How do working parents fit regular exercise into family life?

[Aabbaas]

I work full time and have a primary school aged DC. Need and want to exercise more and have a more established routine.
This is what I currently manage:
1 body pump class per week (typically on a Friday evening)
1 dance class per week (another week day evening)
10K-15K steps a day on average

I want to do another exercise class per week, ideally also weights but strugglw to find the time so it will either have to be another evening (which means being out 3 evenings a week) or on a Sunday morning. Either way, this means taking time away from my family. Anyone else on the same boat? What do you all do to keep fit?
Early mornings are a no for me unfortunately and when I WFH I don’t have long enough lunch breaks to allow me to go to the gym, exercise, and come back.

It’s not easy when they’re young and you’re already doing really well!

i used to drop a dc off at their activity, run 5k and then pick them up.

joined mums rugby which trained at the same time as DS rugby.

home lunch break workouts to save on the gym commute.

Can’t you just do some weights at home? That’s what I do, kids join in sometimes

I did get a walking pad which helps the steps & allows me to catch up on MNs when I have some free time.

I did get a walking pad which helps the steps & allows me to catch up on MNs when I have some free time.

He does drop off. Or I do it when I work from home
If I finish at 4:30 I can do pick up
But we have to be flexible so some days he does both and this isn't purely down to my priorities but also work, I travel occasionally and have evening meetings. He will also be travelling for a almost a week soon so it's very varied and not 100% fair either. And to be honest, if we are both in the office, he would prefer to do pick up and I head home to get dinner started.

As for his exercise, it's a good question. He works from home a lot more than me so is flexible in his day and obviously has access to the walking pad, peloton and weights.
One of us tried to go swimming when the kids have their class and the other is managing the changing etc. He doesn't like the gym so it's not competing priorities. Though I'll admit it's been propelled by me and my needs. Six years into the parenting game and it was time to put myself first a bit.

I find it a struggle & I finish work at 2:30, pick up thr dc, get one or two to an activity, cook from scratch, eat dinner together, homework/reading etc. DHs does drop offs except for my day off but he doesn’t finish work until 5:30 which is fine on his wfh days but office days means a commute. I would really struggle without my day off!

Early mornings, wfh lunch break (we have a home gym though) and after work sessions. It’s so much easier when they can be left though. Could you get a walking pad for the days you WFH? A couple of dumbbells and a YouTube video a couple of times a week?

I get up at 6 to go to the gym. Then I wake everyone else up for the day when I get back. We both work full time 9-6 so few other options.

I run when kids are in bed, if there’s a spare 45 mins somewhere, for an hour or so at the weekends - that doesn’t really cut into family time, we both value a bit of time to ourselves at weekends and running is mine. I can’t really fit in classes except run club, set times are too inflexible. Sometimes I run while DD1 is at an extracurricular for an hour. I’ll just run from the venue and return there for pick-up. I go for a run on my break from work as I WFH, so I can fit in a 5k plus shower and a spot of lunch on my lunch break.

I can’t do early mornings. My body isn’t operational and neither is my soul. I’d rather go out at 8pm in the pissing rain and dark.

Can you say more about why you don't like early mornings? There might be a way around?

I have 3 children and get up at 530 and go to the gym, 3-4 times a week, and run on other days. DH does drop off on mg gym days, I do pick up.

Assuming that isn't an option:

One mum at our school takes her child to breakfast club and then goes for a longish run home as she WFH. I think she does circuits in the park on the way as I've seen her doing chin ups.

My own mum had 4 kids and had a good quality exercise bike in the kitchen. She used to do a workout pre breakfast or sometimes, in the evening before she made dinner. Because of where it was, she could keep an eye on us.

Another mum I know goes climbing and takes her kid on an evening.

Another one has her child doing Scouts and goes for a cycle during it.

There are lots of options that don't involve early morning gym!

I wish I knew!

