Exercise and working and being a parent

[Keggles1013]

Hi guys,

I'm in my 40s and am at the point where I really need to start inserting a more higher energy fitness into my daily/weekly routine. I need some ideas for squeezing something into my day and was wondering how those of you who are mums and work, have gone about it? What worked, didn't work?

On a normal week (when kids are at school), I walk between 10,000 and 15,000 steps doing the school run, and the odd dog walk (this is shared between me and my husband). This will change slightly due to my kids growing up/changing schools, so I anticipate this to reduce come September.

I work from home during school hours, so don't have a commute.

I do go to yoga once a week, and will often walk there and back, which overall is approx 45mins extra that day. I've been doing this for 3 years, love yoga - tried lots of types.

I'm not massively into running/jogging. So looking for alternatives.

What do you do around kids/work?

I'm a teacher too. I've started going for a run or using the school gym suite shortly after school ends a few times a week. It means I take more work home with me, but I find that the slot straight after school is my least effective work time anyway. Can't believe you're regularly working until so late at night though . I'm in bed at 10:30.

I haven't found the answer. Due to DP shifts I'm often alone with the kids so there's no popping out at 6am to the gym. I did walk to and from school drop off every day so that gave me over 10k steps but one child is goi g to high school in a different direction and I'm not sure how I'll get them both to school and collected without a car trip now. Also I have flexi time from work to allow the school runs which also means I start and end work early/later than normal.

DP manages though 🤣

It certainly is! I think building something into my daily routine is the best way to go, so that I'm less likely to drop it.

Thanks for the tip re fitness blender - seems like a good place to start.

I know the feeling! It can be such a juggle!

Can your one going to high school not walk or is it too far?

Mine is going, also opposite direction and has to be there at the same time as my youngest, so he's walking himself and I'll walk the younger one still. It will be less walking for me but it's more doable for us all. Plus I'm hoping it will give me the time to squeeze in some fitness before I start work.

On mat leave atm with our second but we take turns to go to the gym once the kids are in bed. (I do use the crèche at the gym so I can go in the day sometimes but obv that is irrelevant to your circumstances).

When I’m back at work, on a WFH day I’ll work from the gym so I can do a class and I’ll just eat lunch while I work.

A school gym would be incredible! We've not got anything like it and all staff are always timetabled for teaching interventions, supervising restorative sessions or on playground duty during our lunch breaks so it would be a case of eating my sandwich on the exercise bike 😆in my cupboard.
Working late in the evening sucks but the only way I can manage balancing work and family.

My DH leaves for work at 6am, and I don’t like working out at home (small terraced house) so it happens in the evenings or not at all. Can’t do lunchtimes either as I have dogs to walk! I do 30 min strength training sessions on the Ladder app at the gym, on the days I go to the office I’ll cycle to/from the station (about 12 hilly miles in total) and I also cycle 3 year old DD to nursery each morning in a child seat. I try to run 5k three times a week. None of this happens every week because life gets in the way.

What I particularly like about FitnessBlender is you can search by type and length and difficulty so really customisable to what you want. Daily routine is the way forward. We have it so DH does school drop off most days and I do pick up so something that fits in my morning commute works well for me.

I recommend Jillian Michaels 30 Day Shred. It’s only 20 mins and really effective. There’s a thread on here. It’s an oldie but a goodie.

Caroline Girvan on YouTube I started her 10min dumbbells workout twice a week and now do the 20min one. Along with walking dog and running 5k 3x a week is keeping me fit in my 50s with kids. All exercise that fits into 20-35min slots so often I do at lunchtime or before work. Plus yoga Adrienne just 15-20mins in evening helps stretch out tired muscles. If you can build it into the daily routine like anything else it just becomes habit. I lay out kit the night before and just put it on without thinking or I’ll talk myself out of it even before morning cup of tea!

I used to drop DS at football skills in the gym, swim and pick him up an hour later. At my peak I could swim a mile, and pick him up dry and on time.

I do YouTube workouts in the garage with weights I've collected from Lidl and Aldi over the years.

I do 'Bodyfit by Amy' mainly and the odd free Caroline Girvan. Also PMA fitness workouts from pre covid and occasionally a Joe wicks for variety.

I also do Yoga with Kassandra.

I workout between 5&6am. I also have dogs so walk them after that then do school run/work.

I can't workout once I've had breakfast.

I'm really struggling with this too, since my DS was born 4 yrs ago... Depressingly, I've resorted to going up and down the stairs 2 mins x 5 times a day as it feels manageable. It's beyond boring though.
I used to love going to the classes at Frame, and I believe they now have some online classes. I'm not one for cardio, but rebound was fun, as was 80s dance-aerobics, and barre.

