When do you fit exercise in with primary school children?

[Mollster1]

When does everyone exercise when you have younger children? My 2 are both at primary school, I used to do a workout or go on the treadmill when they went to bed, but now they are going a bit later it's gone 9 before I get started and it's too late then, youngest is up at 6am.

I share time with my DH. So one eve he will do tea and bath and I will exercise then the next we swap etc. On we weekend we take it in turns too.

I can’t do the morning cos mine are also up at 6 and I just cannot get up at 5 when they still don’t sleep through.

Locally to be there’s a class that I can take my 5 year old to on a Sunday morning. It might be worth seeing if there’s something similar in your local area? It’s good for you to exercise but also good for your children to see you exercising and without even realising exercise will become such an important healthy part of you and your children’s lives

Could you run whist they ride their bikes?

Or during a work lunch break

Or you go out one evening

I do weights at home most morning - the kids know not to interrupt me! Or I go for a run before my DH leaves the house. Sometimes I do a class in the evening.
If they’re up at 6 surely you’re not leaving for school till much later and they can watch some TV while you do a workout?

I just say I’m exercising and expect to be left in peace to do it. Any child above 7ish surely can leave you alone for 30 mins to do a workout at home.

I used to run when kids were young. It’s quick, you don’t need to get to a gym or a pool and it feels like you’re getting out of the house and properly clearing your head. I would go one night when DP did bedtime and on weekends

I go to the gym several times a week, first thing in the morning or just after work. DH is at home with the children.

Weights/S&C in the garden/living room in the morning. If they were up then I did it while they watched TV/pottered etc

Run while they were at any kind of extra-curricular thing.

As they got older, I just went for a run before dinner and left them with their dad.

Now they are teenagers they run with me. Well we leave the house together and run in the same direction but they are much faster than me.

Before work and after work. We did family exercise at the weekend - a run, swimming, bike ride

I swim or go to the gym whilst the kids swim. Sometimes I try to sneak out of work for a lunch hour to do a class but often meetings prevent this. Else exercise before they sleep - encourage them to do 30 mins quiet play whilst I do a home work out. Sometimes my eldest will join in with me and I think it’s good to show them mum d reserves to occasionally prioritise herself

Parkrun/ junior parkrun is a good way to exercise as a family.

I wfh and can start 9-9.30 so I paid for breakfast club and went running in the morning.

I do two evenings a week and one weekend morning… DH has the kids during this time so it’s a none issue

I don’t see why you have to wait until they’re in bed to do home exercise?
Luckily my DH likes to exercise as much as I do so when the kids were smaller we’d take it in turns or the kids would come and sit/play pitchside. Now we exercise a lot as a family (classes, parkrun, sport) so I hope they see this as the norm and carry on as adults.

Guessing you are a single mum - or you have a useless DH

do they do the same activities? Go for a quick run when they are at brownies for example

what kind of lunch break do you get at work - I could grab a sandwich, run for 30mins and very quick shower in days when I had a full hour break

something you can all join in with - I remember WI FIT things and dance videos and online yoga which they could join in with or go and read a book

I used to run when Dh was with DC, but also incorprate childcare into exercise, so swimming with the them, join their football games, play cricket in the park, run while they cycled, do some weights while they watch TV.

I once saw a family set off across Windermere. Adults swimming, children paddling a canoe!

I also used to do exercise videos before anyone else was up.

I worked part time then, so mon-Fri I - loosely - worked 2 hours, hw/errands 2 hours, me time (exercise) 2 hours. Also, one evening a week when dh home. It does depend on your circs which you didn’t include in the op - when do you work and do you have a dh who’s their dad?

Do you work part time or full time? Surely there’s time at some point in the week?

I went for a run yesterday with my 9 year old on his bike!

Things I would do: them on bikes and me running. You can’t train for anything ‘proper’ but half an hour of it was definitely a workout; few weights in the garage - stick the TV onto something they both liked (2/3 Topsy and Tims used to be about right); found a gym where they could come with me; take running gear to an activity and go for a run while they did a class.

They are teens now, so not really a problem. But I have been going to the gym at 6am since dd was in Y6.

Gym at 6am.
DH gets (got) up with them. I’m back at 7.15 and take over.

9 is not that late, unless you mean exercise would keep you awake. My gym is open until 11 so I often go just before bedtime. I mostly lift weights though, wouldn't fancy cardio at that hour.

I do a 6:30pm class one evening and an 8am class on a Saturday. Or you can do things whilst wfh. Husband cares for them whilst I exercise. Do you have a partner?