What time do you exercise if you work FT and don't WFH?

[roamingcat]

Hi all,

Bit of a silly question I know but I've always struggled to work out the best time of day to exercise around my job and to keep things consistent. I work FT (36 hours a week plus whatever I take for lunch) and don't WFH, my commute is about an hour each way. I'm really lucky that I have flexi-time so can start work anytime between 7-10am and can work less/more each day as I like as long as it evens out overall. However, I think the unexpected downside of this flexibility is I have always struggled to make an exercise routine stick as I don't have core hours to anchor it around.

My current routine is quite limited - I try and run 5k 1-3 times a week. I would like to add in some at home yoga videos for flexibility and have dumbells I could use to do some strength training. I've also been wondering if I should move to a compressed pattern - I could compress 10 days into 9 by only doing an extra 40 minutes a day and then could probably WFH on one or both of the other extra days (or take annual leave). The added complication is I also try and stick to intermittent fasting for health reasons, so eating before a run in the morning would require me to change this routine.

Looking from inspiration for you all - if you work full time and don't usually WFH and have a solid exercise routine what time of day do you exercise? What do you do on which days?

I try to do before work if I can - I find I start negotiating with myself too much if I wait until the evenings, and also because if I then get stuck at work, which seems to be the rule rather than the exception right now, it then doesn't happen.

However, I find I get more quality in the evenings, so very much depends what the session is! It also depends a little on the work day ahead - if I have to look particularly put together I tend to leave it until the evening!

Up 6:15 am. Shower at 7:30 after HITT cardio in the kitchen. Work at 9. Hybrid working, mostly in the office though.

Don't have time to go to the gym. Weekend I sacrifice long lie ins too.
My youngest is turning 8 soon and my oldest will be 16 soon too. So easier now.

But sacrifice sleep mostly.

I have a similarly flexible job, I run two lunchtimes a week, generally about 5k, and take a longer break to change and shower. I could probably do it in an hour, but I faff about a bit and it takes 90 minutes to run, get a cup of tea and eat my lunch so I make the time up later. I am really not a morning person, which means I would never get my arse in gear to do it before work, but also means I start later and wouldn't fancy going after work.

I am also s'posed to go to karate twice a week, that's after work on the days I work a shorter day (I'm still part time at 33 hours a week)

I work 4 days, 2 in office, 2 from home.

On my office days the gym isn't open before my train so i'll do 30 minutes of core at 4am, commute to work then go to the gym on my way home

On my 2 days at home i'll swim/gym in the morning (gym opens at 6) then walk the dog over lunch

I go on the way home from the office. Gym is on my way home. I generally do a class after work most days and get home around 7.15.
On the day when DC has an activity and I can't go to the gym, I spend an hour and a half marching round a housing estate getting my steps in.
At weekends I do early morning classes while DC are in bed.

In Spring and Summer I go for a run at 7am three mornings a week, back at around 7.45 to get kids ready for school and then cycle to work for 9. Harder in winter, I usually go in the evenings then. Other than that I run Saturday and Sunday also, and I have weights at home and just fit 15 minutes or so in a few evenings at home.

I used to run (a lot) and never ate before hand. On my weekend gym classes I don't eat until I get home afterwards.
It gives me terrible stitch if I eat first, unless it's hours before

I feel bad reading this. I jog outside and until now have only been going on the weekend because it's dark in the evenings. It's getting lighter so I'll try for after work.

Oh and I don’t eat before those morning runs. I would eat before long runs at the weekend alright but not if I’m only going out for 45 minutes.

I go at 7.30pm mostly as it's free parking and also I go to bed at 11.30pm up at 5.35am. So as I sleep later going at 7.30 isn't late for me. Sometimes I end up going 8.30pm if I've got back from work a bit late

I don't tbh, since I went back to work ft. Dh and I leave the house at 7:30. I already get up at 6:40. If I wanted to exercise before that (I don't), dh would not be keen on being woken up. We get home at 6pm, one of us cooks, we eat at 7ish. Can't exercise for ages after I eat - I'm a slow digester! I feel really unfit, but I'm struggling to fit exercise in.

