How do you fit exercise around being a mum - if at all?

[eggybreadandbeans]

My ds will be two on Wednesday. I haven't exercised really since cycling to work pre-pregnancy, and I'm missing it. I want to start exercising regularly again.

I'm wondering how to fit in three worthwhile sessions of something a week with a very lively (and at the moment quite clingy) two-year-old to keep amused and out of mischief.

What sort of exercise do any of you do? When? Where? How? Where do your little ones go - or do you exercise with them around?

Grateful to hear what works for any of you. Thanks.

I've recently started exercising again at the gym and it's made a huge difference to how I feel. I can go when ds is at nursery or dh has him. When I was on ML, I used to force myself to walk miles with the pushhair. We both enjoyed it and I got fit, but it's not the same as having your own time. I do DVs in the evenings sometimes too but I would never get up before I had to for exercise. I'm too lazy.

I haven't read the whole thread but my efforts to get to my class last night involved....

Borrowing my mum's car because DH at work until 6.30pm. Picking DD up from school at 4.15, rushing in getting two children fed. DD changed into Brownie uniform, DS dropped to my mum's at 5.30pm, dropped DD at Brownies 6pm, rush to class, leap around in the boiling heat for 45 mins, leap into car, collect DD from Brownies 7.30, collect DS from mum's, home at 8pm, bath them, stories etc etc bed. Cook DH and I dinner, bath for me then bed.

Who needs the class in the middle of all that?!!!

Fortunately my children now sleep at nights:) To be be honest, I don't sleep so well after years of broken sleep and find that I wake up at 4.30-5am most days anyway.

I used to be the crazy lady doing her supermarket shop or ironing at 5.30am

hello, I find I can only exercise when dd (4) and ds (20 months) are in bed. Here's what I do - Monday short run when kids in bed, Tuesday ashtanga class 7.30pm, Thursday medium run (in break at work), Friday ashtanga class 7.30pm, Sunday long run first thing in the morning.

Used to put ds and dd in gym creceh unti we moved - excellent, wish I could do that now.

I do pilates and yoga at a gym very near home. During teh school day as i am still on maternity leave. It has a creche for ds1 24 montsh and ds2 6 months. Kids dont go down at night 7 I am BF DS2 so cant do it then

But if my kids are in bed, I cant leave the house to do anything! And even staying in, I cant guarantee ds1 wont wake up, as he's having really bad sleep problems at the moment.

just leave, Mustrunmore, let your dp handle it

Have an 19 months old who goes in a creche at the gym for 1.5 hours 3 times a week as a SAHM it is my saviour!!!!

Started this when he was 8 weeks old so he is quite used to it by now.

Left DL as I thought they very un child friendly everywhere was segregated and felt like kids weren't welcome - bloody miserable bastard OAPs want their bit of space but don't want to go late at night or in the day when sprogs at school!!!

Have new gym and is lovely - not as swish but cheaper and much nicer for the kids!!!

Thanks all for your insights and tips.

Marathonmum, I'm in awe. Bloody unbelieveable. You must feel really proud of yourself. Dp had his marathon-running year in 2001 (London and New York), and it's practically put him off exercising for life! Raised lots of £ though I remember how much training he did - and how much you must do, with three kids - and am inspired. Not enough to do the same, though ...

My weight had dropped to less than pre-pregnancy by the time ds reached his first birthday - yay! But it's creeping back on now. We also now live in the sticks, and unless the village shop is the only place you need to visit, the car is essential. In my cycling-to-work days, we didn't have a car at all.

I do have a cycle seat for ds, who loves it. I also have crap hayfever, so although it's managed pretty well, a cycle through the fields is suicidal in June/early July - so holding fire on that for the mo, though could go for lots of cycling once the pollen count drops.

Am intrigued to get pedometer (sp?) - can feel I'm not as active. Hmm. And swimming is my favourite sport - and there is a sports centre locally, and with a creche. But ds is very "attached" at the moment, so it's not the time to start this just yet. Ds only wants Mum at the moment, but will see if he'll stay happily with Dad a few times a week while I swim.

Lots of food for thought. Thanks again all. EBAB

have you tried finding one of those "buggy" classes in a park?
by the way, try cutting out wheat for your hayfever. really really hard but it does seem to work.

I try to run twice a week, once dh is home in the evenings, I also give dd2 to my mum once a week to go to aikido, and then try and go again on another evening, once dh is home, have to say it cuts down the times we see each other tho....

Dinny... I cant leave because he's not here! He's always at work.I'm sure he would handle it if he was here.But he's out of the house 13hrs a day mimimum, often more.

when dds were at the age where one was at p-t school nursery and the other going to play group/singing lessons etc all I really did was walk. lots and lots. It's a 20 m walk to nursery, than from there all dd1's activitities were about 30-35 mins walk, then I'd have to go back to get dd2, them home, then often out again in the afternoon. would regularly walk for 2 hours in a day. other than that I only ever really managed sat or sun mornings - would use my turn for a lie in to not lie in and go for a run. still tend to be a bit of a weekend only exerciser.

I forgot (how could I?) last autumn I did an 8 mile run, so for training I used to do one early morning run before dh left for work; one weekend morning run; and - for a short period I had thrusday mornings to myself (didn;'t work Thurs and dd2 in p-t nursery, god tah was great)= so I did a long run then

We have a running buggy which my 2.5 yr old loves, it's the only time I really get any exercise as I work full time and dont want to sacrifice sleep for exercise, very selfish of me really.

How the hell do you run pushing a buggy?
I feel that my arms have to move when I run.

I am in awe and ashamed of myself with my haphazard ways - I never manage to fit more than 1 swim in a week while dd is at nursey. Although she goes four mornings a week I always seem to have so many other things to fit during this time - shopping, gardening, housework, ironing, decorating etc etc.

Most take note and heed to and FIND time!! Perhaps if I spent less time on here LOL

i've seen mums going for a run with their pushchair, you could try that. you could also buy one of those trampolines for the garden (the huge ones). i'm sure you and your 2 year old could both get some satisfaction from that!! how about doing a fitness video at home as well?

I go swimming at times when DP is around: I aim for Monday and Wednesday evenings, and a weekend morning. It doesn't always work out, but it's great when it does.

Mustrunmore, can you afford a treadmill or elliptical? I've got a really good Reebok elliptical, cosat £300 but have used it a lot....

We've got a fantastic treadmill.Things WILL get easier as ds2 gets a bit bigger, but as it stands he still feeds more or less constantly in the evening, so by the time he's satisfied and asleep its 9.30/10pm and I'm shattered. As it is, I only fit in a bath/hair wash once a week , so time to run would be a real luxury.i did manage 3 times in one week, but thats when dh was on short shifts (out at 5.30am home by 6pm), so there was time to get stuff done and have a run. I really dont know where the time goes.But we are still trying to renovate our house at the same time too.

oh, I know the feeling. haven't got out this week (except to yoga) as dd been a nightmare at bedtime and by the time she's down it's too late and I just want a glass of wine

put a toddler seat on your bike and go cycling

God, I wouldn't feel safe trying to balance myself and two kids on a bike!

trailer?