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

[jua890]

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

When DS was small one of the factors behind choosing a nursery location was to choose one at the home end of the journey rather than the work end, so I could drop him at nursery then cycle or run to work. I reckoned that I'd have no time for dedicated "exercise for exercise's sake" but that the commute had to be done somehow so I'd use it for exercise

Only worked because I only live a few miles from work. Obviously wouldn't work for everyone.

Can they scoot or cycle whilst you run? Plonk them in a playground whilst you run round the playground? Get a skipping rope whilst they watch tv/at playground? Put them in a field and run/skip/jump round them? Get up really early (warning- contentious and risky)? Do squats whilst you piggy back them? Run up and down the stairs at home?

There are literally hundreds of ways to exercise with kids. It's just how much do you want it.

I was a competitive runner, I had to get the results in races and XH sodding off to another country was absolutely not going to make me stop training. I did all the above. I definitely wouldn't now though - can't be arsed.

Know a lone parent who runs with her dd cycling alongside. They have a route they do regularly . Means dd is exercising too.
Also there is kids area at her local gym. Special exercises for kids while parent does a class. Means little one is very agile with that so win win.
She is far more focused than anyone l know in a couple because she wants to hold the routine.

Sounds tough. As pp suggested the best bet may be to take them to an evening activity and go during that hour. Running is good as you could just go from wherever you are.

I don’t because I would have to pay for childcare even if I could find someone to do it for an hour and a half.