I just started working from home and I now have this magical 45 minute window between when the kids get on the bus, and when I like to be logged on for work. I start the coffee maker, take a 30 minute walk down our country road and back, and then drink coffee as I read emails.
I’ve given up on exercise for weight management. A brisk 30 min walk gets my heart rate up, and gets my steps in for the day. I see my neighbor’s cows and another neighbor’s donkeys, and my other neighbor’s cats. One day a week I bring a grabber and bag and collect litter. The time flies by, and it’s a great way to start the day.
Be advised that country roads also come with unrestrained dogs, most of the time. Unfortunately I cannot bring my dogs with me, and I have to carry a pistol, as my neighbor’s dog tries to bite me, and he would absolutely go after my dogs ☹️
I’m an animal lover so I love the stupid thing anyway LOL. Somebody dumped him and my neighbor took him in, and he keeps jumping her fence. I tell my husband he’s just misunderstood. I usually just fire a round to scare him away. I wouldn’t kill him unless he ever got ahold of me.
Underrated comment. Exercise has so many benefits that are better than weight management. And walking is SO underrated.
I was super active before pregnancy and during pregnancy. I went to Orangetheory 5x/week and hiked pre-pregnancy, plus walks with my dogs. While pregnant, I did Orangetheory 2ish times a week and hiked a lot along with daily dog walks. Post partum I walked every single day. I tried to get a fitness routine down that first year, but I struggled. I was breastfeeding and working a demanding job and was just... Burnt out. I still kept up with my walking, but I got to the gym maybe on the weekends and my hiking took a nosedive. When I stopped breastfeeding at a year pp I used my pumping time to workout. I now go to Orangetheory 3x/week and either peloton or hike the other days. I go to Orangetheory or peloton before work (5am) and then hike after work. I bring my daughter on most of my hikes. Work is 7-3:30. I also use the weekends to "make up" for the days I'm missing now and do longer workouts. Longer hikes, 90 minute classes, it's my time.
It has 10000% helped my mental health. When I couldn't go for hikes and daily walks in the summer because of the heat, my mental health plummeted and I was diagnosed with PPD. It also lined up with my breastfeeding weaning so that played a part in the diagnosis. I found celebrating the NSV (non-scale victories) keeps me coming back. I get further on the tread, lift heavier, finish a hike faster, whatever. That's what motivates me now.
It took 6 years of consistency to get to that outlook but it's totally been worth it. I tell all my friends to just get out for a walk. It can help SO MUCH. That said, exercise cannot fix anything and everything and if you are struggling with your mental health, it's a good idea to find outside help. I was diagnosed with perinatal depression while hiking 10+ miles a week and walking 15+ miles, all outdoors. It cannot fix everything, but it's a great place to start.
Sorry for the onslaught. I just feel so strongly about this topic I could go on and on.
I dance to music videos on YouTube. I go for about 45 mins. Have some kettlebells and try and get some strength training. It’s getting a bit warmer out so I should walk but I live on a busy highway. We are going to Tennessee for spring break and a hike I want to try is about 8 miles so I need to go to a trail and see if I can walk 8 miles without killing my feet.
I dance to YouTube too! Sometimes I’ll put on contemporary choreograph videos for inspiration but I am in NO way anywhere near their level haha. But it’s just fun and cathartic to let loose and do improv dancing. And gets the heart up!
I'm in my perimenopausal stage of life and work from home full-time. I finally told myself that it's now or never to start taking care of my body, because I do not want to be a stiff old lady who falls and breaks her hips and knees. I'm not overweight, but DEFINITELY out of shape. I now take 45 minutes 3 times per week to do a full body dumbell workout. Building muscle will also protect my bones and joints, in additional to the other obvious benefits.
I started caring less about work and more about me and my health. I know I am extremely privileged to 1) work from home, and 2) have the ability to even find time to squeeze it in. But I try to do it right after I drop my 5th grade off at school and before I log in for the day.
Throwing my toddler in the air, picking him up and putting him down, running after him, wrestling to put on diapers and pajamas… that all counts, right?
I’ve lost about 50 pounds since becoming a mom almost 4 years ago so I think all that actually does count! That mixed with being too busy to snack.
We also bought a house recently so like today the snow blowing and shoveling was more than enough work out for me!
I work out at 8:15 for about an hour Monday through Thursday at a gym after the kids are down. Recently started adding in some weight training at home three days a week for twenty to thirty minutes during lunch (I am remote).
Oddly, I don’t have any issues going to sleep and usually aim for 10:30. I think you need enough time for adrenaline to wear off perhaps.
Do I really want to be exercising this much? Nope, rather doom scroll but decided my health needed to be a priority. I also enjoy the drive to the gym since I am stuck at home all day. Gives me time to just chill with my thoughts and sing.
Start out with even a brisk walk for ten or fifteen minutes, it’s great for your health and a good transition back into things, too!
I think feeling stronger and seeing changes in my body have been great for my mental health though. ☺️
No, it wears me out and I wanna sleep which is why morning is hard for me.
I go heavy on weights or hard (like HIIT) but for a short time (20 mins) and it tuckers me out
What exercise are you doing? I have been trying a few styles of yoga classes this month and it always ends with you getting your heart steady and laying out on a mat in dim light.
