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Original poster

LPs (no other parent involved) how do you find time for exercise?

30 replies

jua890 · 13/02/2019 14:14

If you're an LP with no other parent involved, how do you find time for exercise?
It's always the thing that gets pushed to the bottom of the priority list for me.
NB I work during school hours, so not possible then. When DD (6) is with me she walks so slowly it's not very possible to burn off energy when you're walking at snails pace.

Just seems to me that with the stress (cortisol) levels elevated due to being a LP, lack of time, etc so easy to put on weight.

Any tips welcome

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Starlight456 · 13/02/2019 14:31

I don’t 😳

I have found now son is at high school I can nip out for an hour but my exercise if choice is swimming so not comfortable with no real contact yey

AngelaStorm73 · 13/02/2019 16:54

Home workout DVDs or YouTube
I did use gym crèche for a while but didn't work well, so now I do it at home or I don't do it.
I would love to do classes, gym, swimming etc. But paying for a membership is a waste as I just don't get the opportunity to use it.
I want to get a bike/elliptical.
I have basic weights, exercise ball, yoga mat, resistance bands, etc. Which I've built up through cheap regular purchases not all at once.
I never get up early enough to do it, and often just want to slob in the evenings though so it is hard.

Phillipa12 · 13/02/2019 19:04

I have a basic weights set and i you tube Hasfiit with coach Kosak. I do a 30/40 min video after the dc are in pjs and are sat in front of the tv on wind downbefore bed

cottontail19 · 14/02/2019 17:36

Don't use being a LP as an excuse OP. Go for a jog in your lunch hour and find a friend for motivation. Get up early and exercise before your daughter wakes up. Do home workouts when she is around and get her to join in with you. Be as active as possible at the weekends.

AdaHopper · 16/02/2019 20:52

I am about to enter several years of semi-lone parenting. My H is moving abroad (a different continent) for work and I will be alone full-time with our 3 DC (12,9 and 6).

I have set up my own company and employ 10 people. I work full-time though very rarely during the weekend.

I am terrified pretty neevous about parenting them alone full-time. Money is not a real concern thankfully.

What should I get sorted to make my life easier. When/how do you get to spend quality 'me'-time? How do you organise simple things like going to the hairdresser?

I am imagining my weekends to be an endless series of driving kids to activities, laundry, cooking, and getting ready for the next school week. How do you manage without burning out? Confused

AdaHopper · 16/02/2019 20:53

Sorry - that I was meant to write my own post! But clearly working out is something I wonder about too. So checking in :)

PollyPelargonium52 · 17/02/2019 15:49

I find housework is a form of exercise dreary though it is.

I go to the local hydrotheraphy pool (jacuzzi) weekly to help relax.

percy1979 · 05/03/2019 20:24

I don’t.... or I try to convince my children to come for a run or a bike ride

Betty777 · 24/03/2019 21:35

I have same problem -
I have recently found a cheap (for London) trainer to come to the house for 1 hour/week. Not affordable long term but in the short term for a kick up the butt it has helped before (it's £40/hour or so) Kid watches TV while I work out on Saturday morning.

If I were more motivated, I would then copy some of the workouts and do them myself in the evenings (this has happened only in a minor form so far for me!) it's much easier to do it once someone has demonstrated what you need to do in your own home.

Could you afford a PT for just a couple of months to get you started? can you work any fast walking into your commute? (e.g. get off tube a stop earlier etc)

spongedog · 25/03/2019 00:06

my dc is now at secondary school so I go out on a sat morning for 2 hours. It is working so well - the tiny piece of independence.

HerRoyalNotness · 25/03/2019 00:11

For a 6yo id try to find a cheap 2nd hand jogging stroller and bing her in that. She’d probably fit for another year. Or get her on her bike and run alongside her

atomicnotsoblonde · 26/03/2019 20:54

I bought myself a treadmill so I could go for a run. I work full time and have 2 kids with no contact with their father and limited family support. I set a yearly target to keep me going!

Seniorschoolmum · 29/03/2019 01:41

Op, I feel for you. By the time ds was three I couldn’t not exercise any more. Like you, no child-free time so I got up early before ds was awake, opened a window so I would hear if a smoke alarm went off, and ran on the road outside. I stayed within sight of the front gate so that gave me a range of about 70 metres. We live on a hill so 35 metres up, then 70 back down and repeat. Thankfully it was too early for the neighbours to realise what I was doing. Grin

when ds was 4 he wanted to learn karate so we both learnt. Very good for core strength, suppleness & stress relief - all that kicking.

