Looking for an exercise plan that fits in with a busy life!

[Unicornshorn]

I work part time and my partner full time, I managed to complete Couch to 5K this summer by getting up early to run before he started work. He has now started a new job and has to leave much earlier and home later due to travel and Im now finding it hard to fit my running in. It’s also getting very dark and the weather is pretty unpredictable even if I can squeeze a run in. I just don’t seem to manage running in the evening as my 3 year old DS has me tired out by then plus helping with his bedtime routine etc. I’m just feeling really fed up after my big achievement and struggling to know what to do next. I would also like to lose more weight and 3x 30 minute runs a week does not burn that many calories but I love how much fitter/ stronger I feel. I could possibly do a 30 minute exercise DVD in the mornings, but stuck as to what. Any ideas on a new fitness plan would be really welcome.

Fitness DVDs were the way forward for me :) easy to fit around DSD and DHs long work hours.
Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred always gets good reviews on here - it got a little bit samey for me but I know people who love the results!
I started using Fitness Blender videos on YouTube which I thought were great lots of different ones to choose from, various cardio/strength/stretching. I don't mind the occasional Tracy Anderson one too, I found her arm workout to be very effective, and only 7 minutes or so long.

There are loads of workouts online you can do - fitness blender is popular but there are lots of other options on YouTube. If you want a bit more structure and progression then a subscription to something like beachbody might be good.

Joe Wicks The Body Coach

You can either sign up to his personalised plan and get the recipes, or just use his YouTube work outs and the recipe book with the planner in the back

It's 20 mins of HIIT workouts, which don't need any equipment, 5 times a week

You hardly need any space at all, and there are hundreds to chose from so you can vary it up easily

Body Boss is good

Thanks very much everyone, some brilliant ideas and I just realised that online content would be best anyway so I can use my iPad in the spare room! I definitely think at home exercise is my only option and perhaps a decent run on the weekend. I would imagine that if I keep my fitness up in other ways I should still manage to run 5K? Possibly a stupid question but I still can’t believe I managed it!

Someone told me the other day their wife did Shaun? Fitness dvd and got up early to do it in front the 📺 and it was the fitest she’d ever been

Can your dc ride a bike? Take dc for a run with you on bike to park and back

Thanks for that, I think that might be Shaun T from Beachbody from what I can see on google. Will look into all these ideas, thanks everyone

I used The Shred dvd 3x a week, to lose my post baby weight on my mat leave along with walking everywhere with buggy. You could do a dvd a couple of times a week and run a 5k at the weekend would keep you fit I’d have thought. Gd luck.

Watching. Hey I like the idea of doing the shred, and 5k or park run on weekends Trigirl. I might try that too.

I recommend the Body Coach too! It's just 15 minutes (you can do 12 or 20 minute vids too, whatever you feel up to), it's all on YouTube and it's HiiT sessions so it's really good for fitness/fat burning (not that I see the results because I eat whatever I want!)

The one thing I will say is it can be tricky getting your form right if you're not used to the exercises and if you're doing them at home without a coach telling you 'get your knees up/back straight' whatever tiny change makes all the difference. So be careful with form and maybe do some videos that talk you slowly through good form for an exercise and do it s-l-o-w-l-y before you start doing loads really fast in a HiiT session.

When I started doing HiiT sessions at home there were a few exercises I thought were super easy. I now realise I was doing them wrong and so they just weren't impacting me. I do them properly now and even tho I'm fitter, they KILL.

You could maybe fit in a run once a week on your day off if you wanted to mix it up and maintain your running ability.

Another vote for Beachbody! I've done several of their programs and they're perfect for what you're talking about. Most of them are short, and require very little (or no) equipment. Perfect for sneaking in a work out early in the morning while your partner gets ready for work.

They offer free trials for most of their more popular programs so I would definitely check them out if you're interested: www.beachbody.com/product/fitness_programs/online-workouts-videos.do

Davina McCall's dvds do it for me!