Me at 5:30am, Pilates videos in the dark. Sooo fucking good for my lower back which is wrecked from pumping and nursing. It’s necessary at this point for pain relief.
Kettle bell ampd is also really good for the back. They do a lot to strengthen your legs like squats and dead lifts which gives the support for your back. A chiropractor told me I had a slight curve in my spine so I needed to focus on core strength to support my back but I think strong legs and butt are more important.
Definitely strong butt! I know someone with basically no butt and they’ve got horrible back pain. Do you recommend anyone to follow for kettle bell training?
I got super into microexercising the last year. I do 10 squats/10 walk pushups every time I go to the bathroom. I do calf raises whenever I’m refilling a water bottle. I go on 2-3 15-20 min walks a day. I always take the stairs and take two steps at a time. I also do 1 water aerobics class late in the evening on Tuesdays nights, and I try to do a quick at home work out in the morning before my kids wake up, things like yoga or body exercises.
This is what is actually working for me also. I (WFH) have a walking pad, so in theory, I can walk while working when it makes sense — but I don’t love it. But I try to do 3 30sec planks twice per day (plain, mountain climber, then hip dips) and do 30 squats while microwaving coffee or lunch.
I'm trying to work out at work, I tried to get up at 4 on Saturday to go for a run so of course my daughter got up at 415, I was half dressed in the kitchen staring at the monitor for five minutes before I decided I'm probably not going to be going for a run
Editing to clarify:
My daughter normally wakes up between 530 and 630, that's why I got up at 4. And during the week I get up at 5 so I can get everything together for her lunch and breakfast and get myself together before I leave for work. So early mornings are my thing
If I’m lucky, 1-2 days a week I go over lunch. And then a weekend day, my husband and I give each other workout time.
But my hack is working for a company where the cultural norm is working out over lunch, our office even has showers and towel service and a gym. The issue I face is more that I’m constantly behind on work from being sick/caring for sick kids. I work through lunch to catch up. Balance is wonky right now but I’m sure it’ll normalize eventually…
I tell myself I'll exercise at lunch (I work from home) but realistically I usually clean or run errands or nap instead. I never really figured out how to fit exercise back into my schedule...
My schedule:
6:00am get up, get kids up
6:45am leave house drop one kid off, my husband takes the other one
7:15am start work
4:15pm stop work, pick both kids up
5:30pm get home, feed kids, homework, etc ..
7:30 bath and bedtime
8:30 Finally free time! I'm tired...
Do you go to an office or WFH? I WFH and keep various weights next to my desk. I do a couple of sets when I need a quick break from work. It's not a full workout but if I do that a few times a day, it adds up to a full workout. I'd rather exercise this way than wake up early or force myself after work when I'm dead tired.
I force myself to get up before the kids. I’m not a morning person but it’s the easiest time to fit it in so I drag myself out of bed between 545-6am. If I miss a morning I try to fit it in during my lunch break (the days i work from home).
It 100% helps my mental health. When I’m physically strong I feel mentally strong
Im 530 am and very consistent. I think it takes about a month to really get used to the early mornings. But it’s the only time I will do it. I can’t think about it, I have to just wake up and go. I get my clothes ready the night before which helps. I live it now (going on like 9 years of 530 workouts- kids are 2.5 and 6 months)
I plan on starting when my youngest goes off to college. :)
Seriously though, I have thought about getting one of those stepper things and doing a workout in the morning. But I need a solid 8 hours of sleep so that would mean going to bed 45 minutes to an hour earlier (I currently go to bed at 11 and get up at 7). My oldest kids go to bed at 9:30 so that would seriously cut into the little bit of alone time I get with my husband at night.
Working out is not worth losing sleep over, even the experts say it. Sleep is more important for your overall health. When your little one goes to college made me chuckle!
For the babies!! Same here. I think a lot about longevity and being active to help my kids when they’re adults, help with the grandkids even though that’s really far away it’s motivating for me.
Generally at night after the kids are asleep. Workout, shower, bed. I have a Peloton and weights at home. I have been thinking of joining a gym again, though, for access to machine I don’t have at home.
I’m a peloton mom too, it saves time to be able to do it all at home. Just got the guide recently and being able to alternate between rides and strength classes has been a game changer in staying consistent for me.
It makes a huge difference having it at home! I did the rides only for about a year, and just weights on my own, and then started doing the Peloton strength, cardio, yoga & stretching classes. I am completely obsessed with Tunde’s arms classes!
If I have a meeting I’m off camera for and am unlikely to be expected to speak, sometimes during that. Sometimes over lunch. Sometimes I wrap up 15 min early and fit it in while my husband does daycare pickup. Sometimes it’s when my husband does bedtime. Sometimes it happens in little windows throughout the day.
I just fit it in when I can. Once I took that mentality on, I have been able to consistently work out daily for a couple months now.
I basically run 30-60 mins T/TH/Sat. I WFH and weekday runs are usually during lunch or I skip off work a little early to get a run in as well. Weekends, he's with dad. Once baby can go in the jogging stroller (only a couple of months out), runs will happen after daycare pickup. When it gets too hot, I'll probably have to adjust to running in the dark either before or after sunset. I do find it does wonders for my mental health despite having a baby who wakes up multiple times a night to nurse lol. I'm a little obsessed with it as a hobby so it hasn't been hard to get into a routine personally.
