I need to make time to exercise - when do you find is the best time of day/week?

[Jemster]

I work every day 8.30-1.00, then pick up children & at home with them in afternoon. I am normally knackered in the evening but I really need to make exercise a priority in my life as I have a chronic health condition & my consultant has said to try & keep my fitness up as it will help me. Trouble is my fitness is pretty non-existent!

Been to the gym tonight & started couch25k & can't believe how much I enjoyed it. I feel like I have more energy already.

When do you find the best time to go to the gym is? I need to try and have some sort of routine to fit this in between work, kids & everything else otherwise it just never happens! I am very good at putting things off but I want to be fitter so I need to do this.

It's not for everyone, but I get up at 5am and get on and do it before my son wakes up. I love my morning exercise, it wakes me up, gets the endorphins flowing and I feel great for the rest of the day

I don't go to the gym but I am doing the c25k (nearly there!) and I find the best time to run is weekday evenings. I work in an office so spend much of the day sitting on my arse inside so I really enjoy getting outside and stretching my legs after work!

However, as a single, working parent, I just have to fit runs in when I can. Weekday evenings work as DS has some after school clubs etc. I often go at the weekend too, either when DS is with his dad, or take him with me but I find I don't run as well at the weekend, probably because I'm too knackered trying to fit everything else into the weekend!

Just get started, once you start enjoying it, you'll find the time to do it, especially once you start improving, which IME, happens very quickly with the C25K.

In the summer I cycle to and from work. Two birds one stone. Such a relief not to have to fit the gym in (which is what I do in winter). You can get a cheap second hand bike or use cycle to work scheme for a hefty discount and the ability to spread the cost.

It's not easy to fit everything in. If you can run, it's much more flexible and quicker than gym or classes but I'm no runner so not for me but I envy those who enjoy it!

Whatever you decide to do, grit your teeth for first 3-6 weeks. It will be tough but after that it'll become a habit and it'll feel wrong to NOT do it.

Good luck!

I'm training for a half marathon, and find I always have my best times when I run after a cup or two of coffee but before I eat breakfast. When DC are in school and my run is 7K or less I can do it and sometimes even shower before the school run. Of course, it helps that DH works from home and is at least in the house with them and somewhat keeping them safe while I run. But he was away all last weekend and even then I ran in the garden - round and round and round and round till I thought I would die from boredom, but in the end manage to eek 7K out of it. If you're really committed it can be done, and if I can do it, really anyone can.