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?

@Dozer

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.

To be fair to DH Dozer he's hardly ever home, usually he works away from Sunday evening until Friday afternoon so I do prioritise his brew when he is here. He absolutely would sort the kids out after that though.

I should be putting my health first though. Although being tidy and organised is good for my mental health.
It is just so, so hard to motivate yourself to do something you really do not enjoy, especially when you know you have to do it again the next day but with aching muscles!

What time do you early exercisers go to sleep at night?

I never sleep before midnight so I'd be chronically sleep deprived if I got up that early!

I priorise exercise and find that by doing it first on my 'to do' list, gives me the get up and go to get far more chores done than I would have done the other way round.

@felulageller

What time do you early exercisers go to sleep at night?

I never sleep before midnight so I'd be chronically sleep deprived if I got up that early!

If you get up at 5am for a few mornings in a row, I'd bet my piano that you won't be able to keep staying awake until midnight.

I look at it in terms of useful time. Is it better to waste 10pm - 11pm watching netflix, because it's too late to do anything productive, or is it better to sleep that hour so that I can get up for a swim or a run in the morning, that'll improve the whole next day? Sometimes it's netflix, but sometimes it's bed at 10pm, up at 5am.

@Tablow

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.

That day sounds impossible to fit anything else into. Could you do something at the weekend? Even once a week is better than nothing.

I workout at home, mostly HIIT stuff with weights. I do 5 workouts a week and they are a mix of early mornings (6am) or mid morning (WFH so take an early lunch meeting dependent).
I like the early mornings but I can't motivate myself to get up that early 5 times a week! I schedule it into my day like a meeting and it is important for me to do it.

I find that the only long term sustainable exercise is exercise that you actually quite enjoy and that gives you something above and beyond ticking a "have exercised" box.

I like swimming but can't justify the time taken to drive each way plus change - for 30 minutes full power swimming I'm driving for 50 and in the changing room for 5-10 minutes including changing and showering after especially if going straight to work after= not worth it. Anything with travel and changing time is similar but worse as I at least like swimming.

In all honesty walking is best for me as I walk direct from my door, no time wasted driving to a gym or pool.

I love walking as as well as being weight bearing exercise (osteoporosis protection) and burning some (I know, not as many as higher impact exercise) calories and distracting me from thinking about food, increasing muscle mass and passive calorie burn 24/7 and improving my waist to hip ratio (currently healthy but it wasn't a year ago,) it's massively important mental health time.

I work constantly varying shifts (can be Monday 6-2, Tuesday 11-8, Wednesday 2pm - 10 am, Thursday 6-12, Friday 11:30-20:00 eyc including weekends...) so I can't have set times but it's essential I find time.

Time is any time the kids are in school or occupied and I'm off work.

Some days I work 12 hours and walk for an hour. Some days I work 6 hours and walk for three hours, some days I don't walk but the kids are home and I do stuff with them, some days I'm off and the kuds don't need me and I walk for 7 hours, some days my eldest or my husband comes with and we walk for an houe to three hours. some days I walk or swim woth dc2 or 3.

Reality as a working parent who isn't an arsehole (usually a man who puts himself fist, second and third, the kids fourth and wife or partner disyant fifth) is that you can work exercise in around work and family,. but can't insist on the same time slot every day.

@UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme I agree. I’ve done every exercise but they were all a chore. Walking I love for the walk and the exercises. Having a dog means it’s non negotiable, rain or shine and I love being outside as I can walk in a nearby wild park without driving and without special clothes and without the need to shower/ wash hair straight afterwards. It’s been so good for mental health too.

@marmaladehound I go swimming with DC at the weekend but it's holding a toddler the entire time, so again not proper swimming. I then have DC all weekend and work the evenings once they've gone to bed - I have to make sure I've made up hours for when I'm doing school run etc and really need to put in 50+ hours a week to stay afloat at work.

I've thought about getting up very early. 4am or something but ds wakes once I'm not next to him so it just means my day starts earlier with him. Once he sleeps better this could be an option though. He's up all night at the moment so sleep seems the better option.

Agree with @UntilYourNextHairBrainedScheme (no doubt there's a story in that name...) about walking being an extremely useful and time efficient (and environmentally friendly!) way of exercising.

It's usefulness is increased tremendously if you wear wrist and ankle weights. After a while you don't even notice them. I even wear them when I go shopping or meet friends.

I run very early (5am) before work 4-5 times a week. It’s nice and quiet and it sets me up for the day. I also do either yoga or some strength training each day at lunchtime (I have Apple fitness). I do work from home though which helps.

I found going to the gym too time consuming for me. There are loads of free YouTube videos so I would try a variety of things to see what you like. If you want to try running then couch to 5k is a good place to start.

Don't really like exercise but run twice a week early ish in the morning. Don't run far, do about 4.8 K each morning but it makes me feel like I am keeping fit

Listening to audio books really helped me walk more for exercise. I go to a regular appointment about 90 minutes walk away and plan to walk there and get the bus back.

@mafted

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.

This is me but I am worse in that even when I do sometimes manage to get up and get changed quickly and do a home exercise class, it still seemed to take ages.