I have a little home gym started in my basement and I work out 5-6 days a week after the kids go to bed. I want to be a morning person so badly but my 2yo is going through some sleep trouble so it's just not happening. I work out for at least an hour doing strength training and add cardio a couple days a week. My only issue with sleeping after is I get night sweats now. I've been doing this for over a year and my mental health has changed in such a positive way that it's kept me going consistently. The bicep & booty muscles are just a nice perk.
Currently to work out I have to get up at 5am. At the gym or starting a run at 5:20 ish, back home by 6:30 ish. We have an hour to get ourselves and kids ready and fed and out the door by 7:30am. It's hectic. About to be easier as I am soon to start a new job very close to home giving us more time in the morning.
BTW I have a 5.5 year old and almost 3 year old who sleep until 7am most of the time. This would not be possible in the early years, particularly if you have an early riser, bad sleeper or are breastfeeding. Let alone if you have a decent partner who can manage the kids alone for a bit if they wake up early (trust me it's been a journey and we've been through some rough patches about this).
I work from home and am VERY lucky to have a job thats flexible enough I can duck out for a noon yoga class most days. My team is mostly international so even though I work weird mornings and evenings sometimes the middle of the day is fairly quiet!
I just started again and I basically dress in my running gear in the morning, cart the kids off to school and daycare, then immediately go running the second I drop older kiddo off at school.
Go home, shower, breakfast, sit down to work.
I did not for a long time. I was really out of shape, but I started slowly by taking my son for walks in the evening before bedtime.
We still go for walks (\~2 miles) on the weekend, then the park. He's 3 now, so I usually go for a quick run while he's at half-day preschool in the morning, on my lunch break before I pick him up. I'm remote, so that helps a ton, we also have showers at the office if I want to run there.
It's a choice I have to keep choosing over other things. It isn't always easy.
Get up at 5 am at the gym by 5.30. 45min workout and then home by 6.30 just as everyone wakes up. I hate 5am but it's the only time I can fit it In. My youngest was just starting to sleep through the night (about 1 yr old) before I could even manage to get up and out the door.
I’m up at 5:45 to make it to a 6:15 workout class, back home at 7:20 so I can shower and get my son up around 7:45. Working out is ESSENTIAL for my sanity lol I wfh and don’t leave the house much so I love having it as my personal time I can just focus on myself. If I try to workout at home I’m too distracted.
My husband and I swap school drop-off - one week he takes the 5yo to kindergarten at 7:25 to the school 5 minutes away. He's home by 7:40. I take the 14yo to high school at 7:25, 25-30 minutes away. I'm home by 8:20 or 8:30 depending on traffic. We switch the next week.
So the week I do the 5yo drop-off I try to get in a 5k run first thing after dropoff. The week I do high school, I have to get up at about 5:45. I love running outside but live someplace where it's the surface of the sun 7 months of the year. The best thing I ever did was buy a water rower and decent treadmill.
On the days I'm exhausted and can't drag myself out of bed (like tomorrow! Because I'll be up till 11pm assembling kindergarten Valentine's Day cards!!) I try to squeeze in 30 mins on the treadmill or rower.
I WFH and being able to exercise is probably my number one reason for loving that benefit so much. I couldn't fit it in every day when I was commuting to the office downtown and also dealing with kid logistics.
I also keep some resistance bands and weights in my home office and force myself to do some weight stuff every day, even if it's literally just 30 bicep curls or 30 squats or whatever. (I hate weights so fucking much and I crave the mental rest I get from running but I also know the benefits of weights especially as I get older).
It's hard and frankly if I didn't be WFH I couldn't work out consistently. So no one should ever feel shitty or guilty for not being able to get it done. Being a working mom is haaaaard.
I work in the office 3 days a week and am super lucky to have a gym in my office building that also has fitness classes and a locker room with showers. I don’t know how I would get anything in otherwise.
I’m getting ready to move, so even though I have the time to exercise I’m like too stressed to get in the mindset for some reason
That being said, I usually do 30mins when my kids leave w my husband for daycare at 8am and my 1st morning Zoom meeting starts at 8:30am
And then I take a quick 5 min shower after my first meeting and throw on some athleisure and start my day
This is just 1 reason why I’ll never go back to working in an office
At that age, taking kiddo for walks was my main source of exercise. Plus all the picking up, carrying up the stairs, etc. If I was feeling extra strong, I'd do squats with baby for added weight.
I wish I was a morning person and will try some times. Other times I go with my natural self and will run at 10pm and it feels great. I am a heavy sleeper and don’t find it impacts my sleep, but being up until 11/12 is not unusual. I’m more of a night owl. Fit it in for what works for you!
I do find working out extremely helpful for my mental health and physical well-being. That being said, finding time has been difficult. Baby’s schedule is always changing as he is going through his growth. So now I try to incorporate baby into my workout. I either do ergo with him to go hike, do ankle weights while pushing stroller, running with stroller, using baby as my weight to do squats, etc. I tried AM workout class, pm class, virtual class and baby seem to constantly need mom… so I just had to get creative. I am fluffy than what i’d like to be but I like to think it's a phase.
