Moms - when do you exercise?
 

When do you exercise?

naptime...i do my workouts on the wii fit and since my son is home with me during the day i tend to wait until his naptime to do anything.
or i just dont workout which i am trying to stop from doing i need to workout

My youngest child is 3. I exercise in the evening. I put on a show for them and they watch tv next to me or play in their room.

I go when my son is at daycare of I take him with me. My gym has childcare included in the fee which I love!!!

I get up around 5:30 am for a quick run before the kids wake up. Sometimes in the afternoon or weekend I head to the YMCA where they have childcare.

Whenever I can! LOL My kids are older though, 13, 10, and 6. It's just me and them, so leaving them with Daddy isn't an option. Leaving all three to be watched by the eldest is not an option as they are all boys and would surely kill each either. So....that leaves either waking up early in the morn (not happening), later at night, or running circles around a park or high school track where I can see them (weekends only because we have homework/boy scouts/band/baseball most week nights.) Usually I run on the treadmill after I put the youngest to bed at 8:30-9:00.

I go to the gym after my husband gets home from class around 9pm. I try to get cardio in at lunch or after the kids go down to bed so I can focus on strength at the gym and get home (to bed!) sooner.

I have 4 children and I work outside the home. I have a gym where I work, so I usually workout during lunch. I also go to the gym in the evenings/on the weekend sometimes and I take the kids with me because they have onsite childcare and activities for the kids. Also, when I take the kids to cheerleading/soccer/track/football practice, I try to run or walk around the track while they practice.

I feel for you..... I usually go at 5am but if I were you I'd hit the gym on the way home from work. If you go home you'll surely get distracted. It will make the day a bit linger but try doing it for a couple of weeks without fail. Pretty soon the new routine will feel good for everyone. Best of luck to you!

I'm a rather new mom. I have a 7 mo old daughter. She always wants to be held and isn't very good at entertaining herself with her toys for a long period of time. I try to do workout DVDs wheny husbands at work and she'll play on the floor while I do them. Sometimes she's entertained, sometimes as cries. Even naps she wakes up right when you put her down until shes held! I'm not good at the crying it out method.
So I try to work out when my daughter is awake and happy.
Or we will take walks when it's nice out.

I have a toddler and work out of the home as well. I'm up at 5 a.m. already and don't get home until 4:30 most days. Right now I just don't exercise, unfortunately. I just can't make it work right now.

I'm with you Modkittn: I work FT and DH is a SAHD. I have a 5 yo, 3 yo and 18 month old. I haven't figured out when to "work out" yet. I leave at 7 AM but have trouble getting my rear out of bed by 6:30 AM. I get home at 6PM and instantly have 3 kids hanging off me, I make supper, bed times at 9 PM and if I can manage to not crash with them at 9 I might make it long enough to do a load of laundry.

The only time i've been able to work in some exercise time is either at lunch time I'll take a walk and once a week I take a horseback riding lesson after work. Saturday morning I started a Yoga DVD and the older two let me do my thing, but after 10 mintes the baby woke up and thought I would make a good climbing toy. I'm not good enough at yoga to do with a 25 lb weight climbing all over me!! LOL.

I've decided I need to get up early 5 AM? to get it done, now I just need to get the motivation to actually do it!

I'm a single mom to a 3 year old, so I go right after work, before picking her up from daycare. Then we prep lunch for the next day and make dinner.

The only bad thing about it is that I can't figure out how to work out when I can't do it at that time (her tumbling, dance class, swimming are right after work too).

I take my 2yr old for a walk immediately when I get home. I pick her up from daycare and off we go about 6pm. Supper is usually later - about 7:00, but then it's bath, snuggles and bed.

Just a question, if DH is a SAHD, why doesn't he cook supper? Or maybe take turns - like if you want to work out 3x a week, maybe he could cook those days? (not saying it will be edible...)

I agree! I am a sahm and one of my challenges is getting dinner ready on time. But the nights that DH goes to work out after work, I always try extra hard to have something ready for him when he gets home so he can go to the gym and have a good work out after work. He gets home at 5pm, and works out at 6:30

My gym has childcare, so I go whenever it works for me. But when I was interning and taking classes last year, it was a real struggle. It's a challenge to work out w/ kids in the house, even if you set up an activity for them!