So 30 mins of exercise always seems to take an hour plus even at home, by the time I've dressed, set up the laptop, got a drink, done the exercise itself which always takes me longer somehow than the actual time it says it will, then the inevitable need to take 10mins to rest from the exhaustion, then more time to stare into space as I feel so awful and think about the fact that I will have to do this again tomorrow and the next day and the next and how will I be a able to bear it as the whole thing is so awful , then motivating myself to move to shower and dress for work, then resetting the laptop and moving it to my work area so I can work, then getting myself breakfast to eat while working.

The weird thing is this seems to get worse over time the more I exercise . So last year I was doing this 5 -6 times a week for about 5 months and it was ok at first but eventually it took me longer and longer as I procrastinated more and also took longer and longer after I'd finished the exercise to get going for the day. I have no idea why this happens but it does and has happened regularly over many years as I stop/start exercising on a regular basis. Usually 4-5 months of regular exercise are interspersed with a similar amount of time with almost no exercise . Eventually I feel guilty enough and have forgotten how much I loathe it enough to start again until I can't bear it any more and I stop. Rinse and repeat

Ove the years I've tried
Swimming
Gym
Home exercise sessions
Personal trainer
Running
Tennis

Most of them more than once over the years and they always end the same way

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.

Because I'm not as nearly as nice or as bothered by housework. Everything will wait until after my run.

@mafted

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

All of these things can wait an hour. Apart from DH needing his coffee. He can make that himself, and make a cold drink for you to have during your workout whilst he's at it. These aren't distractions, they're procrastination. You are choosing to sort out the hair-bobble cupboard; the cupboard isn't waving in your face and jumping under your feet whilst you try to exercise.

Find something you prefer doing to emptying the washing machine, and prioritise it. Tell everyone in the house that on x day at x time you'll be doing x exercise, and you won't be available during that hour except for emergencies. Then issue a loud 'NO' if anybody/cupboard interrupts you.

Saturday morning without fail and then x2 evenings a week. Also find working out at home makes it easier as it's less time travelling etc so perhaps consider home workout rather than gym,

Like anything in life it's going to be as important as you make it

Because I'm not as nearly as nice or as bothered by housework. Everything will wait until after my run.

Its true - you have to be a bit selfish and put yourself and your needs first when it comes to exercise. Men, I notice, are very good at this, but if you want to look and feed good and prioritise your health you have to learn to say 'It can wait'.

you actually hate exercise so all of these are preferable to doing it.

That. Find exercise you can enjoy & the distractions won't be so bad.

Yes I agree you need to find enjoyable excercise / walking, dancing, swimming - yoga, Pilates,

It doesn't have to be banging weight in a gym.

I know someone who has walked daily for three months and lost lots of weight. It doesn't have to be vigorous

First thing. Either a 7am swim or a run at 8ish then breakfast

I'm always interested to see that those who exercise regularly work from 9am, or 'do the school run', so presumably work after 9.30am or later. I am at work for 7.30am, and work until 5, then have to dash to get DD from after school club. I can't wfh, so I don't get those half hour/hour 'slots' to fit in exercise. No wonder I don't do any!

I am.much more likely to exercise if it's just part of going somewhere. I've bought a child trailer for my bike and pick up DD from.the childminder (6 mile round-trip) or we walk to shops/cafe rather than driving. When I go back to office based working I'll commute to the station by bike and then walk another 15 min or so from the London terminal to the office. In pre-Covid time I sometimes managed to get in a lunchtime gym trip - luckily the place I work at has a decent on site gym.

[quote Tablow]@marmaladehound I go swimming with DC at the weekend but it's holding a toddler the entire time, so again not proper swimming. I then have DC all weekend and work the evenings once they've gone to bed - I have to make sure I've made up hours for when I'm doing school run etc and really need to put in 50+ hours a week to stay afloat at work.

I've thought about getting up very early. 4am or something but ds wakes once I'm not next to him so it just means my day starts earlier with him. Once he sleeps better this could be an option though. He's up all night at the moment so sleep seems the better option.[/quote]
Yeah sounds like you need your sleep. Sleep is just as important as exercise... sleep is so underrated!!

It's very hard with young ones. I have a 3 year old and have only really been able to start exercising again 6 months ago when he started a pre school nursery. I work part time. Hopefully when he's older you can find a way to fit something in.

@bumblingbovine49
Your post is relatable. In the first lockdown I did YouTube yoga every day, but the 20-40 session actually took me about 2-3 hours with the associated faffing!

@grasstreeleaf @TheFoundations @lljkk and @enoughforme
Prioritising housework is a (bad or good not sure) habit stemming from recovering from depression years ago, it's a hard one to break and I explained upthread why I will always make DH a brew

I wish I could find something enjoyable that made me fitter. I've been trying since I left school over 20 years ago!
I love swimming but I can't do the breathing even after 1to1 lessons, plus it's time consuming with a 40 min journey or over an hour for outdoor swimming.
I do loads of walking daily up and down lots of hills. I average 25k steps but again it doesn't seem enough for improving fitness.
I've tried everything available that's close to home, metafit, bootcamp, Zumba, spinning, running, rock climbing, cycling. I've started 30 day shred, 30 day yoga and other YouTube workouts so many times but never keep them up.