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.

Like others, up at 5am for a run while everyone else is asleep, so I'm back in time to get on with our day. I couldn't marathon train without the early morning starts.
Now the mornings are dark again it means a headtorch or sticking to lit roads.

our kids are secondary school/ks2 primary aged
we do runs or gymn whilst dropping them off/picking them up from their activities which all tend to be one hour long eg their swimming classes are at the leisure centre that has a gymn in it, scouts is next to the moor so we run there.

sometimes we drive half our commutes with a bike on the car and cycle the rest of the way.

I also always have my sports kit with me so I can fit it in where I can. I probably don’t do enough weight training but it is what it is

I prioritise my own set exercise as non-negotiable. My son (age 9) fits in with this. We do karate together - joined at the same time. He goes to climbing club one evening, swimming club another - I use the gym both evenings. In the winter we both race our bikes. I plan my third gym session and on bike training the week ahead depending on work/ family commitments.

I'm currently in wake-up mode and about to do a 15min yoga video...

Parkrun is great for families. We do 2k juniors (Sunday) and 5k (Saturday).

Go for a run while kids are doing activities.

It's easier now mine are older and can be left alone, but when they were younger it was early/ late and weekends. I did a weights/ circuits class on a Sat am, and runs around their routines. Running started because it was flexible.

Too early isn't ideal for me as it's hard to get an early enough night with teens in night owl mode.

Right, time to pick my video and get downstairs...

I walk or cycle places with the children. Younger kids in a trainer on my bike.

DH cycles for his commute,

The exercise has to fit around life rather than it being its own thing that needs specific scheduling. I’ve been thinking of getting a weighted vest to make the walks more of a work out.

I exercise at home most days - a throwback to when DC were young and DH was training for marathons/ultras so was out running a lot (I was happy for him to be doing this 🤣)

There are so many trainers online offering free programs- cardio, strength, pilates, whatever you fancy!

I go to the gym at 6am

Early mornings for me, which means I’m at home for DC activities (mainly football and running in the evenings) and DH goes at night (meaning DC aren’t home alone in the mornings when I’m at the gym).

M, W, F - alarm 525am, class at 6am, home by 715am
T, T - as above but do extra after class as WFH so get home closer to 8am
Sat - class at 9am (me and DH, kids come with us)

DH is 6pm/7pm class every day plus football training 1 night and a match 1 night a fortnight (no gym).

DC are football/running every night apart from a Friday and then DC1 has a match on Saturday afternoon and DC2 is Sunday morning.

If early mornings don't work for you and you don't want to skip family time, how about late in the evening when kids are in bed? I often go to gym around 9 or 10. Not for intense cardio then but weighlifting doesn't keep me awake.
Do your kids do any activities, can you go during that time? And if looking for new activities, anything you can do either jointly or at least at the same time and place? One of my gyms specifically runs crossfit kids and adults classes at the same time, so parents can also exercise.

And yes you can do a lot at home too. But do look into strenght training options, we really need it and walking/running is not enough.

I’m interested in moving to early mornings. Late evenings and I struggle to sleep. Earlier evening and it’s hard to fit in with eating together and not exercising on a full stomach and teenage lift schedules. Currently do mid morning but it does dominate my day. My whole work schedule revolves around it. Any tips from non-morning folk on making the transition? Looking back, it was easier when the kids were smaller!

Once a week I do an early morning class - important to put everything ready, clothes out, bag packed. So just get up, brush teeth and go. If I start taking leisurely taking my time, I won't go. It does have its benefits for sure, all done with exercise before most people even wake up, and don't need an extra shower in the middle of the day.

I was a night owl who moved to early morning gym. I signed up for a class at 6.15. It small group training in a “lock up” type gym, rather than a Virgin type gym. ie; if you miss it, you miss it. I’m far too tight to miss something I’ve paid for. I hated the 5.40 alarm to start with, but had a deal with myself that wouldn’t think about it, it’s just get up and go. 3 years on, I wake up at 5.40 am anyway.

I go to the gym at 8.30 at night 3 days a week when my son is in bed a husband just has to sit there. At the weekend I take DS to kids club and tennis lesson and go to the gym/do an exercise class when he's there. H gets the same amount of leisure time but spends it asleep.