How can I fit exercise into my busy life!!!

[PandaBear]

Hi All. I've decided that I really must knuckle down and try and lose a stone this summer!! I've started my diet again today - just had rice cake and fruit for lunch, but I really need to exercise as well.

Since having DD 1 year ago - the most exercise I've had is going for a quick walk round the block. I work Full time and then go home and spend an hour with DD before bed, then it's the usual household chores that we all have to do. Now I'm sure I'm not the only one doing all this - so how do you fit exercise into your wekkly routines, without it affecting the quality time you have for your kids?

Any suggestions about exercises that I can do at home will be greatly appreciated.

I do my sit-ups and lying down leg exercises with my 9 mo dd, she thinks it's hilarious! I count as I'm doing them and pull silly faces and she squeals with delight!

Can you find a leisure centre with a creche?

I go to the gym in my lunch hour, I also cycle to work if I can (5 1/2 miles). Creches at gyms are good, running is great, you can do loads in 1/2 hour. At weekends can you get a bike saet for the baby (if you have a bike) and go out at teh weekends for bike rides, or long walks with a pram or backpack? We try to fit exercise into our weekends by swimming as a family (kids 4 and 2), as they grow up it will be the norm. We also have a dog, and that forces us to do stuff.

hello, everyone will hate me, but...

i was using a personal trainer from absolute fitness until approx. two weeks ago. he would come to the house at 7.00am for an hour session (either Sunday or a week day - it was flexible). the idea was that i would book a set of sessions as a "kick-start" to a home-based fitness regime and then go on from there on my own. ended up having the sessions once a week for a year!

have stopped now as trainer has emigrated to the US and i have a nagging knee problem that i really need to sort out before continuing. plus it is expensive and we are doing up the house atm...

in terms of results, well, i don't look like a someone who has had a trainer! but there have been improvements in strength, tone and flexibility, that i would not have achieved otherwise.

for serious weight loss/change in body shape you would need to do at least three sessions per week, but these need not all be with a trainer, two of them could be on your own. i should admit that i really struggled both in terms of time and motivation to fit in more than one session per week.

here is a link to Absolute Fitness .

hth.

i used to rub for a mile took 12 mins ! no gear no driving no cost

run even!!

I go swimming with dd and dh at weekends. When dd has finished in the pool, dh takes her out and swim lengths. Only just started mind you!
Also, when I go to visit the grandparents, I have a game of tennis - lets me do some excercise and gives them some time on their own with dd. They don't want to see me anyway!

I walk to work pushing the buggy (25 minutes each way). I appreciate this may not be practical for everyone but if you can walk at least some of the distance to work that will help - I'm definitly of the view that you need to incorporate exercise into your daily routine and not make it a special thing. There is no way I would get around to making special trips to the gym or even (especially?) to doing exercises at home - too boring!! So I just walk whenever I can. (I also find I am constantly running after ds now!)

Thanks all for your suggestions ....what a fit bunch you are :-)

Think I've decided that I can do the sit ups and other gentle toning exercises at home when DD is in bed (housework can wait). As for cardiovascular stuff - I'm toying with the running suggestion, but I actually hate running so I don't know how well I'll keep to it. Another thought I've had is skipping - which I can do in the privacy of my own garden and do as much or as little as I choose depending on my mood. What I don't want to do is start all of this - just to give up in a couple of weeks cos it's not workable or I'm not enjoying it, so if you've any ideas how I can keep myself motivated, these will also help.

PandaBear - hate running? Perhaps cycling instead (you get further, can carry things like money for quick refreshment stop and see more as you're high up). It can also be used to get you to work if your commute is not too ghastly

Motivation is horses for courses, of course, but things I've always found helpful are: 1) before you go out visualise how good you will feel at the end of the exercise 2) I don't bother visualising the end result, it is miles away but thinking about the next week's activities helps 3)if you miss one or two sessions, just focus on the fact you have done something in the week, which is better than before 4) going with a friend can be very helpful, particularly after week 3/4 when motivation is starting to slip 5) sign yourself up for some medium term goal - a sponsored bike ride, perhaps 6) monitor your improvement in all sorts of ways as well as weight, so speed over a course, time out of the house, heart rate (if you have a monitor)

I hadn't realised I used so many different techniques but I guess it makes sense because if you try just one thing all the time it soon gets stale.

Oh, and of course you could try the whole report back to Mumsnet thing - we'll keep you on your toes

Dh just bought 'us' an exercise bike (a good one) and we take it in turns of an evening to cycle whilst watching our usual tv programme. I find it brillant, you don't have to go anywhere once you've finished clearing away of an evening and you can still keep up with all your favourite soaps!!! I also find I'm doing a 'quick' 10 minutes before my shower in the morning as well. I know it sounds 'sad' but it works for us.

I'm going out on my bike ...you've just inspired me!!

I cycle to work. Stress relief and fitness all in one. Dh has lost loads of weight since becoming a SAHD. We have a car but he dosen't drive, so all the shopping and trips to the park have to be walks, usually up hills.