working out

Sept07b2b

I know this comes up every so often, but how many of you work out regularly? And how do you define regularly? Also, when?

WLJ2

I did for a year when my schedule was 7-3. I went 4 days a week and I went right after work. But not that's it's 9-5 plus an hour commute I honestly don't feel like I have time. I wish I had the motivation to go before work.

*sparky*

SandAndsSea said:

I haven't since DS was born as we seriously have no extra time and he still doesn't sttn. We are thinking of enforcing an earlier bedtime And buying an elliptical for the garage so I could use it from 9-10pm.

This is my problem too. I am having major sleep issues with DD right now so staying up to work out after she goes to bed or getting up early just are not happening. When I was on ML I had a great routine and I was exercising at least 5 days a week but now I would say it's been at least a month since I did anything.

My goal is three-four days a week. We have cardio equipment in he basement and I do yoga. I used to get up early and do it while everyone was still sleeping when we just had one kiddo. Once we had DD during my ML I would either do it during nap time or hit the track with her strapped to my chest (walking not running).

Generally when I am working I have to work out in the morning. By the end of the day I have nothing left.

ErinO21

Right now I'm doing beachbodys T25 and I will do it after LO goes to bed most days. Some days I get up at 5 and do it before he wakes up. It amounts to 6 25 minute workouts per week. We are getting a membership to the YMCA after the first of the year and I'm trying to figure out when it will be best for me to go.

jenn43

I try, but it seems like any day I have time I didn't sleep the night before, so I give myself a pass.  

mae0111

3-4 days a week I get up early (5:30 or so) to run on our treadmill. DH leaves by 5am to hit the gym every day, so I have to stay here. I also have resistance bands and light hand weights, and try to use them a few times a week when I have time. I will say that my kids sleep through the night 99% of the time! and when they didn't, I was definitely not getting up to work out.

Beevol

Prior to getting KU with baby #2, I was jogging for ~30 min 3x/week (outside in good weather/sunlight, and on the elliptical in bad weather/after dark). I'd go after DH got home, before dinner. I'm not a gym person and I'm just not disciplined enough to wake up early. A half an hour isn't a lot but it's better than nothing and totally doable. 

sdlaura

I do it at work 2-3x a week. I take a noon class at a gym about a mile from work and then shower (neck down, so I don't redo hair and makeup). It ends up being a 1.5 hour lunch but on days I travel I work really long days so I don't feel guilty about it. Then I run with kids in a stroller on Saturdays. DH leaves for work at 5:15 am and I'm beat by the time kids are in bed at 8, so during the workday is the only time that works for me.

NADA-H

I worked out regularly before I got married, that meant working out with a personal trainer and weights for 1 hour twice a week plus my work was kind of a workout in itself as I worked as a site engineer in a project management team that managed 3 hotel towers so I was fast walking all day long and climbing up and down stairs a lot daily while wearing heavy site boots and carrying my stuff. that was the summer of 2013. then comes marriage and I stop workout all together due to trying to manage and balance married life/work/family and then 2 months after that I got pregnant and stopped working out.

I tried to go back to workout in my second trimester but it was nothing regular really, I'd just pop in a video when possible and do yoga/light weight workouts and lunges/planks/etc

Once my baby came in July though workout has stopped all together, I went back to work at 6 weeks PP and life is hard as it is, I'm considering starting up again shortly

Slb22

I shoot for 3-4 days a week. LO is not sleeping through the night but varies in what time she gets up. If it works out that she is up to eat less than an hour before my alarm goes off then I stay up and do a t25 workout or Jillian Michaels 25 minute workout. I also workout on weekends. I need it for my sanity so for now it is 25-30 minute workouts whenever I can get then and longer ones when possible or a yoga class.

yvanehtnioj

I wake up early most weekdays and alternate Jillian Michaels 30 day shred or yoga/Pilates. all videos are from YouTube or DVDs. I would really like to get a treadmill so I can jog without leaving the house (H leaves for work at like 6am).

bumpuser10331514

After having LO2, I started running as soon as I got back to work. I have no time at home, so I do all of my extracurriculars at work (thanks, boss!). I did short runs 3-4x a week for a total of 10-12 miles. Then it got cold. Really, really cold.

