Aibu to think you can only workout when you have kids in the mornings before they wake?

[Advice5]

Aibu to think the only time you can get a workout in is to do it before the kids wake up? Is it unlikely you will workout in the evenings given you are too knackered! That seems to be my experience. Any tips from those who can fit it in at other times.. How you manage it? How you structure things etc? Or is mornings the best time? What workouts do you do?

Also do you eat really clean? Any tips for this as I want to eat cleaner! Tia x

I do my run after they're asleep at night. It's the only time I can motivate myself to go and do it. Maybe it depends on if you're a morning or evening person?

Or if you have a partner, they look after the kids whilst you exercise and vice versa.

Not really. I'm never awake enough to do any exercise first thing. Even parkrun is touch and go. I do have low blood pressure though.
I can work out through tiredness as my body is up and running later in the day.

It’s not easy with young kids. Go easy on yourself. When my DS was young I just really fitted exercise in when I could. I was usually far too knackered at night and prob the mornings were best. I tried to walk as much as possible if I couldn’t get in structured exercise. Now he is a teen I can do it anytime and usually exercise first thing in the morning.
I regard myself as fit and healthy but don’t really know if I eat ‘clean’. I just try and prioritise protein. So I’d have Green yoghurt with oats, seeds and berries for breakfast (every day), tuna with oatcakes or chicken salad for lunch and a Hello Fresh meal every night for dinner. I also like dark chocolate with a decaf tea as an evening snack. My diet is quite boring but my weight is stable and I’m slim.

When mine were little I was a runner. So sometimes, yes, I would get up and go out and run before they woke. In the summer I would head out for a quick 3 miles when my DH got home from work. On weekends my DH and I would take it in turn to workout (me run, him cycling) while the other watched the kids.

However, when they were babies/smaller children I had a running buggy so was able to run, when I wanted to, during the week.

I also did home work outs to DVD's (back in my day it was all Nell McAndrew and Davina McCall) while my babies slept, or as older children, they would play in the same room while I worked out. They would sometimes join in with me which was always fun!

If you want to you will find a way. I spent a stint being a single Mum to a 2 year old and still was able to workout while they were in the house by putting on a workout DVD. Or putting music on and dancing and jumping about to the music and involving my daughter who would laugh and we would both get some exercise in.

I’m lucky in that I can go after the school run, coffee has time to hit then too

My eldest is 13 and I don’t think I’ve ever worked out in the morning before they get up (unless you count a very early morning hike to see the sunrise).

I don’t have a standard 9-5 job, so I exercise during the day most of the time. Or late afternoon/evening either while they’re home with Dh or after I drop them off to activities. Or on the weekends anytime. I’ve also had several walking holidays with multi day hikes and camps solo without the dc. Dh is the same. Definitely neither of us is getting up early to exercise! Sleep is important to me. But we facilitate each other having time to do things we enjoy.

Not currently doing this but at the start of the year I was doing the 30 day shred in the evenings immediately after putting DS to bed around 8pm. I wouldn't sit down until the exercise was done, only takes around 20 mins. That worked well as I'm not a morning person at all.

I’d love to run at night but wouldn’t feel safe

I think it’s a case of finding what works for you and fits in - but making time to do it!

getting into a good routine of doing it helps a lot though so it doesn’t feel like hour just slotting it in

Have you thought about joining a local running club? Will give you people to run with in the evenings so you feel safer

We're members at David Lloyd and DD goes to kids clubs while I go to the gym. Then I do other stuff before school run if I can, or evening. Try and go on Sundays too while DD is with DH or he takes her swimming. Bloody expensive though

What age are we talking?

I mean toddlers, yes. You can't get your teeth into much when you've got 1, 2, 3 year olds bumbling about. Including decorating, in depth gardening, all that kind of stuff.

Once they're 4+ though you can grab half an hour if they're engrossed in some cartoons or something.

Personally i got my kids to bed by 7 when they were little and did stuff for myself in the evening. Even if knackered.

Depends if you have a partner.

I can go anytime. Husband looks after them when I go.

I did 20 minutes DVD’s and they watched/joined in.

Surely that depends on what time your child thinks is morning??
Mine thought 5am was a lie in for years. No way I was getting up before him!

Once I was back at work, I used to run at lunchtime from work (we had showers on site).

I started exercising before DH went to work when DC were little. I've never managed to shake the habit.

So I get up for 5am year round to do weights at home or power walk (with headtorch in winter) or yoga.

I'd love to be the kind of person who could lie in. I feel anxious if I haven't exercised before work now!