When & how do busy working mums exercise?

[Jellylove]

I am a full time midwife & mother of two who is very (underline) unfit. I need to lose weight.
I honestly don't know when to fit in exercise in to my extremely busy & exhausting life or what exercise to do?
HELP mnetters please

I get up at 6am and swim half a mile every day before work. I have done this for years. Keeps me fit, and is the only time I can fit exercise in.

I'm going to add my twopenith in and suggest youtube they have lots of short clips to follow on there from where ever you can get it on. TV, Phone etc. I've done the Rosemary Conley 10 minute a day toning thing and it only needs you, floor space, two bottles of water and the occasional chair!
She also suggests doing things like fit in 3 groups of 5 up and downstairs to start you off. Stuff like that.
Good luck

BodyRock.tv.

Lots of workouts. Various challenges. Workout times ranging from 20-60 minutes. Very very effective.

Is their a diet combined with 30 day shred or is it just exercise?
Jillian Michaels does have some sort of diet plan (I think on her website) but I don't know of anyone who is actually following it. I do the 5:2 thing - if you fancy that there's a good support thread.

Hi. I work full time and am a single parent so can't go in the mornings whilst a partner is at home. Ditto in the evenings. What I do is try and fit it in and use any gaps I do have...It does mean that I prioritise it over other activities (i.e. Sitting down, chilling!!:-D )
Tuesday: running after work - mum /childminder look after the kids
Wednesday: drop kids at school - cycle to work - cycle to the pool after work and meet mum there and I take them swimming and have dinner in the cafe.
Thursday: run at lunchtime from work
Sunday: longer run whilst kids are with their dad
My tip - find something you enjoy and mentally file it under 'time for yourself'

I have just started doing the 30 day shred (day 3 today). I have early risers too (but now that the clocks have gone forward it feels more civilised with a 6.30 get up time instead of 5.30 or earlier - I feel your pain!)

I've got so fed up with my shape and weight that I decided I HAD to do something, so have started with shred phase 1 on youtube and have ordered the DVD for the rest. I put on a sports bra and trainers as soon as I get up, settle the twins (3.5) in front of the telly and then do the shred before DH gets up and takes over the child minding while I have a shower and get dressed. They joined in on the first day, but haven't bothered much since. Would your 4 year old leave you to do it first thing?

For those of you who exercise late at night, do you find it interferes with falling asleep/dusturbs your sleep?

Similarly, if you exercise after dinner, aren't you sluggish/uncomfortable?

I usually exercise while dh sorts out the kid's bedtime routine, but feel guilty if I do it more than once or twice a week (sometimes I have to work late on top)

Jellylove, yoga might suit you.
Go to a class, maybe lunchtime near where you work, and then do a little bit of practice every day at home on your own mat.

I've found running terrible for my hips (old injury from ballet) and yoga is something I can tailor to suit myself. Some days I feel like doing restorative poses, and gentle twists, and somedays I feel like doing more standing warrior poses, or inversions.

If your DCs wake up, you can go into them (if they want only you) and then get back to your mat, which is why I love it (bad sleepers).

Regarding diet, the most effective thing I've found if a low GL diet from Patrick Holford. I didn't even notice that I was eating differently, just felt energised and alert, and the weight melts off.

It is difficult to find the time for yourself, but you owe it to yourself to enjoy your body, and your life, and being fit and healthy is very good for your kids- they learn from you whether you're teaching them or not!!

MrsDesperado - I can work out hard, and then fall asleep half an hour later. I have moved my food round to eat my main meal at lunchtime anyway as I find it suits me much better.

MrsD,. Light exercise, I find, can prevent sleep but a proper hard workout leaves your body begging for sleep! I'd suggest if you can't sleep afterwards you aren't working hard enough

You're right though, I can't eat less than 1.5 hours before exercise (some people would say longer but I find an hour and a half is fine for me) It's not because it makes me sluggish but because I want to throw up!

Jillian michael's workouts - 30 day shred are workouts of 20 minutes. Cardio, strength and abs.

Tis all you need!

I try and run 4x a week, usually works out as a couple of times in the gym during my lunch hour (shorter, faster sessions), a longer run one evening and then my longest on a sat or Sunday. If I feel energetic I might sneak in another short on on the spare weekend day.

I also have a set of weights at home and do simple exercises with them plus crunches, planks, squats etc.

Should add I have DC aged 2 and 4, and work 3 days per week in the city. I actually ran 10k home from work today and it really didn't take much longer than the commute so that could be a definite goer.

I'm just getting back into exercise after surgery. I go to the gym at 9am sat & sun mornings and try to find two other times during week (I work shifts) when either DC are at school or my neighbour can watch them. I only do an hour in the gym if it's not DH with them. Weekends I can extend my time to 90 mins plus 10 mins in steam room

If you want to lose weight that is 90% what you eat and 10% exercise,. So if you're busy just forget exercise for now and concentrate on changing your diet for life so you eat loads of veg, fish, eggs, good fats etc.

I do 3 exercise classes in evenings, plus try to go to the gym for an hour on Saturday mornings. However, I quite often miss one of the exercise classs because of evening meetings, or going out with friends etc. I try to make sure I do some form of exercise at least 3 times per week.

I don't do running because I don't like it, but also because it would be almost impossible in winter, as we live rurally ( no pavements or street lights) and its dark by the time I get home from work.

I find the trickiest thing is to work out when to eat. We try to eat as a family every evening at 6.30, and the classes I go to start at 7.30, so I don't want to eat a big meal at 6.30. Quite often I cook a meal for dh and dc and then sit with them eating pitta bread and carrot sticks. Then of course I'm starving when I get home from the gym....

DC are 2 and 5. Leave for work at 7.15, back, with the dc at 6 pm. I run after they are in bed. Thus beans going out at about 8.15 pm, sometimes but getting back til 10. Also rural , I have come to know where routes with pavements and lamposts are.

I work 8-6 Mon-Fri with on call shifts and weekends (also hospital based), 2 children. I took up karate - one evening a week (6.30-7.30, I go straight from work) and Saturday mornings. It's a good workout, plus adds to flexibility, is fun and you can start from any age/stage of fitness.

I liked it so much, DH took it up - and now the whole family train 5-6 times a week (boys are 6&7, started at 5). I used to get home exhausted too, but now I force myself out to a class and I always feel invigorated and healthily tired by the end of it. I think I sleep better and wake more refreshed too.

During the summer I cycle or run to work and home again every day.

I swim every day.

During the other months I go to the gym a few mornings a week at 6am. I also go at weekends.

I am always nackered by the end of the day and am not getting up earlier than 6 to fit in exercise which means I try and do stuff at lunch times. Even if it is just a walk - this is one of my favourites as refreshes me for the afternoon but I don't know how easy that is for you as a midwife? Do you actually get to take a lunch break often or are you too busy? Apart from that maybe the occasional evening class at the gym and always something at the weekend. Long family walks or cycle maybe? Class wise I love pilates and body pump.

I run 3 nights a week, 8.15-9.15pm.

Many gyms have lunch time classes for the busy working folks!

Have a look around. Nothing like someone telling you what to do to keep you motivated.

However it may take all your spare money.