- Pregnancy
- Baby & Toddler
- Parents
- Getting Pregnant
- Baby Names
- Product Reviews
-
Registry
- Community
-
More
Want a personalized experience?
Download the free app
August 2011 Moms
Duffgurl
member
Working out/Excercise
Duffgurl
member
So gals I want to know when do you take time in the day to exercise/work out?
I am a working mama and I am trying to figure out how to add working out to my schedule. I am sure this shouldn't be hard but for some reason this has been.
I get up at 5:45am no later than 6:00am get ready for work and I am on the road by no later than 7:10 then I am at work till about 4:30pm and head home. I get home by 5:00pm no later than 6:00pm (depending on traffic) Get home have dinner spend time with my LO and DH then I am in bed no later than 10:30pm. I feel like with my weekday I have no time to fit it in. Then on the weekends I want to spend time with my family. (***I swear I am not trying to make excuses
***)
Anyone else trying to figure this out and manage it?
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Working out/Excercise
I went to bootcamp at 5:30am 5-6 days a week for about 2 years before Sparky (quit when I was 6m pregnant because my belly was too unweildy). DH is a night owl and not an early riser, so I felt bad telling him he had to get up with Sparky while I went to work out, especially since he helps out so many other ways. Also, Sparky didn't start sleeping enough for me to have the energy to get up that early and still be awake at noon. Not to mention the amount of prep the night before I had to do in order to get us out the door 45 min after I got home from bootcamp. I went twice when he was 4m and then quit again. Then I started lifting weights at night at the gym near our house, but that is boring and lonely, so i quit again.
Now, however, I am making working out a priority again. Its good for me and my mental state, and our sex life. My bootcamp (which I loved BTW) just opened a group fitness facility near my house and they have classes that start as late as 7:30. We don't get home most nights until 6, but right when we walk in the door I fix dinner for Sparky, feed him, then he's in a bath and in bed by 7:30. If I need to go to a class at 7:15, then DH will do bath and bed. However, Sparky won't take as much of his bottle for DH and he'll sleep, but he wakes up later on more often if I didn't put him to bed. But that's ok.
DH and I don't eat dinner until I get back from class. A couple days a week I go to a 5:30am class and DH listens to see if Sparky wakes up (unpredictable) and cares for him until I get home. I dont do that all the time though, because DH gets grumpy with no sleep, and it affects his work. He makes 60% of our household budget, so that is important.
Maybe try taking an evening class when your LO is in bed, or have your DH do bedtime.
You just make it work. Jillian's got 25 minute workouts. You don't have 25 minutes to spare? Honestly?
I don't work, so I do some of my workouts during nap time. I also get in a 5k almost every evening. When I don't run I also participate in a boot camp. I just started last night as a matter of fact. It starts at 7 and runs until 8 MWF.
I have dinner ready when DH gets home, I hand the kids off and I am out the door.
For you, I would suggest having a very simple meal plan ready for nights that you want to work out. So, on Sunday, throw a bunch of meat in the crockpot and let it simmer all day. Divide it all out once it's cooked and toss in the freezer in portioned bags. On Sunday, also prepare your other stuff for the week -- wash and tear lettuce, cut carrots, cut mushrooms, cut tomatoes, etc. Make a large batch of rice or quinoa or couscous.
During the week serve your meat, your grain and toss a quick salad. Or steam a vegetable that you already have cut up and washed.
Dinner from start to finish shouldn't take you more than 20 minutes to prepare. That way, you get home, start dinner, eat and then head out the door to work out as soon as you've digested.
Start with 20 minutes. I'm sure you can find it in your schedule somewhere. Good luck!
I hear you JK
I think this is what I will plan to do. Start that Jillian shred routine at night before bed per say and I think for my lunch I will start going for a walk, run or go cycling. Thank you girls for putting your say so in.
I think I just need to realize I need to make the time for myself and my body.
I have the exact same schedule as you!
Here's what I do when I'm feeling motivated (not often though): I take DD in her carrier or stroller and go for a walk right when I get home. I change clothes, feed DD if she needs it and we're off. We get to spend time together, it wears her out for bedtime, and I'm home in time to still do dinner, bedtime routine, etc. If DH is home, he goes with. If it rains or crappy weather, I don't sweat it, I just try for 2-3 days a week right now. It's not a lot, but it's more than sitting on the couch!
I stay at home and I am just having a really hard time staying motivated. I give all you working ladies credit for making the time to workout.
I do try to get on my treadmill at home a couple of times a week for 30 mins while DS is sleeping and SO has been helping me get back to the gym on the weekends to fit in some weights.
I have a similar work schedule as you. However, I leave around 7:30am and I get home around 6pm. I cannot work out in the morning, I am not a morning person. I am currently doing the Couch to 5K. It is only 20-30 minutes a day, 3 times a week. I try to only work out once or twice during the week and then usually twice on the weekend. During the week I get home put an already preped dinner in the oven, head out for a quick run with hubby and baby in the stroller, come back home dinner for all and then put baby to bed.
You should try the Couch to 5K it is totally do-able (this coming from someone that HATES running!)
I've found I won't make time for exercise once I'm at home, so I have to do it either right before or right after work. There is a yoga studio on my way to work that offers classes at 7am and others at 4pm and I can attend either one of those time slots, still get in 8 hours of work, and pick up the baby befoe they close at 6.
Currently I do bodysculpting classes there which are like intense mat or barre based hour-long workouts usually twice a week, and I aim for one or two 90-minute yoga classes there each week as well.
But I totally feel ya... it's really difficult to give up quality time with the baby so I can go work out, which I don't particularly enjoy doing.
My one bit of advice -- TAKE ADVANTAGE OF YOUR HUSBAND!!! If you both work full time outside the home, there's no reason why you should be the one having to take care of 100% of the housework, cooking, etc. Maybe set up regular nights where he prepares meals and that can be your designated workout time?
I bring DD with me when I run. If I am off in the morning, I load her into the jogger after breakfast about 15 minutes before her AM nap should be and off we go. SHe will always fall asleep in the stroller. If I didn't have time in the morning for a run, I get home from work around 6:15, feed her dinner, give her a bath, put her in her jammies and we are hitting the pavement by 7:30 (now that it is daylight davings this works great) and then she goes to her crib for the night when we get back.
It is hard to fit in. Good luck and definitely make it a priority because it is good for your kid for you to be healthy!