It’s hard when your kids are still small. DH and I both play a team sport . He would train Tue/Thu and me Wed eves. We both have matches Saturdays so would tag team with the kids or ask family for help if our matches clashed. As they’ve got older (my youngest is year 6 now) we’ve slowly been able to add in more exercise e.g. we’ve joined a hybrid fitness club as a family - I dropped work to 4 days a couple of years ago so do classes Friday morning and Monday/Tuesday eves, dh similar and the kids do sessions as well. I’m not one for exercising at home, I just can’t motivate myself.
Basically I’m saying it gets easier as they get older and you can start to leave the kids for short periods. It also helps that we’re all into sport etc.

@JohnnyMcGrathSaysFuckOffI can’t do mornings because I leave for work at 6:30 & can’t face getting up earlier than I do.

When I get to work I do try & do a few laps & at lunchtime so I get some steps in.

WFH days could you not just go for a run or do a YouTube workout on your lunch break instead of going to the gym? More time to exercise if you're not having to drive to the gym.

Don't do organised peak time stuff. Go for a run or swim early in the morning or during your lunch break. You're asking a lot of your partner to do 3x per week. Btw, I do 2 fixed training sessions per week, then 1-2 extra runs, either during lunch, on the way to school or with the kids on bikes

I took up running when mine was at his various activities and it was just something i could squeeze in just whenever. I wouldn’t have managed to keep up with specifically times classes I don’t think - my husband worked away a lot and that made later evenings difficult.

Interested in this.
Do you run in the dark?

I run during the kids activities. And strength train at 5am, because that’s the only other available time. It’s shit. But less shit than the potential consequences of not doing it.

I do it because I absolutely have to for my physical and mental wellbeing. I have ADHD so have an unbearable burning energy if I don’t exercise. This means I’m creative, plan ahead and make myself do it even when pushed/tired. I’ll caveat this by saying we are two parents and one child. Also, we live about three minutes’ walk from a gym and pool, and by the sea, so I can jump in the sea to swim five minutes from the door. Baby almost one now and I’ve been back to ‘harder’ exercise (i.e. not just walking) since six weeks post c section.

I do it whenever it fits into the day - whether that’s up early, or later in the day while my husband takes the baby out in the pram on the dog walk. Pre children, it was before and sometimes also after work. Now it’s just once a day (not counting walking) but I’ve also changed jobs and can work from home some days, so getting out on a run or to a gym class during the day is an option sometimes. Basically, just whenever and however I can. I’ve run at 11pm before on days when I’ve just not managed to get out sooner. I’ll do a home workout when I can’t get out (though these aren’t as good for me as I’m easily distracted). Sometimes I’ll just do whatever gym class is available at a workable time.

Each evening, we have a quick chat about the plan for the next day and that includes when we’re both going to exercise. Then I’m as organised as I can be - e.g. running kit by the door to throw on quickly if I’m getting up early, contact lenses somewhere I can find them with enough light to get them in quickly, some sort of food prepped for when I get back if I know time is short, work clothes laid out to throw on as fast as possible.

I get up at 5am and go 6 days a week. It takes some adjusting but it works well for family life

My gym has a kids club, kids do their class whilst I do mine

And I'll often go to classes at 6am

I know this isn't possible for you but I typically workout (running) early in the mornings while kids are still asleep. Three evenings a week I do weights either in our basement or at my gym which is a 5-6 minute drive. Saturday mornings are for long runs (I've run a couple of half marathons this year).

My younger kids are 15 and 12 so it's nbd for them to be home alone, that said, as I'm approaching 50 my health is a massive priority for me, so if I have to compromise on other things, I will.

I get up at 6 and do a 30 min workout on the Ladder app, then quick shower and wake to kids up at 7.

Although the thought of it is awful, getting up early to exercise really does set you up for the day!

Run/workout in the garden/garage (have a few DB and do loads of body weight stuff)at 5.30am

Run to/home from work instead of driving. It’s about 5 miles away

Used to run while brownies/gymnastics etc was on

Walk in my lunch break