When do you do your exercise?

[Littlemiss74]

I want and need to improve my fitness. I’m struggling with my mental health and am perimenopausal and am hoping that exercise will help.
I joined a gym a month ago and have so far only managed a few classes. There always seems to be something else that needs doing, so I think I’ll
just do that first and then I’m too tired to go.
When do you fit your exercise into your life and make it a priority rather than the last thing after everything else?

Normally first thing - I get up, put my running stuff on and go. That way it's done and out of the way and I don't have time to faff, procrastinate and decide I don't feel like it!

Mornings are my 'happy time' for exercise too, so it's about when you can fit it in, but also when your perform best. I hate running in the evening - I've tried it, but I just don't like it.

Why don't all the 'get up and go' exercisers get distracted like I do.
A child wakes up, DH wakes up and asks if you'll make him a coffee, you think you'll just put a wash on first then find your teen has left wet washing in the machine, the dishwasher needs emptying or someone forgot to put it on, your bobble snaps then you look for a new one and realise the cupboard is messy so start sorting it out, you see a notification on your phone... and you actually hate exercise so all of these are preferable to doing it.

Why don't all the 'get up and go' exercisers get distracted like I do

Yeah, this sometimes happens, but not half as often as if I try and leave exercise until later in the day. Usually if I'm out before half 6 I'm ok. If I leave it later than that, heading towards 7, I always end up having to sort the kids first!

All my F45 classes are at 5.30am. I’m up and out the door by 5.10am, home by 6.30am. This is regardless if the kids are on school break or not.

I often try and get to lunchtime classes but get pulled into meetings that overrun so I prefer the consistency of early morning. If I go walking/running will either be first thing or an evening walk once it cools down (tropical here).

I don't go to a gym because it means travelling and adds at least 40 minutes onto my exercise time. I alternate walking and running most days. I try not to have more than one day off per week. I run first thing in the morning before work, I walk during my lunch break or in an evening with DS and/or DP, or like today, I got all my jobs done and then did a four mile walk.

Our gym has a kids clubs, so I work out while they are in their clubs.

The kids want to go, so that's my motivation!

Before 8am. I know from experience that if I plan to do it later it won't get done. Plus it's too hot later to run.

First I identified my time slots, then prioritised it (for physical/mental health) over other stuff.

Currently go first thing in the morning.

Agree with PPs that unless gym is v quick to get to, and / or classes v convenient times those might not be the best options.

mafted: your health is important. Defo wouldn’t prioritise serving DH tea over it! And if you plan to do exercise, DH could parent your DC.

Even if there isn’t any exercise you enjoy - after trying options and building up a little fitness (or exercising within what you can do without feeling bad) - it still has big benefits.

tbh, most of it is a active travel

Friday
2 hrs walking 8am-10am = half hour each way plus 2 walks for different dogs

Saturday
9am & 10:30am 30 min cycle ride = Round trip to go to village & back where I walk someone's dog (voluntary role)
9:30am: 45 min. walk = walking dog
4pm: 70 min. cycle = round trip to accompany DS to his job

First thing which during term time is 5am, in the hols any time to 7am. Can't exercise after that, too much to do with dog walks and house and children and work.

I do PMA fitness or Bodyfit by Amy or run about 5 times a week. Plus dog walking everyday.

I love working out and I never regret starting a workout. This includes weekends.

I take weights and a mat on holiday too.

When my son swims.

So most days 5/6am and some evenings 7pm.

I go for a walk/run or if local pool sometimes come home and do strength and fitness.

Morning run and evening walk.

6am. Straight out of bed and up for exercising before I can talk myself out of it.

And I fit those in if I possibly can. So it's pretty much every day. This way if I do miss a day it doesn't matter because the default is that I do it. It's such a habit it feels weird not to.

An hour’s brisk dog walk every evening in the week or during the day at weekends.

When the dc are not on school holidays I do it first thing in the morning (both dc's catch buses/taxi just after 7am), if I don't do it then I never will. I walk, hill climb, swim or gym every day.

The gym's horrible. Be honest, even if you just had to go and stand in there without doing anything for 45 minutes, you wouldn't like it.

I work out at home, 10 minutes a day lifting weights. I have a programme that hits all major muscle groups. I also have a dog to walk, and chuck myself in the sea every now and then.

I fully recommend working out in small bursts at home. No kit to wash, no going out in the rain, no getting to and from the gym, NO GYM.

I actually love the gym. It's my me time.
Cycle to gym, swim, followed by class. Love it. Not so crazy about all the cardio equipment so never use any of that. Occasionally use the weights when I cannot get to body pump.

But i like getting out of the house to exercise. You just have to find a way that works for you.

I go straight from the school run which will be a power walk or a run. It's usually always morning or I know it won't happen. DS and I often walk in the evenings after dinner too or we'll go mountain biking and cover some distance. All my strength workouts are at home using various online classes.

I'm lucky to be able to walk to and from work and a 20 minute brisk walk around the park at lunchtime. When I'm WFH I get up and walk first thing, usually the walk I do is about 6k steps. I aim to hit 16k steps a day which might sound huge but it's pretty easily built up to plus it doesn't involve having to shower afterwards particularly. At weekends I do a long walk in the morning which sets me up for the day. When the weather is really rubbish (I've walked in hail and snow!) I stick some music on and jog on the spot. It's helped me lose nearly 2 stone without busting my chops

Why don't all the 'get up and go' exercisers get distracted like I do.

Sometimes I do, but the important thing for me is to have decided that I'm going. If I allow myself the slightest possibility of negotiation , like I'm tired, it's raining, I don't feel like it, that's a disaster. The best days are the ones where it's not pouring with rain or icy and I just go without thinking about it.

I struggle with this. I'm up with toddler at 5, have to work from 9-4 then school run, meal times, DC bedtimes, then I need to start work again 7-10 and then I'm exhausted. I have no idea how to fit in exercise. I try to cycle for the school run but it's hardly strenuous.

@Tablow: when mine were toddlers and I was working like you I just couldn’t. It gets easier when they are a bit older (mine now sleep til at least 7 so I have 6-7 just for me: DH also in the house but not up. When your kids are v small though it’s impossible unless you have someone else looking after the kids for a chunk of time when you aren’t working. Don’t be hard on yourself - you are doing so much already. Do what you can when you can: and that window will get bigger.

I get up at 6.15 Tuesday - Friday mornings (Monday is my rest day) and do a Jillian Michaels workout. I also do a Jillian workout + yoga on Saturday and Sunday but allow myself longer in bed at weekends.

I’ve been doing this religiously for the past 6 months and find it really sets me up for the day. I’m so much more toned now too.