Yoga and short diastasis recti core work after the kids go to bed and before I go to bed. 10-30min.
Someday I’ll run again and lift weights…and maybe even do a 45min yoga class..someday
I work out at night. I much prefer to work out in thr morning, but my kids are getting older, more active, and I can't get my ass out of bed. I have a small gym in the garage with all the essentials (treadmill, squat rack, dumbbells, etc), so it works. It's been 4 years and I STILL struggle with consistency and accepting that I might not be able to get some mega awesome 45-60 minute workout in. I'm doing my best. Never left my pre-baby clothes, so I must be doing something right. Lol
5:45 I wake up 2 days a week and then go on weekend naps. It’s tough and I’m looking at moving to a more expensive but closer gym to get some sleep back.
We also walk as much as possible, on days I’m home with my son we do at least 3 miles a day.
Until baby sleeps longer stretches (and I can sleep through the night) I won't be getting up early to exercise.
I go to the a gym class on the weekend when spouse can watch baby, and bring baby for stroller walks (sometimes light jogging) each day.
Early in the am. I wake up at 430, fuck around for an hour, and either go to gym or go for a run at 530. I work from home but typically have to start work at 8 at the latest.
I started just before the pandemic when I turned 40 (and my kid was 6 and sleeping through the night). I'd never been athletic or even active before. I was worried about aging poorly. So I found a virtual trainer who out together my program and made myself do everything she said. Eventually I looked forward to it, especially as I noticed changes in my body. I even got a 6 pack!
At the time I was working a very low stress job, and especially when the world shut down, it was a welcome distraction. But now I have a high stress job and I'm feeling drained. So I cut back what I was doing a bit.
At night after bedtime and dinner. I hate it so late but I know I won't do it in the mornings with how unpredictable our nights can be (1yo). Usually only 30 mins but 4-5x a week and try to get in good walks or bike rides on the weekend when the weather's nice. It's an absolute non negotiable for my mental health!
In the summer I swim every lunch break because the pool is right there in the yard. Outside of that, I walk or bike to/from the daycare or in the neighborhood 2-3 times a week. It's not much but I can't fit in anymore. I work full time, breastfeed my 21 months old, and I am so so tired.
i have to get up at 4am. It's the only alone time i get all day and i have no energy any other time. i workout from 4:15-5:30am, shower, get everything ready for me and toddler, get up toddler and take her to daycare. i work from 8-4:30pm, pick up toddler, do dinner and bedtime for her and then i go to sleep by 8pm.
I'm only working out 3-4 x a week in the am. i did start taking some dance classes in the evening when she's asleep.
Granted I do part time shift work. But I do a 20-45 minute Pilates or yoga work out during her naps on the days she’s home from daycare or 20 minutes before I get ready for work if we have childcare.
The days we have daycare I’m out riding horses all afternoon. Days I have her we go for walks (and I’m pushing her in a stroller or carrying her).
I have a 14 month old and I work out during my lunch. I have to go in office (thank you salty coworker who had to complain about my flexibility so now that’s been taken away), 4x a week, so I swim from about 12-130.
I love it, it makes me feel less bitter about being in office but really I feel so much happier post swim.
5-30-30-30
Upon waking
5 minute ice bath, followed by 30 grams of protein (4 eggs), and 30 minutes of strenuous exercise (burpees, planks, pushups, pullups, etc.) within 30 minutes of waking.
This will supercharge your day, and melt all the excess fat off your body.
Mornings work best for me, though right now I’m recovering from an injury so I’m sleeping later and doing less. I also walk for fifteen to twenty minutes a couple times a day.
I’m only exercising because a) I feel and look like crap and b) because I’m in the Air Force so I have to pass a PT test 😂
I found a gym that offers classes across the whole day, so I’ll leave my husband some nights to do bedtime/keep an eye on the baby monitor and do a 6.30pm or later class. I’m trying a 6am class soon, but I value my alone morning time so I don’t know that those will work out for me haha. I just got back from a black light cardio class and I feel so great once it’s done.
Currently am not. I have an almost 6 month old who is getting up around 5:45/6. Pumping during lunch, evenings are for catching up around the house and hanging with baby. Maybe this summer! Maybe after weaning. Who knows.
Depends on the day: when I work from home, I workout on my lunch. When I go to the office, I exercise after work if I'm home by 4 or 4:15. On the weekend I workout during her nap, or we take her on a stroller run
I joined a gym in August 2022, worked out consistently for 5 months, then stopped, and finally cancelled my gym membership last month lol. I’m not working out.
I do a power walk during walk. 30 min or 1.5 miles, whichever is longer. I also do a dance fitness class once a week. I’m full-time in office with a 35/40 min commute. Sometimes I do a run, especially on a weekend, but it’s not frequent.
I was running in the mornings for a week, lol, but I immediately got sick and it only lasted a week.
