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?

I can't run or walk in dark evenings as there are no footpaths or street lighting where I live. Even wearing a hi viz jacket won't help as cars travel fast and the ditches have no space to stand in.

If I get up really early I have no evening as I need 9 hours sleep, perimenopause. If I skip my 9 hours I make lots of mustakes at work.

Prioritise you. Do parkrun on a Saturday and your other half can take the teens to their jobs.

Also when do you get home in the evening? There should be time twice a week to do a couple of Youtube strength sessions. 20 minutes is enough.

Another who gets up at 5.30 to get it done - peloton bike rides or peloton strength classes - l alternate days so something every day - start with 30 mins and see how you go - I do go to bed early tho!

Do you have any space for a home gym where you could get some cardio machine and some free weights? I find this brilliant, I have a rowing machine and a bunch of bands/weights which means if I have half an hour spare I can do a work out. I also row on the river before work, early cold starts but keeps you fit!

Or go to the gym at lunchtime at work (no idea if you have one near!)

Those of you getting up at 5/5.30 etc, what time are you going to sleep? That’s what I struggle with 😬

@AvonCallingBarksdale 10pm at the latest.

@AvonCallingBarksdale 10pm if I can. But often (like tonight!) it's nearer 11pm.

I am in bed asleep by 8.30. I have always been an early bird. I struggle to stay awake after this and am useless in the morning. But as this morning as an example. I woke up at 4.30. Wide awake. Put some washing on , dishwasher etc. to the gym full of beans.

but my husband knows not to expect much in the evenings.

If you don't WFH then cycle to work a couple of times a week, even with an ebike it still counts. You may also qualify for a Cycle to Work scheme if you work for a company which subsidises the cost of a bike.

Agree, I could easily get up at this time but people on my street would make noise in the evening (nothing exceptional, just dogs barking while being walked, car doors slamming and engines running, chatting etc.) that would wake me if I went to sleep before 10 ☹️

I'm young, but this is how I do it.

Wake up 5:50, at the gym for 6:10.

Gym 6:10-6:45. I tend to do 20 minutes or so on the treadmill and then some weights. I do this every other day.

Walk back home, get ready, leave the house at 7:30 for work.

I walk down to my bus stop and to and from the station at work, which works out to be about 2500 steps each way.

I take a walk at lunch time, anywhere from 20-45 minutes depending on how much I can be bothered, really.

Then I do a twenty minute walk after work. I get my 10k steps everyday.

I’m getting sucked into the 10pm news so probably need to knock that on the head. I couldn’t go to bed at 8.30, for sure! But 10pm bed and up at 6 would work I guess. Just started getting the train to work rather than driving which means I get in approx 12,000 steps.

I'm similar to the OP and am trying to get my mojo back! When it's not freezing cold in the mornings (my car takes ages to defrost) I get up at 5.30am for gym, run or spin, back by 7 to get DD to school and me to work. Actively trying to walk more during the day and fit in another late afternoon or evening walk. I find it virtually impossible to go to the gym in the evenings so mornings work better and it's out of the way. As yet this year though, I haven't managed a 5.30am get up, I blame the cold weather!

Fitting in regular exercise when you are working and raising a family can be exhausting, so cut yourself some slack. If you can fit in 2-3 proper workouts - gym or at home - plus a couple of 5-10 minute sessions here and there, you're doing great.

• a 3 minute plank
• 3x 8-12 press-ups, Arnold presses, hammer curls, etc
• 50 squats, preferably goblin squats
• a dozen push-ups, repeated once or twice
• 2x 20 leg circles each side
• 5 minutes abs
• 10 minutes Yoga
• and so on.

Try to find a sport/physical activity you enjoy. Running, rowing, skiing, swimming...

Just make sure you up the pace once you enter the peri-menopause. And keep going.

70 going on 71 and still extremely fit. Now I have time to work out an hour or more most days. Listening to the radio while I do it, so it's never boring. Totally worth it!!

Do you wfh? I go to the gym on days I wfh and go straight after finishing work.

I tend to get up early or do it in the evenings. I either do a YouTube hiit video followed by weights or a run on my treadmill followed by weights. I rotate round core, upper body and lower body for the resistance stuff. My equipment is all in one room in my house and the treadmill folds down very neatly so isn't too much of an eyesore. It was cheap on amazon. It's hard, but this is the best routine I've had in years. I currently resemble a bit of a dumpling, but I figure my insides are healthier for the work I'm doing and I can very gradually see my body beginning to shed some of the mid life flab i er the months. Consistency is key more than the perfect equipment or schedule.

I hate early exercise so I tend to go to the gym teatime on Saturday and Sunday, after sports but before evening taxiing. I do also try and walk as much as possible, just to keep the steps.
Could you squeeze in a run at some point or a class one evening between driving kids around. It’s good for them to also see you prioritise your own health and wellbeing.

I often go for a 30 min run at gym near where I work at lunchtime

Weekend 8 am classes (so not super early but booking a class forces me to show up!)

I have a peloton and use the app for strength training and Pilates at home. These are super easy to fit in whenever I have a spare 10 mins or longer

Days like today when I have a random day off I'll do a couple of classes at gym then treat myself in the spa afterwards

As I've got older I've found randomly stretching at points through the day helps. I think when I was under 40 I wouldn't have gained much from it or felt much/any stretch as I was quite flexible, but since 40 if I randomly stretch I can feel much more due to a loss of natural flexibility. I just mean standing up from where you're sitting and doing some leg lifts, touching toes/floor, squats/pliés, that kind of thing.

5.45am get up and to gym ready for 6.15am class 4 mornings a week.

Then I do two night time classes a week and a weights session on my own for an hour of peace on a weekend.

Peri has turned me into someone who is no longer a morning person. I tried to get up early in the morning for a workout last year but it didn't happen consistently. I love my bed too much!

I joined a small gym since Autumn 2024. I go two weekdays straight after work and Saturday morning. I meal prep on a weekend so I don't have to do all cooking from scratch when I get in. I told DH this is what I needed to do and he has supported by sharing the load.

I see this as an investment in myself and part of self-care and compassion for me. I'm a nurse so when I'm working I'm caring for others, then when I get home I'm caring for my family/the household. It's a great stress buster after a difficult day. I've lost over 20 inches, feeling loads better and although the scales haven't shifted much I'm showing a reduced body fat mass so something's working!

Used to work out at home for an hour every morning before kids woke up. But now with work I start an hour earlier so not really feasible anymore I just do 15 mins most mornings then try to up to 4 hours over the weekend at home

Get up early to exercise two times a week and then fit another workout at the weekend

walk some or all of journey to work

walk or run so you don't need to fit in gym time or find workouts on YouTube

look for lunchtime workouts you can do

I work full time and have young children but manage to fit in three workouts a week. It's doable if you want to do it.

Maybe you need some motivation?

Hello - you won't lose weight in the gym, you lose weight in the kitchen. If I were you I'd get some heavy weights, keep them under you bed and lift them a couple of time a day, slowly build it up so you are lifting heavier, you only need to lift a few times a day, so take no time at all. If you are unsure how to lift, pay to have a PT for a few weeks say you want to learn how to lift. You do not need to do hours of running.

I'm 50 and wft, I run before work most days and do a long run on a Sunday.

I go for strength training with a PT once a week after work.

I'd love to fit in another weights day but don't have time at the moment and running is my priority