Full time work balance

[Hangoverstruggles]

Hi, if you work full time with young children do you or could you fit in exercise or time for yourself?

I work Monday to Friday, husband also 45 hours. I leave for work at 7am, and get in after collecting the children around 5:30/6 and have additional kids clubs on Wednesday and Friday.

I'm knackered but also spend all my time sitting down. I'm sluggish and constantly reaching for sugar to keep going. I know exercise is important but really struggle to fit it in. Am I making excuses? Do other manage it?

I know obvious answer it to get up at 5am but... and evenings are taken up with kids dinner, and getting them sorted (and spending a small amount of them)

Feel like life is relentless and there's no time to look after myself! Are all working parents in the same boat?

When I was in your position and leaving the house at 7, I got up at 5:15 and exercised on my cross trainer for about 40 minutes then 10 minute stretch. Everything was looked out the night before so I just had to get myself out of bed and into my gym clothes and just do it.

Now I leave home at 6:15 and am struggling a bit to get up in time to exercise before work but I now walk as part of my commute. Only 3km each way but I walk really fast and change in the office. I get home at 7:30 ish. In the summer it is so much easier as I can walk quite late in the light but I still sometimes go out at about 9 for a walk.

On days I work from home I try to get out during the day but that isn't always possible due to meetings.

I work full-time and have DC 9 and 11. I do have the flexibility to pick the DC up earlier some days, eg 4.30, if they have an activity but then I just have to bring the extra home. I leave the house by 8. 3 days a week I have a variety of activities to get to which often finish at 7. Or now DC1 is a bit older she eldoes Guides 7.30-9pm. The time between whenever I get home and 9pm is taken up by transporting DC to activities, cooking dinner, supporting with homework etc. Then they go to bed at 9pm and I always have at least 1-2 hours of work to do. DH also a teacher and he has a much longer commute so usually only gets back to pick them up once a week so I can stay later at school.

I try very hard to fit in at least 2x20 minutes home workouts. It's not a lot but better than nothing. I do a YouTube yoga and a YouTube strength training with weights. If I find myself with an extra 20 minutes during the week, eg if dinner is something that is just put in the oven, I try to do an extra session then. I used to swim once a week while my DC did swimming lessons as there was a day when lessons only took up half the pool and the rest was open for public swimming. Now the lessons take the whole pool so I can't do that. Some people I know do pop into the gym for 30 minutes while their DC are in lessons at the sports centre.