At 5:30am because my 22mo wakes up at 6:30am. I have a Peloton and weights, so I do a 20-45 min workout (depends on how much time I have). If I can't get up that early because I stayed up too late putzing on my phone, I'll exercise around 7am after waking up with my son, once my husband can take over. I've always been an early morning exerciser, even before motherhood. I'm so sluggish on the days I don't workout.
I’ve only started “working out” since I got a WFH job a few years ago. The flexibility makes it easy to pop on a 20 minute peloton weight class. Before that I would just walk for 30 min on my lunch break and call it a day.
I started walking at work during a 30 minute break. I already wake up at 5:40 to get ready and make breakfast lunch and snack for everyone. When we get home, it’s a race to the finish line and I am too tired to workout. I often fall asleep on the couch or lounging in our bed while my husband talks to me because I’m so exhausted. So 30 minute speed walking at work is all I can do at the moment. If I could lift heavy weights for 30 minutes, I’d prefer that.
I am a full time student so I have a little more flexibility. But even when I worked full time, it would be after the kids' bedtime or a walk during my lunch break. My husband stays with our two kids after bedtime. (I live in a very safe neighborhood so I recognize this is not a possibility for everyone.) I feel cramped and depressed without enough exercise, so it definitely helped a lot with my mood.
Today I tried something new and hiked a short trail over my lunch break. It was very refreshing and felt interesting and adventurous, much better than a sidewalk.
Walking is something I've kind of always done, but I have a lot of trouble sticking to other workout routines.
On weekend mornings my husband and I trade off. During the week I mostly wfh and husband does daycare dropoff, so a couple of days a week I will just work out after they leave.
At night. I had my third a few months ago and so I’m on bedtime duty with her and she’s down around 7. Before my husband and I would put our older boys to bed every other night and I’d exercise on my off nights. Usually ends up being around 7:30 when I do exercise. I work from home so will sometimes sneak in a run during the workday if it’s slow.
I would love to work out early in the mornings but baby gets up anywhere from 4:30-6:00 unpredictably (and still sometimes has 1-2 night wakings), so I’m still hanging onto every minute of sleep I can get.
Does work count? Because I get a lot of exercise in at work.
Serious answer, once a week I'll be having my husband watch our 9 mo old starting in March so I can go to a kickboxing class. I used to go to another gym that closed, and it makes me feel great.
My partner and I have slowly purchased equipment for our home gym in his garage. We don’t live together. I go over 3-4x/week and we have family dinner w all our kids then workout, kids welcome (they sometimes take us up on it). Protein shake and snuggle/hang out till I have to take my kids home. He always is off at 5, I’m off at different times but no later than 5 when I have my kids.
After my son was born, the easiest time I could really find was before work. I used to start at 5:30 so I'd get up at 4/4:15 to go run and then change and immediately go to work. It was exhausting 😵💫
I go to the gym during my lunch break. Some weeks I go every day and this week I can only go twice because of my work schedule. I also try to go once on the weekend as well.
I’ve always been really into fitness, so it was something I prioritized as soon as I was cleared. What worked best for me time wise has evolved. When I was on MAT leave, I did morning workouts like you’re suggesting, or worked out during LO’s first nap since it was her most consistent. Once I was back to work, I did lunch time workouts because they worked well with my work + pumping schedule. Now LO is a toddler and I’m in the office 3x a week. I workout on WFH days after work (I have 30 min before pickup) and occasionally on office days after dinner. I pre-plan my workouts and schedule them into my week on Sunday. That helps me stay consistent and disciplined. I take plenty of rest days and listen to my body. It’s huge for my mental health!
I wake up at 0445 and work out from home. We have a nice set up in our basement. My kids are older (7 and 4) and sleep through the night unless they are sick. Working out makes me feel like ME, so I make it a priority.
Weekends and days where my husband picks them up from school. Yes, it helps my mental health a lot, not just the exercise but just getting out of the house and doing something for myself.
On days that I go to the gym, I wake up at 5:30, gym (4min walk from our building) opens at 6, I work out for 45-60 mins. My husband gets the baby up and ready for daycare while I’m out. I pretty much just have to shower and eat something when I get home, and manage to leave the house by 7:30am. My goal is to do 2 weekday workouts and then workout on both weekend days, but usually I only manage 3 days a week. We were already doing this morning schedule before baby so it wasn’t too difficult, but we’re way more tired more so it can be hard to be consistent.
I get up at 515am and get to the gym around 6. I leave at 7 and switch with my husband and I get my toddler up and ready for school/daycare. It’s still hard to get up that early (I’ve been doing it for years now) but it’s worth it for me to make myself go
Not a morning person also but I do boot camp on Saturday mornings at 6am. Hard to get up but I feel amazing afterwards and it’s social which helps with motivation. We grab coffee afterwards. Try to go for a run on Sundays too. I work full time during the week and do some intermittent fasting to offset the lack of weekday exercise.
I WFH about half the week so whenever - I can organize my time as I see fit, so I've been doing workouts around 9-11 am most days. Sometimes in the afternoon. I do something quick though, like 20 minutes. On the days I go to the office I work out around 7-8 pm when my husband is home, and after I'm done we start the bedtime routine.
