How to fit exercise in to full time work and life

[rainydogday]

I am in a rut. Perimenopause has got hold of me and I have gained a stone. At the same time I have got a promotion and now work full time in a busy role. I generally have weekends off but this is taken up by taxi ing teenagers to their jobs, clean the house, washing and walk the dog. I use to spin 3 times a week when I was part time, and was a keen runner. I literally have lost the mojo for any of it and have no clue when I would actually fit any of it in. Any top tips on how to schedule exercise back in?

We live rurally and there is no bus. Roll on when my eldest passes her driving test!

I found it easy to say I don’t have time until I have myself a time slot to do it. Sometimes it’s about prioritising yourself for a change.

When my DD was younger I’d exercise in the living room while she was around me drawing or watching a film.

Get the teens to take the bus and help out with chores and the dog walking.

Thanks everyone for all your replies! I have booked in boot camp session at my gym at 7am! Think I definitely need to stop phone scrolling at night to make sure I get to sleep then maybe the morning exercise will be easier. My teens are good at helping in the kitchen, ie packing the dishwasher but admittedly it's always a chore to get them to do it. Me and my DH do Pilates once a week at a class but i do need to do some fat burning! Overall I need more time and to be more organised! You have given me some ideas to do this, thank you

When I worked FT I either did gym at lunch or ran about 7k home

Harder if you’re rural though

Someone upthread asked why your dh isn't running the teens round. Does he? How much free time to himself does he have?

The standard response to this is to get up earlier. Doing the import thing first will mean it doesn't get squeezed out later in the day. BUT sleep is at least as important for good health if not more important, so unless you can go to bed and get to sleep earlier its inadvisable.

I have sen dc, it takes hours to get them to sleep and to get them ready in the morning . I get 6 hours sleep at best.

When I am prioritising exercise I make it a solid booking in my calendar. I find straight after work so that I don't go home is best for me. Mon/Wed/Fri 5-6 class then just being 'active' at the weekend.

When I am not prioritising it I have a non negotiable 'you must do something each day' moto and have been known to do 10 mins on the bike or some press ups and sit ups just before bed if necessary.

I get up at 5 and am at work by 7. There is zero chance of me doing anything in the mornings! I may occasionally fit something in on a weekday evening but have essentially resigned myself to weekend exercise only, plus extra in school hols.

I exercise both days at the weekends and start work late a couple of days a week, and DC or DH cook that evening.

If driving DC somewhere I split it with DH and if there is outdoor space near where am going I walk or run.

I find getting up before 7 tricky but try to get ip then as do find it hard to exercise if I don’t do it first thing.

I am working on shrugging off some things that DH or DC could do

I do Les Mills on demand three evenings a week at home. I can't fit going to the gym with full time work and teenagers. They need taxing around in weeknights too. I mostly starts after 9pm, and do either a 30min or 55min class. I think you need something flexible to fit around you, instead of you around it (eg spin classes).

I exercise six days a week. I am at the gym when it opens at six am. I am there for an hour. And it is done. I am an early riser though so I am up at 5 anyway. But would rather now be at the gym than sitting on my arse staring at my phone. If u want it enough. U will make time

When do you eat, @WhisperingTree? I usually get in from work at 6.30ish and immediately cook and eat (have kids to feed), so am trying to work out how to manage eating vs exercise in the evenings. I worry a 9pm exercise class would be too soon after food or make me too buzzed to go to sleep...

I usually eat around 7.30 to 8.

I think the answer is to work out which part of the day you'll have the most energy/willpower and do it then. Prioritise exercise over everything else.

Like a pp I work out my exercise times/classes at the beginning of the week based on unmoveable things (work or kids) and then everything else fits around them.

And yes, presumably your H can do his fair share of kid ferrying/cooking etc.

Why is your DH not doing the washing and cleaning and walking the dog as well as you?! I'm guessing that since you used to be part-time, he justified you doing those things because he was working full-time?

Like most pps, I get up early. Up at half 5, then gym or run, and back home in time to sort kids, shower, and get to work.

Most people I've come across who say they "don't have time" to exercise (though not all, obviously!) get up late and then find it hard to fit it in at the end of the day. As the evenings are out for me (commitments with the kids), mornings it is.

For me, if exercise is going to happen I have to put it in the calendar and schedule everything around it, not the other way round, trying to shoehorn it in as a 2nd or 3rd priority. I have to prioritise it. Then, after a while it just becomes a habit.

For me that means going before work.

I hope you find a way to make it work op. I bet you’ll feel 1000% better if you can make it happen.

Ok I’ve read your other replies now…

Why isn’t your DP doing half of the weekend ferrying?

Why can’t you go out early am or an evening if you prefer exercising then. It’s not as if you have tiny children needing your supervision.

I note yet another MN with a “but we live rurally” issue.

Well I work fulltime with a family and dog - but still manage a Petra Genco 20 min work out each night. Even when travelling - 20 mins in a day is not that long.

Oooh just to clarify my DH is amazing and we split our 'chores' equally. Some replies are quite negative! Yes we live rurally. One of the kids has to travel long distances at the weekend and one day in the week for sport (high level=massive commitment). It's also exam year for both kids (bad planning) and DD has had some significant MH problems so I don't want to add on too much on top of them than their normal chores and homework. I think life admin has built up but I do need to prioritise myself a bit. Perhaps the dark mornings and evenings aren't helping and Menopause symptoms. But like I said earlier I have booked boot camp so it's a step in the right direction! Have taken on board all your top tips.

If you want to lose weight you need to look at your diet more than exercise. I lost a stone cutting out carbs and sugar - sadly it has found me again.
I build in exercise as part of my commute where possible and supplement with some weights and a couple of classes at the weekend or swap one out for parkrun.

If you commute then build in a walk at each end of the day, maybe by getting off a train a stop early or similar.

Plan walking meetings instead of calls.

Get up early, or go out late.

Its hard but you have to switch around priorities to make the time.

I see you have dog walking time. Can that be running? Cycling in a safe place like a disused railway trail with the dog on a long lead?

I always worked fulltime and I have tweens. I efh 3 days a week and in the office 2 days. One teen plays sports to county level so evenings are taken up. We live rurally so I can't walk or run in the evenings when it is dark.

I try to walk or jog at lunchtime when wfh for 30 to 40 mins. I fit in another jog or walk Sat afternoon.

If taking dcs somewhere for an hour I do not drive hone. I wait at the location. I try to walk or jog rather than sit in the car especially in summer.

Classes don't happen as they are on evenings and I am cooking dinner, dealing with dcs. I am not a morning person. I get up at 7 for school, commutes etc.

Summer is a bit easier as I can fit in a walk or jog at 9pm. I try to swim Sunday morning every 2 weeks.

Why can't you run or walk in the evenings when it's dark @user1471554720 ? I live rurally too but I have a decent headtorch for the trails.

The "not a morning person" one is another I hear a lot. Very few people would say they're "a morning person" before they start getting up early. I never thought I could do it. But you do it because it's the only time you have, and over time it becomes a habit. I don't think many people gleefully jump out of bed at half 5 in the winter. Lying in til 7 would be nice but if mornings are the only option, mornings it is!

Another one for early morning exercise - I have a two nursery age children who wake up by 6 am so I wake up by 0530 and get things ready then get on my bike/weights session for 45 mins while my husband entertains them. Then it’s a quick shower and get ready for work and nursery.