When do you actually exercise??

[Netter123]

Do you wake up early? Before or after work? When the kids are sleeping? How often? I have just realised that I am very sedintary and need to incorperate more into my routine but I always feel so tired with having kids and work I dont know when is best to do it! Do people really feel better for it or just even more tired with achy muscles?

Now if I do a class it's after work, so I have to go to the class and then go home afterwards - on public transport. DH watches DC then and does bedtime routines. As he's up and out of the house very early - up at 5 or 5.30am then I can't really exercise before then - e.g. jog etc - but childless neighbour has offered to mind them - not sure how I feel about that - or I pay childcare or send them to breakfast club.

I go to the gym 3-4 times a week. I’m thinking of adding a morning yoga class as I need the flexibility. I generally am at the gym by 3pm. It is less crowded before the after work people get there.

I was very tired during the first month. My muscles felt very fatigued. The upside was no issues with insomnia! After about 5 wks, I noticed an energy increase.

Good luck! Taking those first steps are often the hardest

After DD is in bed. I do 20-30 mins HIIT type stuff.

Try Jillian Michaels 30 day shred. DVD is fiver on amazon or you can stream on prime. Bargain!

I started during mat leave two years ago when DD was napping as it's a 20 minute workout and I'm still at it (and other things too like). I'm in better shape now than before I had her.

There is a support group for Jillian's Shred going on Exercise board. Great for motivation.

It really gets much easier when your DC get older.

The time I used to spend on the morning school run became the time for an actual run once they couid take themselves.

I have more energy when I'm running regularly (at least 3 times a week)

I used to go running at 5.30 am 4 days a week for 45 minutes when kids were little. Now I go to the gym at 7pm most days.

I'll preface this by saying I don't have kids and I work for myself, at home, so I know in some ways I'm more flexible than a lot of people. But I am always very busy with work and for me, the key things are finding exercise that I really like and going somewhere close by (ie a shortish walk, not somewhere that needs a bus or tube ride).

Mostly I exercise in the early mornings, as the day tends to get away from me; I find it hard to stop and get away at other times. Having said that, I have a gym class on a weekday mid-afternoon that I attend pretty regularly. I think I find it relatively easy to fit in because it fits my key criteria.

I find it energising and grounding to exercise. Plus I'm much more toned and strong than I used to be, and am much fitter, so I feel physically confident. I do yoga and zumba and the latter, particularly, improves my mood and just makes me feel happy.

I try to run 3 times a week. A combination of lunchtimes if working at home, evening when youngest is down, around the kids activities. I've recently started to use the hour that our eldest is doing an activity - Brownies, gymnastics etc and running from the drop off whilst she's doing her thing. Ok I've had a few odd looks when I turn up hot and sweaty but I really don't care. I've done some exercise and feel good for doing it.
Other than that the only other advice is when you decide to do it get your kit on. Once you're in that you're 90% there.
Plan plan plan.

Before kids I'd go for a run at 6am. I'm on mat leave so haven't been for a run in ages. I walk for 2 hours a day going to and from baby classes so that keeps me at the same weight.

I tried running with the buggy which is a lot harder than you might think.

When I return to work I'll have to figure out how to get the exercise in. Dd wakes up at 6am sometimes 7am and I'm not a fan of evening exercise

I get up at 6, shower, put on gear, drive to work, park car and head to yoga studio from 7-8. I have to organised the night before and get kids lunches, uniforms and my own work and yoga gear ready. Luckily I have a dh who gets the kids up in the morning and out the door. It means I miss all the heavy traffic in the morning and I have my exercise done for the day. I really love it and would miss it if I went without.

I run in the day 3 times a week while Ds is at nursery. I do an evening circuits class. I do a Saturday morning at 8 circuits class, and at the weekend I'll do a long run (90 mins +) and maybe a short one too.

Now the weather is getting warm, I will get up at 6 to run rather than go in the heat. I try not to run in the evenings as it keeps me awake.

I also sometimes do hiit, treadmill or yoga from YouTube.