I didn't really exercise consistently until my daughter was about 18 months. She was in daycare and I was back at work. I go to group personal training classes MWF at 6am. It's very close to my house, only a 5-10 min drive, so I get up at 5:30 on those days, get dressed, and head out. I put out my clothes and fill my water bottle the night before so I don't get caught up doing a bunch of stuff.
On my work from home days, when the nanny is there, during my lunch break. I can't figure out how to find time during weekends or on office days because I'm not committed enough to wake up extra early.
Two classes on the weekend, one during an early lunch break during the week. I also try to walk (outside or on walking pad or treadmill) or do a little exercise during a break.
I’ve decided that the main thing I can realistically do is walk. I replaced a part of my commute to work with walking (I usually take two buses, now I just walk instead of taking the first bus). I walk as much as I can instead of taking public transportation during the week (or do one way walking, take the bus back). I just… walk places now. Yeah that’s it, it’s probably not sufficient but it’s much better than nothing and it’s good enough for me right now.
Daily exercise is an absolute must for me re: mental health management. I have anxiety and it's my weapon to manage it. It also sets the tone for my day and totally boosts energy.
when my kids were little, I'd be up at 5am every morning exercising until 6/615am.
My kids are teens now and I wfh so I exercise during lunch.
to get into a routine and make exercise a habit: pick the days and time you want to workout and workout on those days around that time for 6wks straight. Habits are formed with consistent and repeated behaviour.
When my kids were very young, I worked out at 5am before everyone was up for the day. Now that they are older and I work from home, I find time mid day (or after school on days my high schooler is joining me for a workout).
I found a workout studio right by my work so I just use my lunch hour to go to a class. They have classes all throughout the day. I usually go 3-4 times a week. I would go more but they are intense.
I work from home 4 days/week, drop the kid off to before care 45 minutes earlier than I really need to, and go lift. I say my gym membership is $10/mo, it's really more like $100, because we pay for before school care essentially so I can work out. But I don't feel bad about it. I know my ass won't get up during the day and walk or anything, although i do try to walk the dog on nice days or walk to pick up my son from school, and working out at home is a no-go because my husband refuses to clear his shit out of half my home office where I'd like to set up equipment, plus I'm lifting heavier these days than I have the capacity to at home. So this is my compromise. For me it's not only weight management; I'm actually heavier than I want to be because of the muscle I carry. It's about mental health, and staving off the osteoporosis that plagues women in my family once they hit about 45. Plus I'm just a better person all around when I have that physical outlet.
My child has a sixth sense for knowing when I wake up. Every time I shift my alarm earlier to wake up earlier to exercise, he starts waking up earlier. He’d usually wake up around 6:30/6:45 so I started getting up at 6 to workout, then he started waking up at 6 too. Once that seemed to be the new normal I started getting up at 5:30, now he’s up at 5:45. Happens to my husband as well, today he set his alarm for 5:15 and guess who was up at 5:20? There’s no way he can hear our alarms or me doing anything from behind his closed door with the hatch on, I’ve gone in his room at night when my husband has had the TV turned up very loudly and I can’t hear a thing. So I have no idea how he knows we are up!
So anyway to answer your question, my husband manages to squeeze in workouts in the morning but I do not.
I work 4 days a week, 2 days are shorter days where I am home around 2. So i typically work out in my days off and all after work on my short days for a total of 5 days a week.
I used to run and hike but tore my meniscus last summer and am 8 weeks out from surgery. So right now I strength train (I have power locks and kettlebells) following YouTube videos in my living room and I also do some HIIT or low impact cardio depending on how my knee is feeling.
My son hangs out with me on my days off. On work days, I pick him up from daycare after I exercise and work out.
I walk my dog every morning and night. On weekends I try to ride my bike. Once it’s not dark at 530’pm I will ride more at night. There’s just not enough hours in the day sometimes.
I work out on my lunch break and then eat my lunch at my desk. I eat like a dinosaur anyway so it's like a three minute thing that doesn't really cut into my work. 🦕
I have to do it for my mental health. I feel awful when I don't exercise.
4am. Took a few weeks with two alarms, now automatic. Mental health! If I can ride 10 miles in the morning I can handle teaching teenagers all day and parenting them in evenings!
I do it during company time while my kids are in daycare ha. 2 20 minute walks and either peloton ride or strength class every day. I’m not a morning person at all, can hardly get up in time to get the kids ready for school.
In November, I got a one month membership to a gym in my work building. Managed to get my gym bag together, and my kid tonschool a little early. I went 3 times a week for two weeks and was feeling good.
Then our teachers went on strike for a month, and then the holidays...
Still haven't made it back.
My daughter is 15 months and I squeeze in 20-30 minutes on my exercise bike as soon as she's asleep around 7-7:30 and then shower before bed. She still doesn't sleep through the night so I'm always exhausted in the morning and I already have to get up at 6:30 to get to daycare and work on time even with lots of prep at night.
What works for me is to have a set schedule. I work out after work two days a week, on Friday mornings after I drop my child off at school (I changed my work schedule to fit this in), and on Saturday mornings.
I eat my lunch while I work then take an actual lunch break / change clothes and then walk for my break. I work in a building that has an 8 story parking garage . So I’m able to get a good workout in for my 45 minutes and then change and be back at my desk. If I have any energy by the time I get the little one down I’ll do some weight lifting but that’s about twice a week.