:dizzy: I'm pretty certain SAHM's and SAHD's are wired differently. Ladies with a SAHD who actually does everything a SAHM would do need to hold on TIGHT to them. My DH doesn't do laundry or clean up either.

What my DH has going is a working farm to take care of. When ever I bring up him doing cooking or cleaning he asks me when I'm going to begin doing the farm chores....touche! (of course many days I would take that deal!)

I usually work out as soon as I get home from work (around 5:30 pm). I get up at 5:30 am already, so before work isn't really going to happen. I am a single mom of a 7 year old and he's pretty independent, so he will get a snack and entertain himself while I work out. Sometimes we go for a walk together but usually I do my mini-elliptical and watch tv, and I just got a treadmill so I am looking forward to using that.

I have a really hard time with this...I have a 3 yo and a 15 month old, and I work full time (I work out of a home office, so at least I don't have to commute). I try to take the dog for a walk every night, but some nights I am so tired I make DH do it instead....so I don't work out. And I don't know if you could call a walk a workout anyways, but something's better than nothing!! Young kids just need so much of your time, it's rather difficult to carve out an hour....and my 15 month old does not sleep well, so you can rest assured I am not getting out of bed any earlier than I have to! :)

Im at home with my boys too, one aged 3 years and the other 6 months.

When we can we go out for a walk during the day but its not so much a big workout for me when I have to stop to look at every ant etc :D

So I do my stuff once the boys are asleep. When the weather is nice Ive taken the smaller one in the pram so I can walk or then I go on the exercise bike. I was going to the gym before I got pregnant with my second child but its hard to squueze in now as it was a bus ride away with a limited timetable.

Yeah, I have a 2 year old and am a SAHM right now. I exercise either before she wakes up or when she naps in the afternoon. Sometimes DH will spend some alone time with her in the evening and I'll either do a fitness video or work out in my garage (we have an elliptical and treadmill out there).

I am a sahm too. To be honest I really don't exercise much because of a spinal injury, but what little I do has always been after I put everyone to bed. Not only because of the time issues, but also because I'm about as graceful as a bull ox and that's when there are no witnesses awake to watch me flop and jiggle and stumble.

Im a SAHM to 3 children and I also watch 1 child. I work out in the evening after dinner I go in my room and lock the door and workout on my wii fit for an hour my kids are ages 11,8, and 3 my husband is home by then and can handle anything that comes up.

I'm a working mum with three girls ... 9, 5 and 3. I go to the Anytime Fitness Gym after the two little ones are tucked up in bed about 7.30ish ....

i have two kids, 12 and 7 - i work out with them (walks, swimming) or when they are asleep and I can close my door. although they're older they will still knock on my door and ask me for things. so it's better when they're asleep!

We homeschool, so I'm pretty much with my kids 24/7. I manage to work out 6 days a week for 2 hours a day. (Usually only get an hour at a time)

I try hard to be the first one up so that I can get at least some of it done while they're still asleep, but often they are up and around and they either watch, participate, or find something else to do.

Before school lets out or after kid goes to bed and I've had a chance to rest before working out. So I'm exercising at like 10 PM! Not the ideal but I tell myself sometime in the day is better than never.

Evening is the WORST time of the day for me. My energy is low. Everyone always wanting something, dinner, bath, homework, SOMETHING. After tending to it all I just want an hour of SILENCE before I contemplate something else. Maybe even a nap!

A.

WOW. PROPS TO YOU!

Thanks. I used to tell myself it was selfish for me to try to take that time for myself, but really it's a service to my family to take care of me so I can take care of them, ya know?

I've been a SAHM and a FT mom. When my son was little, I couldn't leave the room or he would cry. He didn't like to be put down either. My husband was traveling at the time, and I couldn't find the time to do much exercising (which is why I'm still overweight after having my kids). I used to walk with him in the stroller, but didn't do it on a regular basis.

Working FT outside the house has helped me set up priorities. I don't like working out at a gym because its one more stop to make, so we bought a great spinner bike that we've put in the living room. Not the greatest looking thing, but it keeps me honest.

