To leave my DC home alone to go to the gym?...

[Hatesponge]

I have 2 DC, 10 and 13. I am a lone parent and work full time. I am also trying to lose weight (almost 4 stone down this year but still another 3-4 stone to go), hence the need to do more exercise, which is where the gym comes in.

There's a gym next to my office which is currently running a v reasonable membership offer. To get my money's worth, and some actual health benefit, I'd need to go 3 or 4 times a week.

I can't go after work as I often work til 6pm, and need to go straight home to pick up DS2 from his childminder (on the days when my Ex doesnt collect him) and/or to make the DC's dinner.

I mostly work through lunch or have meetings - I probably could do 1 lunchtime a week at the gym, 2 at best.

So the only other time I could do is before work. But this would mean leaving the boys at home from 6.45am (I normally leave at 7.45am, they leave 10-15 mins later to walk to school).

AIBU if I do this?

Good for you hatesponge, you will be hooked in no time. In order to keep you going it may be useful to find a 5k or 10k you can sign up for. Wrong time of year but some places do have a NY one, which would be a nice goal.

Put your running dates in your diary. 3 x per week is good to aim for. Get yourself a running beginners schedule, if you google you can probably find one for free. You could also do one of your runs at the weekend with the boys if you go out to a park they could play football whilst you jog laps.

Anyway loads of possibilities, if you find it sore on your legs ankles or knees then you do need decent trainers - which you would probably have had to buy anyway if you joined the gym

Hatesponge. Doing specific exercises to improve toning is only useful if you have no fat in that area and you need to build muscle.

So for example if you have a little beer belly like me, doing situps won't change that. All I'd do is build muscle underneath my belly.

The calories you burn off from exrercise combined with a decent diet will hopefully will mean your body has to convert fat back to energy. That will get rid of the "wobbly bits". However, from what I understand the belly is the last place the body takes the fat from so its the hardest part to lose.

In short, running is fine since it burns calories but doing it alone without a diet is 10x harder.

I feel your pain - I have 2 very young DC and work FT. I'm overweight and wld love to get to the gym. Even with DP it's not possible unless I went at 8pm, by which time I really need dinner.

I don't think it's a good idea to leave kids that age alone for such a long period on a regular basis. Sorry.

niceguy2 I have been pondering what you said whilst on a run! I know what you mean about sit ups not changing your outer look if overweight, but I would say there is still value in doing them as a) it stenghtens your core and b) it is likely to improve your posture making you look slimmer if not actually being slimmer)
Or does it mean that there is no value in doing these things until you are at the correct weight?

OP btw with all your commitments I'm amazed that you are committed to getting a regular exercise programme in place. That's brilliant. As others have said you don't need to do it 4 times a week 3 times is fine provided you aren't planning to enter the olympics.

presumably to those suggesting running, the op would still have to leave them alone to do that!

Is there a gym nearer home where you could go in the evenings? I don't think your kids are too young to be left, but they are probably too young to take the responsibility of getting up without chivvying!

You could buy a bike, that way you could run from 6.30-7.00 and get your dc ready for school etc and then... cycle to work. Also use the bike at the weekends to top up a few miles - or cycle inbetween running days for a bit of cross training.

Add in a couple of swims at the municipal pool and you have an all over body workout

I'd go with running instead too.... and add in home exercises with weights / stretching to help with problem areas

If you start off with a beginner's schedule (run/walk) and build up you'll be amazed how quickly your fitness will build - and apart from trainers, you don't need to spend a lot too....

Your DC would be fine if you got up at 6 and ran for 30 mins whilst they are still in bed - take a phone with you so you are contactable, and on a 30 min circular route you'll never be more than a mile or so from home in any case...

I'm just getting over an injury that's stopped me going out for a while, but it's what I usually do - 3 or 4 times per week, get up at 6 ish and run, then I have time to shower and get ready for work whilst my DC (12 and 10) are getting ready for school...

Sometimes my DH is home, sometimes he isn't .... when he isn't home, I leave a note saying what time I will be back... not had any issues so far and DC are happy with the arrangement too... they don't get up usually toll after I am back.

If something went wrong, and I didn't come back or answer the phone, they would go to one of several neighbours who are around and have school age DC too ...

Hatesponge, if you work some light weight work (start off with the 'girly' weights; 1-3lbs) or a kettlebell, or even just some resistance bands into your routine (2/3 times a week) you should start seeing the difference.
It's worth starting weight/strength training asap as it raises your metabolism & increases your strength & endurance.

You could always get some wrist/ankle weights for added resistance, or (later on down the road) a compression vest.

Whatever you do, make sure you invest in a decent sports bra & running/cross trainers!!

I was doing paid babysitting at 13 once a week - the baby was about 6 months old. So I think it is fine - you can always take your mobile with you

Whoops, just realised you meant doing it before school. Definitely not, they will never get to school !

OP - you know your DCs, we don't. Some 10 and 13yos would be fine, some not. If you think they're capable and responsible enough, you could always try leaving them to sort themselves out in the mornings, and see how they do. If you're not sure how they'll manage, try going for a run in the mornings and then come back to see how they're getting on. If they're coping alright, make your decisions based on that.

YANBU