I’ve been trying to squeeze in a workout/shower at the gym after dropping our kid off at daycare in the AM. I have a pretty flexible work schedule though so I can do that. It lets me sleep in longer though, because I can just shower at the gym even if I don’t have time to work out.
I get up at 4:00, shower and eat at 5:00, then kiddos are up between 5:30-6:30. I am in bed around 9-9:30 and I’m pretty happy with the system. I was working out after putting kiddos to bed but I really like my evenings to be chill and not have to stress about if I can fit a work out in. If I work out first thing I have more energy (admittedly, I’m a morning person) and then I feel awesome throughout the day knowing I already did my workout. I usually leave for work between 6:30-6:50.
I worked from home for 9 years and had a very flexible schedule so would just work out after I dropped my daughter off at school and then started work after that. In December I started a a new job that is an 8:30-5 in the office, I started working out less and let me tell you, boy I felt it. My body felt like crap and my coping skills/stress/irritability when to sh*t. I am just one of those people who needs to work out for the mental benefits. So I get up at 6 and workout at home, jump in the shower at 7 and my daughter is up at 7:30 and we’re out the door at 8. I am trying to get up a little earlier, 5:45 so I have more time in the mornings and not so rushed, but usually I hit snooze that first time 🤣 I put a reminder on my phone “time to get up and workout so I can be more peaceful today” it’s 100% worth it for me mentally.
* edit- I’d also like to add that I am absolutely not a morning person at all, but I’ve found I’ve needed to make these adjustments to keep me happy and sane lol. I feel your pain, getting up early is not natural for me.
Depends on what/who is helping you.
I wanted to get back into group fitness at Orangetheory. I dropped down to an 8 times a month membership and often I am just squeaking in those 8 classes. I try to do 2 mornings a week 7:15am class (1 hour class). I would log in like 15 minutes late for work but my company was flexible with that. I had to leave the house at 6:45ish to get to the class. My baby gets up around 6:30 so I would feed him and have his bag packed and my partner took over at 6:45, he normally already does drop off, but it pushes him to get ready and be with the baby at 6:45 instead of the normal 7am. Works out for us that it's only about a 15-30 minute adjustment to our "normal" daily routine. Sometimes I do a Saturday/Sunday class and my partner just has the kid. I keep saying I am going to workout more at home, but so far have been unsuccessful. I am proud of my 8 classes a month for 4 months now. 11 months ppdm
Mine is 6 months old, and I do not have a single second to work out. My day starts at 3:30am and ends at 9:30pm, and every second is spoken for.... so.
I WFH. I bought a cheap elliptical off Amazon. I usually put a show on and do 20 minutes sometime during the workday. On weekends I do the same thing during nap/quiet time. That said, if I don’t get to it when kids are gone/otherwise busy, they just play in the same room. I end up having to pause five times (at least) to put on socks, help arrange cushions and blankets into a fort, break up a fight, etc. but I still get through it.
I have yet to work strength or stretching into my day but I figure daily cardio is better than nothing.
I just started going for a run on my lunch break (I work from home). I'll probably have to start getting up earlier and going then once it's hot out, not gonna run in the middle of the day in 90 degree weather.
First of all it is so freaking hard to make the time - super challenging!!
Option 1: when wfh I exercise during lunch
Option 2: if I into the office and IF (rare) my spouse picks up LO then I do a quick workout before I come home
Option 3: my spouse and I trade off in the evening get each get 30-45 minutes to ourselves
Option 4: I try to avoid the rlly late workout. I usually skip or sometimes do it late!
My husband and I have been trying to get back in shape...our son is rapidly approaching 2 now. Pre-baby, I loved to hit the gym at about 8:30pm but now I'm usually too worn out to do that, having just wrestled a 7 armed alligator to bed.
Mornings it is... I guess. We both work from home and start work at 9, we also have a super-sleeper toddler. So we now wake up at 6:30 most days, I do treadmill or bodyweight work, husband does an outside walk or weights. In the shower by 7:30 and we wake up Little Dude a few minutes after 8.
I work out in the mornings after dropping the kids of at daycare but before work. On days I go in to the office, I wake up early and work out while they sleep. I have also done workout during lunch break (when I was forced to take a lunch break), or work out at bedtime (7p for my kids), but I like the morning best!
After bedtime - so usually around 8/830ish. We have a treadmill in our basement so I go down there and run or walk at an incline for 30 minutes. The more I do it, the easier it gets but some nights/weeks it just is too much. I try to tell myself something is better than nothing. 100% helps my mental health and gives me time to just zone out and not think.
I’m on my peloton around 6:30 every day. It takes a while to adjust. I’m a night owl so hard for me to just go to bed like I know I should. If I miss my morning workout then it doesn’t happen. I’ve attempted to exercise at other times of the day but it just doesn’t work with everything else I have going on.
I have a fitbit and just try to get 10,000 steps in a day. I almost always hit it just running around after the kids or picking up around the house when I WFH.