Ds is older now so we cycle on the common together and I run in lunchtimes at work.

INeedNewShoes · 29/03/2019 02:07

I have this problem too. My DD is only a toddler which helps as she mostly does what I plan without arguing so we do go for lots of walks. We go for bike rides as well with her in a trailer and I'm hoping that by the time she's 5ish she'll have her own bike. The roads around here are too hazardous to enjoy cycling on so we load up the car with the bikes and drive to local traffic free cycling routes (like disused railways, bridleways etc.).

On rainy days we put music on and have a dance to it Blush

All that being said I often think that if I were to clean my house as often as a civilised person does and mow the lawn etc. I would definitely be trimmer! Things like vacuuming, bending down to wash floors, digging the garden, are all really good exercise.

BelulahBlanca · 29/03/2019 02:09

I walk my parents dog and my mum has DD for an hour. Not as much as I’d like but I get some time to myself and I enjoy walking.

DangerMouse17 · 29/03/2019 02:39

There is a gym right next door, but can't leave ds to go! So it's YouTube on at 8.30pm for an hour of training. I've got loads of kit....barbell, dumbbells, kettlebells, bands and some dip bar things.

Butteredghost · 29/03/2019 04:15

I'm not a LP but gym creche works well for me.

boxlikeamarchhare · 29/03/2019 04:24

I bought a cross trainer when DD was a toddler and H was away for work for 6-9 months at a time.

MonaChopsis · 30/03/2019 07:14

Another one who doesn't... DD is nine now, and keen to 'help me get fit' so shortly I'm going to start the Couch to 5k while she cycles/scoots beside me. She is also just old enough to be left alone for 15/20 mins while I pop to the shops, so if its raining hopefully I'll be able to leave her to go for a run.

PottyPotterer · 30/03/2019 07:20

YouTube 30 mins every day, usually whilst dinner is cooking or later if we're out. Admittedly didn't manage it at all in the early years but 6 is old enough to amuse themselves for half an hour.

glasshalfsomething · 30/03/2019 07:28

Check out what gyms in your area offer a crèche or at least a kids are. I was surprised how many in my area did it. Kids tends to have fun there too.

Otterses · 30/03/2019 07:38

My friend either uses the crèche at the gym, or I have her three year old for a couple of hours while she goes to a trampolining class.

Have you looked at exercise classes where you can bring the kids along? One Fit Mama do weekend ones round here where you can bring babies/kids along. There's toys, or you can pop them there with an iPad for 45 minutes while you exercise.

mpsw · 30/03/2019 07:43

Not really a lone parent, but DH used to go away for 6months at a stretch, and for fitting in exercise, I think that counts.

Basically I didn't when they were very small. Yes I bought DVDs and some weights, followed the Shred thread on MN, read up in the benefits of power walking - and did none of it.

When DC were a bit (well, lot - youngest towards top of primary) I felt able to leave then and do C25K (early evening 'You finish your homework by the time Mummy's back and then we can have a lovely evening')

I really wish I'd done it earlier - I think the idea of C25K with small person scooting beside you is genius. Once you can run competently, t is one of the easiest form of exercise to fit in to odd moments.

KickBishopBrennanUpTheArse · 30/03/2019 08:03

When dd was that age I did:

dvds after bedtime
Football at the park and I'd go in goal - dd would kick the ball, I'd run after it.
Once she could ride a bike she would ride and I would run.
An hour's run while she was at rainbows
I'd swim when she had a swimming lesson
Take her to a trampoline park for a treat (take tena lady)Grin
Long walks with tree climbing
I'd do sprints up a grassy bank while she played at the park (better if she had a friend with her)
Invite friends for tea and hope she gets invited back to give you chance for a run (didn't always work)

I prioritised exercise over cleaning, shopping etc every time I had a spare minute. It was easy because I hate cleaning! My house was often a tip though Blush. I also had one day off a week while dd was at school so that helped. I used that to do all the boring stuff so I could spend the weekend with dd.

megletthesecond · 30/03/2019 08:06

10 minute workout dvd's when they were small and slept.
Dragged and bribed them round parkrun.

Is there a beavers or rainbow group she can go to? You could get a 45 min run in while she's there?