Morning exercise!

[MamaInWales]

Please can you share your exercise routines please and how to fit it in?
I get up at 6am as it is, we’re all out the door at 7:50am (single mum so can’t leave them in the morning).
Does anyone have a morning routine / doable routine to fit it all in?
have one night a week without the kids so trying to get to a class, and every other weekend I can do something on the sat/sun but really want to be more consistent.
ideally weights, running pad, YouTube ideas, and how you do it. Thanks!

I get up at 5.45 am and go to a strength training class in the gym at 6.15 am. Back at 7.10 am to get the teens up and out.

I do this 3 days a week. I hate the early alarm, even now after 2 years, but if I left exercise til later, it wouldn’t get done.

That’s how I feel! It’s really the only time. Evenings are get home from work, tidy up, make dinner, spend time with the kids and bedtime. I really can’t face it! I think it will have to be the earlier alarm 🙈

I'm another one for just waking up earlier. Also hate it but a necessity for now! I just get up at 5 - go for a run (literally laps around a small circle in front of my house with the old baby monitor running) or a YouTube video in the living room.

Hate it, would much prefer the gym or a class but needs must ATM.

I get up at 5:40, go to a class at 6:15 and back by 7:15 to make sure DDs are up (early teens). DH leaves the house about the same time as me to go to work. It really is the only time I can consistently exercise, if I leave it until the evening life/inertia gets in the way.

I think that’s it, needs must! I just need to set the alarm.

Yep! That’s what is happening, it doesn’t happen 🤣

I would struggle on a morning to be honest. I love exercise so It's my treat at the end of the day. I have 2 DDs 9 and 11. They go to bed 8.30 so 7-8pm is everyone's downtime to do what they want. I make sure everything is cleaned up in the kitchen, packed lunches made by 7. Then I do YouTube videos in the kitchen 4 or 5 nights a week. I just shove the dining table to the wall and there's enough room as it's a large kitchen diner. I do HIIT, yoga and weights. Depending on the ages of your children would evenings work better?

Look at ladder app. I do 30 min a day of the movewell team at 6am at home with dumbells . It's brilliant and takes the thinking out of it as it's sectioned into days x

I do something called Ringfit on a mini trampoline in front of the tv. That way I don't have to fit in also travelling for the exercise because I can just roll out of bed and start it straight away. Ringfit is on the Nintendo Switch and genuinely it's probably one of the best things I've ever bought. I do 1 hour workouts a good 4 or 5 times a week. There's loads of exercises on there including jogging (which I do on the trampoline) and strength exercises. Loads of the exercises are in short games like 2 minutes long so you don't get bored. I really recommend it!

I have a calendar entry on my phone with a hyperlink to youtube videos that I can send to the TV.

My subconcious and inertia are not necessarily overcome so easily, but it does help and does take out a layer of faff.

Mine are also 9 (nearly 10) and 11. We have down time together and we go up around 8/8:15 but that’s a really good point, I could use that time. They both still like me reading stories to them so bedtime takes around an hour with them messing about, but no reason I guess why I can’t leave them to it and follow them up when ready for stories and get my workout done then. The thought of mornings really isn’t appealing to me, but at the moment I just end up doing nothing so something has to change.

I would also love to exercise in the morning, but already getting up at 6am. For those who get up at 5am, what time do you go to bed??

I'm interested too. I end up doing it in the evening as I just can't do mornings - 6am already and I struggle!!

I like the sound of the Ladder app, though; even if I didn't do it in the morning, maybe later in the day would work. Is it expensive? I want mainly dumbbells/strength training, as I do jogging for the cardio already. I can do that in the evenings, though it's dark and maybe not so safe. But fitting other bits in early or during the day would be good. Maybe 15 minutes earlier in the morning would be possible now that it's getting lighter.

Definitely feel it might be easier getting up pre 6am now it’s lighter!
great question @Ridelikethewindypops abour bedtime!

Start small OP. Get up 15 minutes early one day for a few weeks and do weights. Once that's cracked add another morning. Thats 15 mins will become your norm - once it is you could alternate upper /lower body. You can achieve lots in 15 mins if you just jump up and do it. When you get to 2 sessions make that your "minimum" goal - some weeks you might do more but you've still succeeded if you've done 2. That success keeps you going and prevents the negative thinking/slide into nothing (if that makes sense).
Join a thread like "keep on exercisathon" for accountability and support.

I think that's great advice to just start small. It's then more likely to become achievable.

Not sure about anyone else but I notice a huge difference in my ability to get up and exercise (run) when the sun is shining.

Yesterday and today I set the alarm and got out early and ran longer than planned because is was gorgeous out there.

In January I did all my exercising later in the day because I couldn't cope with the dark and cold mornings.

I have Apple Fitness and do loads of the fitness sessions on there. They have a good mix of strength and cardio sessions ranging from 5 minutes to 45 minutes. I force myself out of bed and do a 30 minute session before work. It’s hard to motivate yourself at times but I always have that feel good factor at the end of the workout. Three mornings a week I spend 20 minutes on weights and then 10 minutes of core work. On those days I will go for a walk at lunchtime as well. On other days I will do cardio. I have a spin bike so will do a couple of 20 minutes sessions a week with 10 minutes of Pilates to finish. I might do a HIIT session once a week too. I’m slowly building up strength and stamina to do longer sessions but it’s taking time and I’m feeling all of my 54 years at the moment!