My early Christmas present was a treadmill and I expect to be firing that up tonight for the first time in 3 weeks. I work 4:30am to 12:30pm then pick my kids up from DC. When we get home, they go down for naps and that's when I intend to do my running.

jlaOK

I have a treadmill at home and I run.  My ideal schedule is Tues, Wed, Fri, Sun.  But a lot of times I only get 3 days in.  I WFH and run during my lunch break.

nattyncbride

I workout 4-5x/week.  I run 2-3x/wk (I don't like the treadmill, so I run for 30-40min after work but before I pick up LO from daycare), and either lift or go to Crossfit 2x/wk.

I have a flexible work schedule, so I might leave early from work, but I log back on and work in the evenings when LO goes to sleep.

I admire those that get up early to work out!  Good luck in your quest to fit it in!

vvvvvfee

i'm another one willing to fess up that i don't work out regularly, and haven't since DS was born.  sometimes i walk on my lunch break at work, and i try to get out and run around or go for a walk with DS on the weekends, but i don't have any regularly scheduled gym time. i've just been too sleep deprived and frazzled to really make a concrete plan and stick to it. i have a long commute and don't have the time/energy in the evenings, plus an inflexible F/T work schedule. i know this is something i really need to fit into my day for my mental and physical health, i just haven't been able to do it consistently.

sweetsunnyc

I love to work out and feel much better mentally when I can get a few workouts in. I aim for 3 days a week, but feel ok if I get 2 in. I do a power yoga class once a week and then try to do two five mile runs on the treadmill at the gym. Luckily, my gym and my yoga studio are right by my office, so I workout on my lunch break. 

mexicolombiana

I work out every day in some way.  BUT I'm a firm believer in not starting to work out too soon after you have a baby, and to find peace in the fact that you may not be able to work out yet. Especially if your babies aren't sleeping at night.  My girls are great sleepers and have been for quite some time.  I go to bed at midnight every night and don't wake up until 7:30 a.m. I require 7-8 hours of sleep to be able to be as active as I am.  

I didn't really start working out again until my 2nd child turned about 2.  I was playing volleyball once a week but that doesn't do much.  I was still breastfeeding my 2 year old and it was making it impossible for me to leave my house at night to work out.  Finally, I weaned her and that's when I made some changes. 

I started going to the gym every single night and a few months later I started running.  I've dropped 25 lbs (150 down to 125) and I've never been happier. 

Although for a while the weight loss was definitely attributed to healthier eating, working out helped drop the weight faster. 

Now my girls are 2 and 4 and here is my workout schedule:

1. Monday nights volleyball and I come home and run 1-2 miles on my treadmill. 

2. Tuesday if it's nice I run outside or I go to the gym, lift weights and run 1-2 miles only.

3. Wed: I have a 90 minute ballet class, then I come home and run 1 mile on the treadmill. 

4. Thu: I go to the gym or run outside or run on the treadmill inside 1-2 miles. 

5. Fri: go to the gym or run

6. Sat: I take my kids to swim class and run 2 miles on the track inside the gym.  Then I have ballet class from 11-12 pm. 

7. Sun: I run in the morning an/or go to the gym. 

I have made working out part of my daily routine.  It's not an option and I don't believe in rest days.  On my "rest" days I at least run 1 or 2 miles. I also was never a runner and didn't believe I could run but now I can easily run a mile in 8 or 8 1/2 minutes. 

chloebeth930

Maybe like twice a month, and that is probably streching it.

The sad thing is, my work will let me have an hour lunch break and I could hit up one of the gyms that are free here on the military base I work out, and yet, I still don't do it.

NADA-H

for ladies who have a daily routine for their workout and are working I have a few questions because I'm going crazy trying to comprehend it all

are you working full time?

how much time a day do you put aside for workout

do you nurse/pump?

how far away is your gym?

do you cook? if not, how are you managing lunch/dinner

do you have a live-in nanny?

