workout of course).

I am the one who asked your kids ages and your job logistics. Not sure I saw your answer. How/when you workout varies based on these things.

NP here. I wish I had an hour lunch, but you can't change and do meaningful sweaty exercise in a 30 minute break. Maybe a 20 minute walk.

I have been getting away with lunch break workouts during WFH, since I can jump back online all sweaty and shower later, but 5-day RTO is in June and I'm just going to have to lose time with my kids in the early mornings or evenings to work out. In addition to the hour of commuting. Sigh.

Not be as a**, but this is the attitude that keeps you from being fit. Since I can’t do what’s perfect, I will do nothing.

I don’t understand this response. PP is saying she currently works out during lunch and will continue when she RTO but at a different time. How is this doing nothing?

Did you read the response above, which is not OP?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you worked out, you wouldn't be so tired. Work out during your lunch hour.

How do you have time to workout, shower and eat in an hour?

Change/Workout for 40 minutes. Shower/Change for 15 minutes. Walk to and from your office - 5 minutes. Eat the lunch you packed at your desk before or after workout (depending on the type of workout of course).

I am the one who asked your kids ages and your job logistics. Not sure I saw your answer. How/when you workout varies based on these things.

NP here. I wish I had an hour lunch, but you can't change and do meaningful sweaty exercise in a 30 minute break. Maybe a 20 minute walk.

I have been getting away with lunch break workouts during WFH, since I can jump back online all sweaty and shower later, but 5-day RTO is in June and I'm just going to have to lose time with my kids in the early mornings or evenings to work out. In addition to the hour of commuting. Sigh.

Not be as a**, but this is the attitude that keeps you from being fit. Since I can’t do what’s perfect, I will do nothing.

Well you have to be sensible. A gym workout in just 30 minutes (including changing and showering) is not realistic at all. It’s not a plan. And yeah, it does suck to have to choose between basic fitness and spending time with your kids. Denying the tradeoff doesn’t help.

Did you see the poster above who fit in a 25 minute gym workout? What’s wrong with 20 minute very fast treadmill or 20 minute lift on one body part?

Not my body, not my life, so I don’t care. I’m just posting back because I wouldn’t want OP to succumb to this kind of thinking.

OP is in the office and has 30 minutes for lunch. Unless she is going to workout in her work clothes and not shower, there’s no way to fit in a 20 minute workout.

Read up in this chain. A poster asked how to spend 1 hour at lunch.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The secret is to stop collapsing on the couch. Go grab your weights for 20 minutes and then collapse. Or go outside and run for 20 minutes. Just do something to move your body before you allow yourself to sit down, because it’s really difficult to get back up! I normally work out once the kids are in bed around 930/10.

I have this weird thing where if I run any time other than the morning, my joints and balance are wayyy off. Running at 5pm is like torture. Working out really vigorously at night also screws with my sleep. So AM it is … There is also something more motivating to me about the morning workout. I feel like it is really my time and I feel motivated to start the day crushing it.

Same, sort of. I need to work out on a fast or i get horrible indigestion. Even if I wait like 4 hours after eating. So I get us and work out early every week day morning. And work out once on the weekend whenever I get up if I don't have early commitments.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Other fit moms I know work out with kids around. Dad may get kids ready for school while mom runs on treadmill. She is always running 5ks, 10ks and half marathons.

These people tend to truly enjoy fitness and being active.

Another yoga mom I know used to be an instructor. She says she does yoga while cooking, taking a work break, with kids. She used to post online of all her difficult yoga poses while having a baby and toddler watching her. She eats super clean and in tip top shape. It is probably more genetic and her eating that keeps her thin and very fit looking.

Hilaria?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you worked out, you wouldn't be so tired. Work out during your lunch hour.

I hear people say this, but I don’t believe it. I’ve always been more tired when I work out regularly. Even during college, when I was a D1 athlete, I was exhausted all of the time. My teammates and I would joke about falling asleep in our classes. My sister became a competitive swimmer partly because she struggled with insomnia and swimming made her tired.

I’m glad that this works for you, but a lot of people feel more tired and like they need more sleep when they work out.

[Anonymous]

My spouse and I alternate pickup and drop off and on his days I go to the gym either before or after work. He meets a buddy for Racquetball a couple nights a week and I handle bedtime.

I'll be honest, when he's traveling for work it's a lot harder.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If you worked out, you wouldn't be so tired. Work out during your lunch hour.

DP. If I do not work during my half-hour for lunch, then I miss child pickup after school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you worked out, you wouldn't be so tired. Work out during your lunch hour.

How do you have time to workout, shower and eat in an hour?

Change/Workout for 40 minutes. Shower/Change for 15 minutes. Walk to and from your office - 5 minutes. Eat the lunch you packed at your desk before or after workout (depending on the type of workout of course).

I am the one who asked your kids ages and your job logistics. Not sure I saw your answer. How/when you workout varies based on these things.

NP here. I wish I had an hour lunch, but you can't change and do meaningful sweaty exercise in a 30 minute break. Maybe a 20 minute walk.

