...to ask how you fit exercise in?

[ChicagoBare]

I'm out the house from 8-6 (sometimes 7 or 8) five days a week for work. Now we're into the summer season I have about 2 weekends free per month when there's no wedding/hen/christening between now and October. I love exercise - weightlifting and running - but I just can't fit it in and it's making me feel bad.

YANBU. It's very hard. We have 1 DS 2.5 and I work three days a week, out of house 7.15 - 5.30 mostly (I work shifts). DH often away for the best part of mon-thurs so I am mostly going solo. I manage by running as soon as I get home on a tues/wed, just a 20-30 minute blast and then pick up DS. Monday, Thursday and/or Friday (depending not on shifts and life stuff) I do HIIT stuff at home for 30 minutes after DS is in bed. This time of year you can do it in the garden if you have one which is quite nice. At the weekends I try to run on Saturday and sometimes a bike ride Sunday. At weekends I go out early so as not to impact too much on the weekend.

Sometimes it works better than others. Winter is much harder. I find I have to be militantly organised about dinner etc as otherwise it all falls apart.

HITT is your friend OP

dailyburn.com/life/db/hiit-workouts-for-beginners/

Early mornings for me. I exercise at home, or run, but also am a member of a 24 hour gym and I go there at 6am for weights.

I have a babysitter who comes two evenings a week for an hour at a time so I can go running.

I run at lunchtimes and also run home from work. When I worked further away I got the train halfway and ran the rest.

If for some reason I can't fit either of those things in during the day (meetings, whatever), I run once the DC are in bed, while DH cooks tea.

Then there's gym classes on a weekend, plus weekly lunchtime circuits class and spin one now got a week.

Body weight stuff (plank, push ups, squats with kettlebell) I fit in in the evenings while I'm doing other things, ie waiting for a bottle to cool.

I never go a day without exercising - nor does DH - and we have two DC under three. We just prioritise exercise over most other things and never, for example, sit down in an evening to watch tv. We're both pretty keen on our running

I do a condensed week so I finish early enough to get the DC's from school, I do dinner and fly out the door when DH arrives and run for an hour. That's usually twice a week and then I do another run on a Saturday, if we aren't doing anything in particular.

"Now got" = night!

Oh - another tip - when we do stuff as a family on a weekend (park/beach/woods/zoo/whatever) we both take our kit and take it in turns to have a run while we're there.

I run whilst ds1 does football training. When he has a match, I sometimes run there whilst dp takes the boys in the car. I also run in the week on the days dp picks the boys up from school. I go at about 6ish & don't need to worry about picking them up or cooking their tea. Took a while to work out how to fit it all in!

Up at 5.30am and go to the gym until 7am.
Two nights I go at 8pm too, that way I can have tea and have it go down before training.

Sometimes I take ds1 (age 11) running with me. He's done the parkrun & Race for Life with me too. I've also run the junior parkrun with ds2 as a short fast run. Unfortunately, he's now faster than me so I don't do it anymore!

Thanks for the tips. I think it's going to have to be early mornings. Really really not a morning person but I just hate not fitting anything in at all.

My only chance in the week before is early morning. Sadly too many of those are already booked up with lesson planning/ marking while the DCs sleep. I use maximum childcare hours for work. Lunchtime is 30 mins which is barely enough time to rush to the canteen and shovel food in. By the time DH is in, I'm trashed, it's time to eat then put DCs to bed, then I'm too full and knackered to exercise. Work is within running distance, but I can't manage it with childcare.

My main sessions are at the weekend in the morning.

it's easier for me because of divorce/older kids - so I run when youngest is at football club (older 2 can be left alone) and when they are at their dads I do bootcamp and aerobics (3 times a week) or I run

If you have a partner take an hour out a few times a week in the evening

I get up at 5. Done for the day then, if I had to do it when I got after bed time it would never happen. Hard in winter but I really like it in the light mornings.

It's difficult. My DS is usually out three nights a week, two playing football, one working late and quite often works weekends. There is no way I can exercise before work because I absolutely need that sleep (fell asleep in a meeting once ) and I get home around 7 pm. Some nasty roads so I don't feel confident cycling to work.

And of course there's lots of things that need doing in the house if I do get some time, or actual interests and hobbies. But I know I have to do something!

I find it hard too. I've started doing a few exercises in the evenings at home and now the weather is nicer I go out for walks with the pushchair. My son is 21 months and I work full time, out the house 7.45-6.30

I used to be in the swimming pool at 6am for 30 minutes four times a week.

No other suggestions really. Often worked late so was permanently knackered.

mirime that doesn't seem very fair on you. Why do so many men take it for granted that they can keep on with their hobbies after having children yet women don't?

Early morning, 6am. It's quite literally the ONLY time I have to exercise.
I cycle commute to and from work in the Summer, too.

I'm making use of the kids equipment!! Trampoline, skipping, hula hoops!! Means I don't have to leave the house!

I'm out of the house 8.30-7. I exercise at home as soon as I get in from work 2-3 days a week (workout videos usually 30m long high intensity eg Jillian Michaels). And on Saturday mornings I run 5k after getting up (usually around 10am!) before breakfast.

I don't have kids though. And must admit on the days we have DSS after school it is almost impossible to fit in a workout as we eat earlier, so I cook earlier, bang goes workout time.

I just can't do workouts on weekday mornings, I am so not a morning person. I live the idea of working out first thing but in reality it is just so hard for me. Occasionally I can manage a quick yoga routine but nothing more than that.

Any scope for a lunchtime workout?

I do very little housework and have zero social life. (p/t working total lp). Walk to work which is a 3 mile round trip. Prioritise the gym or a run on my 2 days off.

Take the kids to parkrun. Some weekends and sometimes they have a long bike ride while I jog alongside them.

High intensity. A short vigorous exercise works better than a long moderate session, so you can get an excellent workout done at home in 20 min, no equipment needed. can squeeze it in in the morning or after kids bedtime.

I still go for some long runs on weekends, but that's mostly so I can get some piece and quiet

I have pretty much the same schedule as you.

I walk most days during my lunch hour : 45 mins up a fairly steep hill.

I cycle at night, after DS goes to bed, now the nights are light it's easy. Do 7pm - 8pm.

Also walk/run/chase around with DS at weekend, and his napping permitted, I sometime go cycle then too.

It's hard and takes an effort sometimes but the key is finding something you like - I like cycling and walking so don't mind too much! Lots easier in summer too.