I think the time I spend on the road contributes to killing my energy and ability to do anything. 

getting ready and sneaking any form of breakfast in the morning means I wake up at 6-6:30 am and leave by 7:30 am the latest to drop her off and get to work at 8 am

I finish work at 4 pm and my baby's nursery is right next to my office but pick up+getting home takes an hour and I'm at home by 5 pm and I change and then spend time with my baby for a couple of hours. and I still need to make lunch/dinner after I put her to bed between 7-7:30 pm and I don't sit down till 8:30-9 pm and I'm just done then so I pump while I watch TV or update our monthly budget sheets and then hit the sheets and enjoy multiple baby induced awakenings (thank you 4 months wakefulness)

If I want to get to the closer gym to workout for an hour after work, I will need to spend 2+ hours on workout and commuting.

any help on getting workout incorporated is appreciated. Any youtube workout videos that you can suggest that incorporate mama and baby under 6 months of age is highly appreciated because then we can do that after work...that counts as quality time...right?

bumpuser10331514

NADA-H said:

are you working full time? Yes

how much time a day do you put aside for workout? 30 min

do you nurse/pump? Yes, although I'm so busy it has started to slide.

how far away is your gym? My basement or outside. I'd never be able to workout if I had to go to a gym

do you cook? if not, how are you managing lunch/dinner? I cook dinner. The kids are usually up and hanging out. I try to have dinner done by the time DH gets home at 5:30. If not, DH cooks.

do you have a live-in nanny? No.

You sound too busy to work-out right now. I'd just try to eat healthy - and during those particularly busy days - just try to eat. The first several months after DD was born, I was just too busy. If I hadn't been able to workout at work, I wouldn't have been able to do it. What I needed was a break, and that sounds like what you need, too. If you want to do something, just do 15 minutes of situps, pushups, and stretching in front of the TV. You could also keep some hand weights handy and do some arm exercises.  

shakinros

I'm really impressed by everyone's workout schedules! I'm still not working out and my kid is over 2. In my defense, she's an early bird and I need 8 hours of sleep to feel ok. So since she wakes up at 530, I'd need to be asleep by 930, and that happens maybe twice a week.

I am going to the gym about twice a week for the past month. Once on a weekday morning after daycare dropoff (if there's a day I can go in super late) and then once on the weekend. Part of my issue is that I'm not very good at asking DH to take over parenting. Since I'm the default parent, he never volunteers either. When my gym membership is up in January, I might cancel it and save for an elliptical to put in our basement instead.

momofcatan

I started doing a Zumba class once a week after DD is in bed. I also try to do lots of walking with with the stroller on the weekends. I could definitely use more activity, but I'm happy I at least have once a week consistently (and I LOVE zumba).

mae0111

are you working full time? Yes

how much time a day do you put aside for workout? 30-45mins

do you nurse/pump? No - couldn't, so never did.

how far away is your gym? I have a treadmill in the basement, hand weights, and resistance bands.  DH leaves for the gym most days by 5am, so I work out starting at 5:30-5:45am.  If he's home later, and it's not freezing, I run outside in the morning.

do you cook? if not, how are you managing lunch/dinner? I WFH 2 days a week, so I try to cook on those days.  DH makes dinner for the kids the other 3 days, and then I make something for us a bit later.  Simple stuff, try to do lots of prep/cooking on the weekends and just reheat during the week.  I try to bring lunch, or I just go to the cafeteria in my building - fantastic salad bar.

do you have a live-in nanny? No - we have a nanny, but she doesn't live in.

mae0111

Can't seem to edit my post, but I just wanted to add again that I was NOT working out AT ALL until both DD's slept through the night. 

And honestly, the reason I started working out again was because apparently I'm getting old, and my WHOLE BODY hurt all the time.  Since I started running again, my whole body feels better.  I haven't lost any weight, and I'm not even sure my clothes fit better, but my joints don't hurt anymore.

potbellypig

I'd like to work up to doing prenatal yoga 1-2 times a week, 2 short runs and 1 long run.

