When could I fit exercise into my day?

How long a lunchbreak can you manage? Do you have a gym or pool near your workplace? If you have an hour for lunch you could fit in a half hour gym or swim 3 times a week if there is somewhere nearby. Otherwise the 20 minute brisk walk every day option would at least get you moving.

Loads of people in my office use their flexi time to fit in exercise - either starting later and having a short lunch so that they can swim before work (I do this), having a short lunch and finishing early to go to the gym on the way home, or taking a longer lunch 3 days a week and a short one on the other two to do 3 gym sessions or classes. We are lucky though and our office is about 5 mins from the university sports centre, which has a pool and a gym and runs lunchtime classes eg spinning, crossfit etc.

Diet isn't necessarily more important than exercise. A fat, fit person is less likely to die early than a skinny, unfit one. Proper medical fact.

What do you do during your lunch break?

I tend to go for a brisk walk for 45 minutes.

Alright, it's not a mind-blowing work out, but it is getting you up and moving and improves fitness. Also does wonders for sense of wellbeing, for me personally.

I can't cope with exercise in winter first thing in the morning - we have no heating downstairs, just a fire so it's freezing. I'd have half an hour after your DS has gone to bed two or three evenings a week, and an hour on weekends.

my severe mental disorder keeps me motivated! I exercise compulsively especially under stress so it's good for me to have an actual structured routine and be a bit more controlled

I was thinking you could get a skipping rope and do bursts of that at either end of the day but generally what a previous poster said about building more activity into everyday life will work - people always seem to want dramatic change instantly but it doesn't really work like that, lots of tweaks will produce lasting results over time

Good for you.

For me, it's not about being motivated - my motivation is shit.
What I do is try and find ways to force myself. So I have sessions/classes booked at the gym. I book it after a class when I am really aware of how much better I feel. If I wait I start making excuses.

I try to find someone to excercise with or I tell DH and he helps me. If I say to him 'I'm going to take x exercise on Tuesday' he will just go at me if I start coming up with reasons why I can't go.

Once it becomes a habit it gets so so much easier.

Similar routine to myself.

I'm up at 4.50 and fit in 100 sit ups and a 7 minute workout (available to download at the App Store) then after DD is in bed I go to the gym mon, wed and thurs for approx one hour. This has slipped and I haven't been since early nov due to one illness after another and laziness

However, diet is far more important than exercise. You could use that as an excuse to leave it for a while

Aha, cross post.

Starting is the hardest thing, once you see yourself getting fitter/faster/stronger/able to go further/do more reps at the gym/more press ups and planks (if you are shredding) it motivates you to keep going and get even fitter . And you will have more energy if you exercise regularly.

I stopped shredding because it was hurting my knees more than running was, so do be careful.

Thinking back to when mine were younger, I used to do all the morning stuff. I would often moan that I was first up and last ready because I was making breakfast/packed lunches/supervising teeth cleaning etc while DH just got up half an hour later, got himself ready and took the DCs off to the CM. It can be hard to shift that dynamic, especially if you don't get that much time with DC(s) - I used to travel a lot too, so it was important to me to do things for them when I could.

I joined a (cheap) gym and used to go a couple of evenings a week and once at the weekend - DH would do dinner, and I'd have mine when I got in from the gym. He'd sometimes whinge a bit that we weren't spending our evenings together (so I'd offer him the mornings in exchange ), but as others have said it was important for me to have that sanity time alone to do my thing.

I'll also add in support that my getting ready seems to take 1hr 45 in the morning too :)

Have a search on the internet for any local running clubs so you have people to go out with whilst its dark. It's harder to motivate yourself to go alone (and not always safe depending on your location).

I do the same as Sazorchard.

I would add to Pag's point about priorities: three times a week put yourself first. I am sure my DDs would prefer me to be making them breakfast etc in the mornings but I need for my own health and sanity to leave the house for a run and come back at 7.40. My two are bigger, of course, and most of the time their father is there in the mornings. But the principle is the same. And I'm quite aware I am being a selfish bad mother (albeit one in better mood and shape!)

Look, at the risk of sounding snarky, my DH used to get up at 6.00 leave the house at 6.50. He worked until 7.00 and then got home about 8.00pm.
He used to work out three times a week. He fitted it in in the evenings, early on sat or Sunday and at lunchtimes.
During the same period I did yoga once a week.

I didn't have less time than him, I just didn't prioritise. It wasn't important enough to me.

If you really really want to excercise you fit it in - you get up earlier or do it in the evening or find time at the weekend.

Clearly you and your DH can't actually shower at the same time while DS is awake, but a shower shouldn't take longer than 15 minutes, so you can tag team it between 6 and 6:30.
Bear in mind that DS should only get easier from now on in.

I'd also add a pedometer (you can get them for free on smartphones) or posher FitBit type thing and think about adding extra activity into the rest of your day - whether that's taking the stairs, standing to talk to colleagues rather than sitting, standing on one leg while making a cup of tea (I swear by the "never stand one two legs when one will do" approach). Just doing it the difficult way rather than the easy way whenever you see the opportunity. Tiny changes, but squeezing 10% more activity into every waking hour can make a real difference. But it won't improve your aerobic fitness - only running or the Shred will do that.

A few mornings a week get DH to sort your DS. Get up, straight into your running kit and straight out of the door.

Lay all your work clothes out the night before so dressing takes 2 mins.

Do your make-up on the way to work.

Tie your hair back so you don't have to style it.

Park 20 mins away from work and walk.

Run at lunch times.

Take turns doing bed times/ tidying the house/ cooking at night. When it's not your turn go for a run.

Do at least 2 hours exercise at the weekend. If you bring your DS to the playground join in like a loon.

And exercise is not for toning/losing weight. It's essential for general good health-physical and mental.

DD goes swimming at 6.00 several mornings a week. I get up at 5.00 shower, make coffee, her breakfast, get her clothes and drink. Get dressed, full make up and I'm out of the house by 5.45.

I could do shower, dressed and full make up in half an hour. Leave hair naturally to almost dry and style before I leave the house.

What is your DH doing ?

Agree you need to cut down your time getting ready!

I agree the morning is your best option. You are currently allowing an hour for showering, dressing and made up. I get up at 6.40 and am out of house by 7.30 with 2 DDs in tow. You could easily halve that which leaves you 30 mins to do a short workout.

I do it after my dc go to bed. I have a cross trainer and it's not unknown for me to be on it at midnight. Both dc have ASD so don't sleep as much as other children. I have to fit it in somehow though. I get depressed if I don't.

Nearly 2 hours to get up and out? An hour to get showered, dressed and do hair and make-up?

I suppose we all have our priorities but in that hour I would run for 40 and do the rest in 20mins.

Agree you need to do the shred first thing then shower etc.

Can your dh not supervise him or perhaps have breakfast with him giving you a bit of extra time for ablutions?