When could I fit exercise into my day?

[CarpeJugulum]

I know this sound daft, but I'm really struggling to get my head round it.

I'm up at 5.30am, and out to work at 7.15am. In between is showering, getting dressed and organising DS & DH.

Work all day and then home by 6pm. DS has family time and his bedtime routine until 7.30pm, then it's dinner time, sort out house/cleaning/washing, sit for an hour to read/watch TV before bed, and then bed around 10pm.

So how do I fit in exercise? I'm thinking about the shred as it's the shortest routine that I can find...

Clearly you and your DH can't actually shower at the same time while DS is awake, but a shower shouldn't take longer than 15 minutes, so you can tag team it between 6 and 6:30.
Bear in mind that DS should only get easier from now on in.

I'd also add a pedometer (you can get them for free on smartphones) or posher FitBit type thing and think about adding extra activity into the rest of your day - whether that's taking the stairs, standing to talk to colleagues rather than sitting, standing on one leg while making a cup of tea (I swear by the "never stand one two legs when one will do" approach). Just doing it the difficult way rather than the easy way whenever you see the opportunity. Tiny changes, but squeezing 10% more activity into every waking hour can make a real difference. But it won't improve your aerobic fitness - only running or the Shred will do that.

Look, at the risk of sounding snarky, my DH used to get up at 6.00 leave the house at 6.50. He worked until 7.00 and then got home about 8.00pm.
He used to work out three times a week. He fitted it in in the evenings, early on sat or Sunday and at lunchtimes.
During the same period I did yoga once a week.

I didn't have less time than him, I just didn't prioritise. It wasn't important enough to me.

If you really really want to excercise you fit it in - you get up earlier or do it in the evening or find time at the weekend.

I would add to Pag's point about priorities: three times a week put yourself first. I am sure my DDs would prefer me to be making them breakfast etc in the mornings but I need for my own health and sanity to leave the house for a run and come back at 7.40. My two are bigger, of course, and most of the time their father is there in the mornings. But the principle is the same. And I'm quite aware I am being a selfish bad mother (albeit one in better mood and shape!)

I do the same as Sazorchard.

I'll also add in support that my getting ready seems to take 1hr 45 in the morning too :)

Have a search on the internet for any local running clubs so you have people to go out with whilst its dark. It's harder to motivate yourself to go alone (and not always safe depending on your location).

Ah. Yes. Prioritising. That may be the issue.

I want to be healthier. I want to be more toned, and a size 10-12 (boobs excepted!) not a 14-16. Weight isn't as vital for me as I do weigh heavy, so while I'd like to be a reasonable BMI, I know I'll always be at the top end.

But... I can always find an excuse. I'm tired. I don't have time. I don't feel well. My knees stop me running (actually, this one is genuine, but doesn't help things).

Maybe it's my motivation that needs to shift. so how do you get motivated and STAY motivated?

Thinking back to when mine were younger, I used to do all the morning stuff. I would often moan that I was first up and last ready because I was making breakfast/packed lunches/supervising teeth cleaning etc while DH just got up half an hour later, got himself ready and took the DCs off to the CM. It can be hard to shift that dynamic, especially if you don't get that much time with DC(s) - I used to travel a lot too, so it was important to me to do things for them when I could.

I joined a (cheap) gym and used to go a couple of evenings a week and once at the weekend - DH would do dinner, and I'd have mine when I got in from the gym. He'd sometimes whinge a bit that we weren't spending our evenings together (so I'd offer him the mornings in exchange ), but as others have said it was important for me to have that sanity time alone to do my thing.

Aha, cross post.

Starting is the hardest thing, once you see yourself getting fitter/faster/stronger/able to go further/do more reps at the gym/more press ups and planks (if you are shredding) it motivates you to keep going and get even fitter . And you will have more energy if you exercise regularly.

I stopped shredding because it was hurting my knees more than running was, so do be careful.

It's downwards impact that does it for me, so I substitute squatting punches or skater jumps for the aerobics.

I do need to do it so I think as of Monday (we have guests so using the living room wouldn't be appreciated!) I'll set my alarm for 15 minutes earlier, leave my sports gear in the living room and then go for it. If DS is up earlier, then DH will have to cope. I can't do it all. I won't do it all!

Similar routine to myself.

I'm up at 4.50 and fit in 100 sit ups and a 7 minute workout (available to download at the App Store) then after DD is in bed I go to the gym mon, wed and thurs for approx one hour. This has slipped and I haven't been since early nov due to one illness after another and laziness

However, diet is far more important than exercise. You could use that as an excuse to leave it for a while

Good for you.