I have been getting away with lunch break workouts during WFH, since I can jump back online all sweaty and shower later, but 5-day RTO is in June and I'm just going to have to lose time with my kids in the early mornings or evenings to work out. In addition to the hour of commuting. Sigh.

Not be as a**, but this is the attitude that keeps you from being fit. Since I can’t do what’s perfect, I will do nothing.

Well you have to be sensible. A gym workout in just 30 minutes (including changing and showering) is not realistic at all. It’s not a plan. And yeah, it does suck to have to choose between basic fitness and spending time with your kids. Denying the tradeoff doesn’t help.

I’m a fed with a required 30 minute lunch break (must work at least 8.5 hrs) so since to return to office I have been walking during lunch as often as I can. We have a gym but I would only be able to walk there, change and walk back in 30 minutes. So I try to have comfortable work clothes and use the time for movement. I try to squeeze in some crunches and hand weights some at home and one good workout on the weekends. Honestly if I could get my diet really back under control it would be enough. It’s just not burning all the extra calories like when I used to do long distance running pre kids.

[Anonymous]

I am a teacher like another PP. I wake up at 5 and run or go to a workout class. Then I come home and get ready and help my kids get ready before leaving for work at 730. DH does school dropoff

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There's no secret. You just have to make the time. And don't fall into the trap of believing you must spend 1 hour working out 5 x per week or there's no point. Just start with 30-45 minutes 2-3x per week to get back into a routine.

I am fortunate to only have to go in the office 2-3 days per week and I have workout equipment in my basement (a treadmill and weights). On the days I work from home, I work out for about 45 minutes after doing school drop off. I'm usually done around 9:15. I try not to schedule any calls or meetings before 10am to give myself that time in the morning. I might have to log back in after the kids are in bed or get more done the following day (or spend a few hours on a weekend), but starting my day a bit later hasn't been an issue with my colleagues or my clients. On weekends, we are usually busy doing various things but I also try to get at least one workout or activity in per day.

If I didn't have the ability to workout at home, I'd use the gym in my office on the days I go in.

Find the discipline to carve out some time. Don't wait for motivation to do it because that may never come.

This

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When my kids were young I would run with a double stroller, run while my kids biked or scootered, sometimes would get a group of moms together and do a track workout while kids played/ran as well.

Or wake up at 5, or at lunch. But prioritize it, be creative and don’t let perfection get in the way of the good.

This. Now that they’re older we run 5Ks together, play basketball, tennis, bike ride- whatever it takes to stay active and have fun!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I work out at lunch most days. Even if it is just a walk I make sure to do some type of movement.

This or incorporate it into my commute. When kids were preschool and younger even that was a challenge.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you worked out, you wouldn't be so tired. Work out during your lunch hour.

How do you have time to workout, shower and eat in an hour?

Change/Workout for 40 minutes. Shower/Change for 15 minutes. Walk to and from your office - 5 minutes. Eat the lunch you packed at your desk before or after workout (depending on the type of workout of course).

I am the one who asked your kids ages and your job logistics. Not sure I saw your answer. How/when you workout varies based on these things.

NP here. I wish I had an hour lunch, but you can't change and do meaningful sweaty exercise in a 30 minute break. Maybe a 20 minute walk.

I have been getting away with lunch break workouts during WFH, since I can jump back online all sweaty and shower later, but 5-day RTO is in June and I'm just going to have to lose time with my kids in the early mornings or evenings to work out. In addition to the hour of commuting. Sigh.

Not be as a**, but this is the attitude that keeps you from being fit. Since I can’t do what’s perfect, I will do nothing.

Well you have to be sensible. A gym workout in just 30 minutes (including changing and showering) is not realistic at all. It’s not a plan. And yeah, it does suck to have to choose between basic fitness and spending time with your kids. Denying the tradeoff doesn’t help.

Did you see the poster above who fit in a 25 minute gym workout? What’s wrong with 20 minute very fast treadmill or 20 minute lift on one body part?

Not my body, not my life, so I don’t care. I’m just posting back because I wouldn’t want OP to succumb to this kind of thinking.

I don't do nothing. I'm reasonably fit as I currently do workouts in my 30 min lunch break working from home, or sometimes in the evening, and said a 20 minute walk is possible.

But there isn't a gym or shower in or near the office I'm going to. A substitute for "20 minutes fast treadmill" would be hill repeats for 20 minutes outdoors, but then there's the issue of returning to a desk in a shared office covered in sweat. The lunch break workout is an amazing way to fit it in the day IF you have the time and infrastructure, which my previous post was saying I'm going to MISS when I start work in this new location.

[Anonymous]

You have to fake it until you make it. Even a 10 minute walk around the block or 20 pushups is a start and helps, and little habits of this nature start to build on themselves once established.

[Anonymous]

Functional excercise. Walk 3 miles a day round trip to take DD to school, carry her crazy heavy backpack one way. Those stainless steel bento lunches are great for lifting heavy. I chop wood I the fall/winter. Garden in the spring/summer.