How do busy parents fit regular exercise around work and family?

[Homeiswherethedogsare]

I go to a pilates class once a week and to a dance class another time a week, love both and wouldn’t give these up for the world (used to be a regular gym goer and did body pump, combat etc a lot). So it’s 2 evenings a week I am out. I work FT and DC is in school plus afternoon clubs all week so would feel really bad leavingmore than those 2 evenings a week to go to more classes.
I have a desk job so quite sedentary however I try to average 10K steps a day most weeks.
That’s pretty much it. I tried to workout at home sometimes but I find it boring abd can never stick with it. Hate running.

What do other busy parents do to stay in good shape and workout regularly?

I love running now, but didn’t always! When I started I persevered. And some days I have to really force myself. But I love being outside (I’m not bothered by weather) and I listen to music or a podcast/audiobook.

I started off run/walking most recently when I started again after illness. It’s called jeffing and just as good for you.

I run from my doorstep, and I don’t mind just running round streets, but so parkrun and off road in summer and weekends.

Luckily I have a very supportive DH who is into sport and exercise just as much as I am. So we make it work for each other. I’m not one to get going early so I go to a class or training 2 evenings a week, plus Friday morning as that’s my day off, and Saturday/Sunday matches. The kids are old enough to come along now or stay home alone for short periods. The older one joins in so soon we’ll be doing it as a whole family. Hopefully making exercise the norm for them as they become adults.

As a sort of extra, rather than a fat-burning type session, training our kids up to go for a countryside walk at the weekend has really paid off. It's a cheap activity and you all get some exercise. Granted this is probably more pleasant and easier if you live somewhere with decent countryside. By age 4, ours could do a hilly 3 miles in the Peaks and by age 7 about 5 miles, which is a great bit of exercise to slot into your week without needing time to yourself.

I go out 2 evenings a week also (play a sport), I do 25 mins of Pilates before starting work (WFH), and go for a speedy 30 min walk at lunch time. Trying (but failing) to introduce some strengthening (motivation is the issue more than time tbh!) all my stats are good and healthy, I picture being one of the middle aged women joining David Lloyd and doing all their classes

It has to be something that works for you. I am a fan of the early morning swim/gym at 6am because whilst it is utterly painful getting up at 5.20am, by 7am I’m buzzing with energy. I go to bed early!

For the days I can’t get up, I have an exercise bike in the lounge. Often do that while kids eat breakfast.

Walk or cycle school run as often as I can manage around work.

Have a walking buddy I meet at lunchtime (bit out of habit due to winter weather but picking it up again)

In summer I do an outdoor yoga outdoors on a Saturday with friends. It’s a bit of an indulgence as it cuts into the morning, but I’m back to take dc to his sports club so it just about fits.

i also do a lot of gardening ! Digging is fabulous exercise, by the way.

And I cycle with the dc - my son is 7 and he can cycle for a whole hour - and ds and I always swim for an hour together every Sunday - it’s not much exercise for me as he likes to play rather than thrash out lengths, but it’s movement so it helps a bit.

Same as a few here, I get up at 5 to run before my partner leaves for work. I’ve been running since I was a teenager so it’s a habit and part of keeping good mental health for me. I don’t always love getting out of bed but I know it’s the best way for me to start my day. I do wish I could afford a gym though as I’d love to vary it a bit.

I cycle to work, so that's 50 km on my bike per week. I also don't use the car much so walk quite a lot most days. I hate the gym so even if I had the time I wouldn't go!

@Cloop i agree with this. We taught ds to ride a bike young so by 4 he was doing basic MTB trails in our local centre. Dh loves taking him for long bike rides

When our children were young, we made a home gym and we mostly got up early to exercise before the children were up. Sometimes we’d exercise in the evening when they went to bed but that felt more difficult. Pre children, we both went to the gym but now, even with much older children, we both prefer exercising at home or going for a run outside. I don’t think I could be bothered to actually travel to a gym now.

I love running. If I’m feeling stressed, a good run always helps.

Thank you. Is it so much better than all the thousands of free videos available on youtube you reckon?