For me, it's not about being motivated - my motivation is shit.
What I do is try and find ways to force myself. So I have sessions/classes booked at the gym. I book it after a class when I am really aware of how much better I feel. If I wait I start making excuses.

I try to find someone to excercise with or I tell DH and he helps me. If I say to him 'I'm going to take x exercise on Tuesday' he will just go at me if I start coming up with reasons why I can't go.

Once it becomes a habit it gets so so much easier.

my severe mental disorder keeps me motivated! I exercise compulsively especially under stress so it's good for me to have an actual structured routine and be a bit more controlled

I was thinking you could get a skipping rope and do bursts of that at either end of the day but generally what a previous poster said about building more activity into everyday life will work - people always seem to want dramatic change instantly but it doesn't really work like that, lots of tweaks will produce lasting results over time

What do you do during your lunch break?

I tend to go for a brisk walk for 45 minutes.

Alright, it's not a mind-blowing work out, but it is getting you up and moving and improves fitness. Also does wonders for sense of wellbeing, for me personally.

I can't cope with exercise in winter first thing in the morning - we have no heating downstairs, just a fire so it's freezing. I'd have half an hour after your DS has gone to bed two or three evenings a week, and an hour on weekends.

Diet isn't necessarily more important than exercise. A fat, fit person is less likely to die early than a skinny, unfit one. Proper medical fact.

How long a lunchbreak can you manage? Do you have a gym or pool near your workplace? If you have an hour for lunch you could fit in a half hour gym or swim 3 times a week if there is somewhere nearby. Otherwise the 20 minute brisk walk every day option would at least get you moving.

Loads of people in my office use their flexi time to fit in exercise - either starting later and having a short lunch so that they can swim before work (I do this), having a short lunch and finishing early to go to the gym on the way home, or taking a longer lunch 3 days a week and a short one on the other two to do 3 gym sessions or classes. We are lucky though and our office is about 5 mins from the university sports centre, which has a pool and a gym and runs lunchtime classes eg spinning, crossfit etc.

No gym near work. Work is not in a walking friendly area either - I used to be in the town centre so could go for a walk, but now am just off a dual carriageway so not planning to walk on it!

Flexi is possible, but only a full day at a time; I'm not in the public sector, but in a related field so can't just finish early.

Having said that, my new job (started November) is totally different from the job spec so think I'll be hunting jobs again soon, so that might help.

DH doesn't really help me, so I think that's part of the issue as well. I mean, he doesn't force feed me and put me off from doing stuff but equally he doesn't make me do what I said I would. And he shouldn't have to either really.

I find the joy of escaping the mayhem that is the Inferiority Complex at 7am is a great motivator. Seriously.

I mean diet is more important for weightloss specifically not generally in life

I agree Unexpected. Diet is more effective than exercise alone in maintaining/losing weight but it's the exercise that makes you fit.

I have the same problem. I am up at 5am, have 2 kids and a husband to organise, and work 14 hour days.

I am going to start 30 Day Shred. It's only 20 mins a day. Even I can manage that.

I'm sure I'm going to be shot down, but those of you working very long hours, do you need to? I work in an industry where it would be very easy to be at work 12+ hours a day and many do but much of it is for appearance's sake. I don't see any evidence that they're getting more done than I do in my 8/9 hours.

Storytown, I work in a commission-only job. In spite of working 8am to 10pm 7 days a week, I still can't afford to pay my rent this month. So yes, for me, I do need to work these long hours. I wish I didn't

And again I ask, why do you have to organise your adult partner? I thought the whole point of co-parenting was that they organised their share of the domestic work. I grumble like hell about DP but I don't organise him!

Okay, not organise DH really, but mainly work round him; so him showering, getting dressed etc.

Work is mainly commute. Leave 7.15am, drop DS at nursery and into work for 8. Home is back to pick up DS at 5.30 and then evening routine.

I'd love part time, but money is the culprit...

Can I come back to this thread and repeat the comment I made near the beginning - what about family exercise at the weekend?

I disagree with the poster who said that isn't enough of a workout for you. Okay, not if you go at DS's pace, but what about a proper bike ride with DS in a child seat? That's harder work than on your own! And if you go swimming, you and DH can take turns to play with DS while the other one does lengths.

Several advantages to this - more fun, easier than trying to squeeze it into a working day, and DS benefits too