@Covetthee

I'm curious why you need to go so early? 4am is the middle of the night!!

I'm up at 6, gym by 6.30, home by 7.30 which means I'm showered and ready to help with morning routine by 8.

You leave for your commute at what, 5am???

4 days a week, up at 5:45am and off to a gym class 5 mins from my house at 6:10am, finish at 7am, then into work to shower and clock in at 7:45am. I work until 3:30pm but then it’s off to pick up my DD from the childminder. My husband does everything for her in the morning as he usually exercises in the evenings.

I swim 3 mornings a week before work. Pool is on the way to the office, I get there by 7am then shower and get ready for work after swim. Get to the office by 9 and eat breakfast at my desk.

you don't mention any DC, so you could exercise at any time outside of work hours, no? Just choose what works best for you, either morning before work, during lunch, or evening after work, plus weekends.
I work about 50 hours, plus kids, plus business travel. When not travelling, I go to gym 3 times (one morning, one lunchtime, one evening) and exercise at home most other days (kettlebells or dumbbells and I also have a spin bike). When travelling, I go to hotel gym first thing in the morning.

When i started to exercise my husband used to have leave for work around 6:30am and would offen work late and be home around 8-9ish and by that time I would be too exhausted to even think of a workout

so i started going gym early before he had to leave for work, and now i’m in the routine and I really enjoy it. Really sets me up for the day and I feel super productive knowing i can get on with my day having done a good workout already

you’d be surprised how busy it is at 4:30am when I go 🤣

I used to part run/part public transport home when I was office based. Not every day, but most days. It did mean I would have a pile of lunch boxes/clothes to take home on a Friday though 😂but it was a good way to get my run in and be efficient. By the time I got home if I was on the train I wouldn't want to go out again really.

I do 2 evenings, 8 pm and Sunday mornings. I found that sports clubs often start at stupidly early times in the evening. Adults' classes need to be at adult times. If I walk past the nearest gym at 6, it's empty, same gym at 8 it's packed. It was hard to find clubs starting after 7pm.
I get bored at gyms so prefer organised sports.

I either run at 6.30pm (I’m not a morning person) or I run from work then commute home.

Yes, my train is at 5:15,

On my office days I like to get in for 6:30/6;45, I work compressed hours so that allows me to leave at around 3;50 to get the train home, i'm usually home for 5;30 (everything running on time). I'd much rather get up at 4am and get in early than get there for 9 or 10 and have to stay in the office until 6/6:30

I work 8-4 or basically I have to work 7 and a half hours between 8 and 6, my work gives us free membership to office next door (it's a nuffield not keen on it) but i'll run at lunch if I fancy it but I go to a crossfit class at 5.15pm most days and then at 8am on Sat/Sun
You shouldn't need breakfast to run 5k if you need 'something' have diluting juice or something

Wow some of these schedules!

I cycle to work, and I go to the gym during my DC swimming/football etc training.

I can work flexi especially on two of my work days. So I’ll often have an extended lunchtime session one day a week plus a morning at the weekend while DH takes DC to swimming lesson. Joined a new gym with pool and spa so hoping I will keep this up. I need a regular routine though because it’s too much headspace to work out on a daily basis. Much simpler if you just do the same think every day/week etc. Would love to be an early riser and must try going on a day DH starts later and can drop off DC.

mega impressed by all you up at 4/5/6am and in the gym / running.

the only way I fit in exercise is making it double purpose. what I mean is that I use a run to get somewhere I need to go anyway

So I run to and from work 3 / 4 times a week. Two mornings a week, I run my toddler to nursery in running pram, and then run onto work (c.5k). To and from work round trip is about 8k (so 4k each way which is infinitely do-able although up a massive hill so it's not a quick PB type run hah). So there's no variety in my exercise and i should do strength training but i don't want to cut into any other time I have available.

If I didn't do that I wouldn't be able to fit in exercise any other time because at 5am i want to be firmly asleep and by 7.30pm in the evening I'm ready to collapse on the sofa.