I think I am going to have to do the same re running. Just accept I don't have to enjoy it but it's got to be done, like a chore for my health and weight I guess

Honestly OP this probably isn’t sustainable, if it’s something you hate you’re not likely to stick to it. I tried to run but found myself dreading it and life is too short for that. I then found that actually walking at speed worked my heart out quite a lot, was gentler on my knees and I could enjoy an audiobook.

Might also be worth looking into sports? I rediscovered netball in my 30s, beginner, friendly group, it’s great training as it’s essentially interval training with its stop start nature. But mostly, I enjoy it, so it’s not a chore.

I think the key is finding something you enjoy so you prioritise it.

I agree with butter above. On the one hand, yes anything gets easier when you do it more, including running. I run. I don't like it. I may go when I don't have time or opportunity to fit anything more fun in, but I never look forward to it. While I can't wait for my Bodycombat class this evening, or arm and back day at weights section tomorrow.

So I do pilates and a dance class two evenings a week and that is what I consider the "fun" activity that I actually look forward to. However I don't find that to be enough with a desk job and I need to be more active and lose weight. But don't want to spend more than 2 evenings away from DC and there is no way I will ever get up at 5am to go to the gym so running would be a good way to do some free exercise that I can fit around my schedule, for example at lunch time on the days I WFH.

It's better for me because I need a proper structured programme and I get overwhelmed with the available content. I'm sure someone with more knowledge and patience than me could get similar results from YouTube, but there's a reason why Les Mills classes are so popular.

if you want to do bodypump, you will need weights, but you can easily pick up a used set and it does not have to be the original lesmills one

Yes I’m with you I understand. If you like Pilates I hugely recommend Betterme, I do 25 mins a morning prior to WFH, Pilates is quite easy to do at home and probably better to do more regularly than once a week to true benefit (which frees up my time for my sport in the evenings, you could perhaps do something heavier cardio wise if you were doing Pilates at home). I tried running at lunch time but hated it so switched back to walking, I do think walking gets overlooked tbh, I gained very little in stats running over a fast paced walk.

Gym at 6am and then run/walk when they are at activities. Work full time so no time during the day

I go to the gym 4x per week for 1.5hrs and it's squeezed between other life things. It's always the same, on a Monday I go straight after school pick up, then weds I have a half day so gym straight from work before school pick up. Friday I get up early and so I am home to do school drop off. Then Sunday no commitments but I wake u early so I go early. I used to run but started to feel safe only doing certain routes which got boring abd also I don't like running in the rain or when it's icy! If I miss a day it can't really be made up anywhere so I really try not to miss any days.

Single mum here:

-walking to and from school twice a day.
-walk or cycle everywhere else too.
-gym and/or run during work hours (work from home and very flexible so make up in the evening if needed).
-do extra during the 24 hours a week kids with their dad.

I absolutely prioritise exercise above everything else when I’m not with the kids. I average about 25k steps a day, 50km runs per week, and 4 strength/conditioning classes per week.

Yes, running is perfect because you can fit it in whenever and pretty much wherever too. I only started in my 30s after I became a mum, didn’t like it before at all, but have got really into it over the past decade and now truly enjoy it.

Following with interest. I am absolutely not a morning person so getting up any earlier than 7am just won't happen for me.

Likewise evenings I'm very tired so it wouldn't happen then either.

I do hardly anything and my back is terrible at the moment.

I only work part time as well so I really have no excuse.

I get up at 5am to run/do weights before kids get up if it’s my turn to get up with them. Alternate days when it’s my DH’s turn I get up at 6am to do same.

If you want to do it you’ll find a way, rather than find excuses.

I wonder if there is hope for me too, always hated it but I think I just have to do it!

DH cycles to and from work 12km each way). I used to do Pilates and/or yoga at lunchtimes (there have been weekly classes held in our office for long periods) - and managed to find a Pilates class in the sailing club over winter and later a yoga class in the late evening in community centre.

At the moment, I manage a swim once a month and try to walk everywhere rather than driving (I get my groceries with a granny cart on the metro with a fair walk involved most weeks, and try to do a car run once a month/6 weeks to stock up on heavy/bulky things).