I'm motivated now as I am considering signing up for the "Hypothermic 1/2" in February. Before getting pregnant, I ran 5-10k 3-4 times a week with a day in between to avoid over-use injuries. Going off of my antidepressants really threw off my motivation, but now that I'm back on them and that they've started to work again, I don't think it will be too hard to start being active again. When I'm in a good mental space, exercise is a huge joy/priority for me. It helps keep me mentally healthy as well, but when I'm in the dumps I can't get myself do it to save my life.

I work full time.

I don't nurse DS.

I run on the treadmill at home and do yoga at home as well. I'd like to go to the track instead because the treadmill is too easy. It's about 5 minutes (if that) away from home and work (small city living).

Yes I cook, simple meals.

I don't have a live-in nanny and just let my cleaning lady go.

Sept07b2b

My thing is that I have working out on the weekends totally down.  Our gym has a stay and play, and our kids absolutely LOVE going, so both Saturday and Sunday mornings, the whole family goes to the gym for about an hour.

Where I struggle is during the week.  When the weather was nice and it wasn't dark at like 5:00, I would run once or twice during the week after the kids went to bed.  Now that it's colder and darker, my motivation is just totally lacking!!  After the kids are in bed, I just want to jump under the covers myself!  ugh!! 

I admire all of you who have such great motivation!

Fallbaby11

I would love to, but I am exhausted.  DH travels M-F and I work 7:30-4 every day except Wednesday.  I leave the house at 6:30 and don't get home until 5:15-5:30 and have to make dinner, clean up, bath for DS and get him to bed by 8.  After that I am so tired since my DS is not a great sleeper and I am doing everything Mon-Friday.

yvanehtnioj

@nada-H
for ladies who have a daily routine for their workout and are working I have a few questions because I'm going crazy trying to comprehend it all

are you working full time? yes but my hours are somewhat flexible in the mornings. i don't have to be at work until 9am and i actually get there most days at 9:30. i do have a bit of a commute though - 40 minutes. i wake up at 5:30, workout till 6/6:20, eat & relax until 7, get myself baby and baby gear ready, and I'm out the door by 8:20.

how much time a day do you put aside for workout do you nurse/pump? I stopped pumping. It was eating into my schedule though. I only had time to work out if I was at it by 5:30 on the dot and quick right at 6 to start pumping.

how far away is your gym? I don't have time for that, I do all workouts at home. I use Jillian Michaels 30 day shred and videos I find on youtube. One of the best is Blogilates- she puts up TONS of videos for free. I used her "Beginner's Calendar" to get back into the swing of things when I was still on maternity leave.

do you cook? if not, how are you managing lunch/dinner I do cook, but it's simple meals now. A piece of meat & some veggies on the side most nights. Or our old standby- grilled chicken salad.

do you have a live-in nanny? nope

NADA-H

I dont feel like such a bum now

mae0111

NADA-H said:

I dont feel like such a bum now

I was CERTAINLY not working out when my kids were that age.  You are in survival mode.  At that point, I thought getting to work without spit up all over me was a giant victory.  Other than a walk around the neighborhood, or running from work to catch a train home, there was NO working out.

NADA-H

thank you so much ladies..I thought something was wrong with me or the way I handled things when everyone mentioned their amazing working out schedules..didn't think that it was becauseyour kids are older. God 1 more thing to feel guilty about (not working out) now that the weather is beautiful here I'm walking more at work and after work, we wear our baby and walk as the streets are a mess around here and we don't have proper pavement around our flat and getting anywhere to workout or walk like a park or a gym means hours wasted in this traffic to barely get any workout done and then that time is eaten out of rest or cooking or anything else really. unfortunately living in a small apartment means no space for equipment so it has to be walking and videos for me since I have a big TV and space in front of it. I will try the videos you ladies suggested.

bumpuser10331514

Whenever I see a woman who is in shape, I make a mental note of how old her kids are. Nine times out of 10 they are *several* years old - like 7+. It's a great way to make my day a little better.

jhopkins.574

haha this is me too!