SAHMs with under 3s - what exercise do you do and when?

[EldonAve]

I ditched my gym membership over a year ago but need to do something

I was wondering what exercise other SAHMs manage to do when you still have a small child at home full time?

The hoovering and polishing mostly!

Take the dog for a hike

I do Pushy Mothers once a week.

I have started doing a 60 min walk every week day, too. I do it whatever the weather and bring the kids with me (I have a nearly-4 yr old and an 8 wk old)

I swim / do an exercise class whenever I can get DH or my mum to have both the kids.

Dog walking, pram pushing. None basically. Depressing (but a good excuse too!)

I go for a run whenever DH is home, problem in the winter is that this tends to be after dark, but can at least still go at the weekends, I like it because its free!!

like everyone else i walk lots (probably an hour a day - no car). we do a toddlers dance class that involves mostly the mums doing the stuff and the kids looking on bemused

i used to do a lot of yoga (3 times a wk at home +class, but that was before dd2 when dd1 was at nursery in the afternoons) and swim every week. once i can see the floor in my spare room i'll try to get the yoga going again. i tried doing an early morning session but i'm just too stiff to enjoy it then, so maybe i'll sneak a session in on the weekend when dp takes them both out. i get a half-day babysitting once a week from my mum which i've been using for housework stuff but i really should make better use of. a fornightly swim would be a good plan.

thanks for this thread, it's reminded me about all the little spaces where i could squeeze in a bit of leg-stretching time.

bump

sorry missed off 1/2 my msg - thanks all
no dog here so dog walking is out

about 45 mins of walking a day. Plus I seem to be constantly going up and down stairs

Yoga one evening a week
One morning a week swim, DS in leisure centre creche
Walk whenever possible (easier in summer)

I've got a bike trailer so ride places and take DS in that. Until he started walking reliably by himself, I used to carry DS in a sling everywhere which was pretty good exercise.

But now I'm pg and DS has just started nursery a drive away, nothing.

I used to go to the gym and swimming - pre-children, now I find that pushing the P&T (with 2 children in, and panniers attached filled with shopping) does the trick

My arms and legs have never looked so toned!

I walk everywhere though and make sure I go out every day. If I wasn't so tired from DS2 never sleeping, I would start going swimming in the evenings again, as I find it quite relaxing and refreshing.

I have just started up with a bit of excercise agin after getting very lazy because I had a sick bug so had lost weight! I do walk to our various toddler grous but also have the odd day when I use the car instead and so have started going for a 30min power walk whenever XP is here visiting DD. So in theory I could go three to four times a week but I'e only managed twice so far this week. I am also finding that its dark b the time he gets here but still went yesterday just didn't walk as far as normal as it would have been too scary (by a river, quite secluded). I also used to go to fitness yoga once a week but didn't go for a month and got out of the habit, also I would have had to start again in terms of building up strength and all that and can't quite face it yet!

I do DVDs at home nearly every day. I either get up before the kids and do one or I do them after they're in bed or when DH is home, too (he works shifts and mostly in evenings/weekends).

DVDs at home could work but I'm always too tired by the time everyone is in bed

I try and do 15 minutes cross training a day. Someone gave me one, not a very subtle hint.

Walk with the kids in the buggy, slow though if one wants to walk.

I'm going to get a bike and go cycling a couple of evenings a week.

Which DVD's are good?

I do the "5 Step Fat Attack" DVD 4 x a week whilst DS has his morning nap. Been at it for nearly 3w now and can definatly see a change.