Women should be doing weight / strength training - do some PT if you can to get started and learn technique and then there are loads of online videos to follow - Amy and Caroline have already been mentioned - once or twice a week is fine

a skipping rope for a short blast while the kettle boils - the impact is good for your bone strength apparently

housework with music on and dance as you do it

walk faster to yoga class

was just thinking about this thread when I saw a post from a childless 20something year old boasting how she wakes up already at 6.50 to go to the gym, and if she can do it with her 9-5 job, anyone can prioritise fitness. LOL. Come back when you also have a few young kids to sort out and tell me again how easy it is.

I’m a bit older than you and the only way I can manage is by fitting it around my life.

I work from the office 3 days a week and love reformer Pilates. There is a studio near my office so I try and do a class before or after work every time I’m in.

On the days I work from home, I do 15 mins of weights using an app between calls. I make sure I am wearing something suitable (not necessarily exercise clothes but not tight jeans or a suit) so I don’t need to change clothes to so it.

On Saturdays I either do a Pilates class or go for a run. Sometimes (but not often) both. On the days I do my reformer class before work I sometime walk home rather than take public transport (it’s about a 40 mins walk) or try to get out for 10 mins at lunchtime for a walk around the area.

Most Sundays are rest and recovery days

I work 4 days from home and it sounds like our kids are similar ages - one primary, one secondary. I play a team sport - train one evening and matches on Saturdays. I’ve always done that and it’s non-negotiable! I’ve often done various other fitness around that and for the last 3 years I’ve been doing outdoor bootcamp classes. Started once a week and now 2-3 times a week - 1/2 evenings and a Friday morning. DH and ds1 do it too - sometimes all together, sometimes different classes. We’re all in to sport which helps - no resentment!

😂

I still get up earlier than that without the fitness!

My kids are older now and can be left to their own devices for however long. But I do have a full time job and apparently no one can still manage to make themselves tea when I’m not there!

I do ballet once a week, strength classes at the gym once or twice a week and then, just because I’m a bit weird, I run 30+ miles a week. I do a mix of trail and road and vary the type of runs I do, hills, long runs, tempo runs, track sessions, with the club, on my own, with my dog, etc etc. I love it, but it’s not for everyone.

it’s harder before kids can be left alone for long. Do you have a long lunch break? When I work from home I can often fit in a quick gym class or run on my lunch break which is helpful. I know you’re not keen on running but park run is fun and not too much pressure and the kids can run with you.

exactly! I haven't slept later than 6 for years, so boasting about getting up at 7 like it's some crazy early hours made me laugh.

So I am lucky in lots of ways as DH does school runs.
I leave for work twice/ three times a week at 6am and get an hour in before work...
I also do two or three PT sessions and a class every week (Tues, Thursday, Friday and Sunday evenings). Hubby runs Mon pm, weds has PT, runs either Tues or Thurs and we all do park run with the 5 year old on a Saturday morning....
I find without working out in the morning I am grumpier to my patients- but can't cope with weights at that time in the morning so do those in evenings.....

I WFH three days and volunteer two evenings a week. I have 3yo at home two days a week. I work out probably 5-6 days a week, almost entirely from home except one yoga class a week. Cardio most days in form of exercise bike (Peloton) and then strength training on 3-4 of those days.

For me, I’ve had to prioritise exercise over leisure stuff, or combine it (so I’ll do an hour workout on the bike while watching my iPad or listening to a podcast, when before I would have done those sitting on the sofa, in the bath or faffing around the house tidying up). I usually do my workouts in the evenings if it’s a day I have one or both kids, so when DH is home, generally 7-8ish after littlest is in bed or any time I have a free hour at weekends. If it’s a weekday without kids when I have work, I sometimes manage in work break. I can get in 45 mins and then a quick shower in my lunch break!

I think I just had to accept that I can’t create time so I have to use the time I was using for other stuff. I do a lot less doomscrolling than I used to!

Charlie Follows yoga is great.

I also like madfit who does dance routines. She has some videos that are just one dance that are good to do while wfh to get yourself off the computer for a few minutes

Then get sone dumb bells. Also walking with weights (just chuck them in a back pack) is a good way to amp up your walks and get more value out of them

15 or 20 minute Caroline Girvan YouTube video. She has a range of workouts including no equipment workouts, but I usually go for the kettle bell or dumbbell workouts. At 15 or 20 minutes they can be done! You just need a few weights to get going but it’s way cheaper in the long run than a gym membership!

although I only do the 15 or 20 minute ones (she has longer vids too) they are really effective!

My toddler is 2.5 y.o. and I work full time (so does DH). To be honest the only exercise I manage consistently is cycling to work 3 times a week and going on a 10k family hike every 3 weeks. I manage to squeeze some extra workout sessions here and there. Sometimes I take my resistance bands when taking my toddler to the playground and some while reps then. But i'll try to do more from now on 😀