Fit parents with kids - when do you find time to work out?

[Anonymous]

Work out in the evening. If you can't exercise after a full meal, then have a small meal before and a small meal after your workout. Don't feel bad for not having a full dinner with the family, just being present during dinner is what matters.

I can't stand working out in the morning. Not only do I hate getting up that early, my morning workouts are also just not so good. Especially when it's cold. So rather than trying to force myself to become a morning person, I just work out after the kids are in bed.

DW and I break up the bedtime routine so that I'm free by 8PM. That's when I start my workout. I'm done in time to eat a snack, get to bed and get 8 hours of sleep.

[Anonymous]

By far the most helpful thing we did to keep up with exercise is to build a home gym in our garage. Treadmill and weights are the most important elements. If you are really crunched for space, get a rowing machine that can be stored vertically.

If you have to travel even 10-15 minutes to a gym, it will hold you back on days where you just want to sit and relax. As parents, you have a lot of those days. But when you just walk to your garage or rec room and the workout equipment is right there, it's so much easier. Absolutely worth the investment in your health and mood.