When I was a SAHM, I would put off exercising because I could always do it later. I think that's the key really for me -- not just making time for exercise but making it a priority. When my oldest was younger, I could have found the time to exercise thanks to the exersaucer that he loved, but I didn't because there was always something better to do (cleaning, cooking, laundry, etc). I exercise now at night after dinner, and my kids hang out with me. It makes them a part of my weight loss.

Thinking about exercising like this has helped me keep at it even when I'm not losing as much as I would like.

The gym I go to has a daycare that costs extra but I can drop my daughter off there while I work out, and I have a gym at work, that I can use.

I work 4 days so my two lil ones (2.5yrs and 7mos) are in care those days. Luckily I teach at college so I can get to the gym two days a week because I don't have classes starting until 10am (just means I have to be super organised or do more work on the weekend). Then I try to get a work out in on the weekend, either walking with DH and the kids or when they are a napping take off to the gym. But often I only get one work out in :(

I have 4 children (ages 13-2), a home daycare, and home school our kids. My husband is also an athlete so workout time is precious! We take turns in the mornings (mine are M-W-F). Depending on his work schedule, we can start as early as 4:30. We both go on the weekends, but get up a little later (say 6 or 7). A couple of times a week, I will workout in the evenings. I make supper and head to the basement for my workout.

Keep working it in - believe me - it will become a priority and you will wonder what you would do without it!!

When my kids were really little, naptime was the time to work out. Now that they are older and go to school full-time, I work out right after seeing them off at the bus stop. Sometimes, I work out at night after they fall asleep but mornings are better for me. Whatever works for you.

I have a 4 yr old, and work FT, mainly 12 hr shifts.

Since on the days I work I don't get to spend much time with my LO, I tend to workout after he is in bed.

I have been making this a priority over getting things ready for the next day, as I know that after exercise I will still do what I need to do for the next day. However, if I get everything ready for the next day first, I often manage to convince myself that I am too tired and will have to wait to the next day to exercise.

I so wish I was a morning person and that I could force myself out of bed at 4am to have time to squeeze in a workout :rolleyes: ....yah, like that is ever going to happen!

It isn't easy, for sure. But I figured if I have time to get online, then I have time to work out. I work full-time and am the only parent for my two girls, 15 and 3. So, at least I can leave the little one with the big one. I started hitting the gym between 5:30 and 5:45 during the week for an hour while they are both sleeping. On the weekend, a little more lax and go when I feel like it.

I have to get up at 6am so i can be done at 7:30am before my kids and hubby get up. Its hard getting up early but its my "me" time and its the only time I get during the day that is quiet and uninterrupted.

I'm a SAHM...so it's a lot easier for me. I fit it in when I get the motivation for the day. I used to only do it at my kids' nap times, but now that they're a little older (I can trust them in a room without me making sure they don't draw on the walls haha) I usually put them infront of the tv (bad mom) for a sessoin of sesame street or sid the science kid. At least they're learning something from pbs cartoons :)

I work Monday to Friday, 8:30 am - 4:30 pm, so I exercise at 6 am before work, when DH is still around just in case my son wakes up, and if I can't muster it in the morning, I will do it after he goes to bed at night. My favourite form of exercise is a 30 minute walk, but sometimes I will do weights and also dance aerobics.

I totally understand! I asked a similar question under weightloss support. My one yr old does not entertain himself real well (because he is one). I am really struggling to find time to do any kind of work out I am at work by 6 and lucky to be home by 6. I think I am going to try a late night walk tomorrow (I am up anyway).

I know this is an older post and all, but it's a common issue. I am a mom to 3, my DH is the SAHD and I work full time. I leave my house for the commute at 5:30am and usually get home roughly between 5:15-6pm depending on when I can leave and how traffic is. For awhile I was getting up at 3:15 to insure I could have time to workout, but with still trying to spend time with the kids in the evening, this was not allowing for enough sleep. So now, I say hi to everyone when I get home, have a cup of water, and get right to it. That way the rest of the evening is with the family after, it's before I eat supper, and then I can shower before bed and feel fresh after sleep :) It seems to work for us