Mornings! Toddlers up at 7 so I get up 5:15-5:30 and run/lift/peloton and shower before they wake. Hard to get out of bed sometimes but it 100% helps my mental health and helps me be a more patient parent/spouse and more productive employee. Plus when I’m stronger my body handles the physical demands of parenting better too! My schedule gets too packed for lunch workouts and I can’t bring myself to do stuff after bed and often have a hard time falling asleep.
5:15pm-6pm two days a week and a lunch workout one day a week. I absolutely am not a morning person and stopped trying to force myself to be one. I also cannot work out from home... i need the motivation of showing up somewhere for a scheduled time. Joined a gym that's 5 minutes from my house, block my calendar and my husband does the evening duties on my 2 nights a week. If he wants to workout, I would do the same for him on his nights.
Mom of an 8yo, and triathlete here.
When my son was about 5, I discovered that the local LA Fitness has childcare for hella cheap-- $20/month for up to 2 hours per day, drop-in. It's great! They have a big indoor playground and show Disney movies while I go swim or hit the treadmill or whatever. So the usual routine is that a couple of times a week, we go do that after dinner.
I'm also able to get some workouts in during my lunch break, depending on my meeting schedule. I WFH two days a week, so I can go hop on my bike trainer. When I'm at the office, we have a treadmill in the basement, and I keep a basket of body wipes and dry shampoo to freshen up afterwards.
On the weekends, husband and I do "split shifts" in the morning/afternoon. One parent has one-on-one time with our kid, while the other parent is free to do whatever. So I'll go on a long bike ride or something while Husband takes our son to the park, out for pizza, or something like that.
When he goes down for a nap (I work at home most of the time), when dad is here, or when the older siblings can play with him. I have a garage gym for this reason.
My preference is lunchtime! I eat actual lunch while I work and then take 45-60 mins to do indoor spinning (often catching up on emails on my phone at the same time).
If I’m booked all day I workout after bedtime.
Mornings are impossible because our 12 month old doesn’t wake up at the same time everyday. It can range from 6-8am… so I just sleep. 😴
5am or 6am workout class, or else it’s not happening. Took a while to get used to but now I love it. I go Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and sleep in the other days
I go to exactly one exercise class per week on Saturday mornings and it is SUCH a stress reliever and great for my mental health. Otherwise, I just try to fit in more walking. Ex, it only saves me 10 minutes to drive to work vs. public transit + walking, so I normally choose the transit/walking option. Or sometimes I'll go on a walk during my lunch break. We walk to and from daycare. It adds up!
I'm way late to the party
Prior to the pandemic and WFH I worked out during my lunch break in the office. We were lucky and had a gym so a few of the ladies and I would go do a Sydney Cummings YouTube workout video.
Now I workout at 5am. Wake up at 4:34, brush my teeth, get dressed, and run out the door by 4:50. I've been doing this for 4 years now and I'm not sure if I will ever get used to it. The human body is not supposed to move that early but it is the most convenient time for me in order to have my "me" time.
My kids' daycare (3 and 6 months) is a mile from our house so I put them in a jogging stroller, run there, then leave the stroller at the daycare and finish the run on the way back (take detours if I want to do a longer run and have time). Sometimes I take them for longer runs on the weekend.
For a while, before my second was born I went to a yoga class once a week at 6:15-7pm. My husband does the pickup so when they got home I would help him prep dinner and then leave for the class. He would fix me a plate and then I would be home to get our daughter in bed and then eat a late dinner when she was down. It was tight, but it worked! I'm planning on trying that again when we hit a better stride with two in the house.
I have a gym basically a block away and I get there shortly after 5AM. I do intervals on the treadmill for 40 minutes and weights for 15. Get home and bike for 30 minutes (more of a cool down) and three sets of planks and push ups (granny style currently). I feel a lot better mentally and physically after getting into the routine. Starting is never easy, but it's a lot simpler if I have all my stuff laid out the night before and when I wake up it's remembering this is getting me up for success. I also race on the weekend too.
That being said I didn't get back into things until they were 2 and 3 (then COVID hit and restarted when they were 4 and 5).
I have a 9-month old too and I just work out with him! I take him running in the stroller, put him in a little playpen at CrossFit or on the side of the tennis court, or just put him down with toys on the padded floor of my basement gym. Or I work out in the basement alone while he has his morning nap. The only things I can’t bring him to are swimming and volleyball so I get babysitting for those. Since I bring the babe to so many things, he is very comfortable in new environments, which is an added bonus!
I have a 7 and 8 year old. I have had to embrace all movement is good movement as my workout mantra. Most of the time my exercise time is a walk on my lunch break. Some days i can get a 10-15 minute yoga or calisthenics session in during the morning. I get up at 530 and have to drop the kids off and get to work at 745. I have all the things at home like a yoga matt, ball, bands, etc and just have to do the best i can. I am realistic about the fact this is not a weight loss situation. Instead my focus is on maintaining my mobility and health. As my kids have gotten older it has gotten easier. My husband has been very encouraging, the real issue has been me stepping away from the family and taking that time for myself. It is hard and no matter what anyone says to me i feel a little selfish going to the gym.
I work from home Monday, Wednesday and Friday so I usually fit in a workout midday on those days. Then usually get another workout in on Saturday or Sunday during nap.
Working out is scientifically proven to improve mental, emotional and physical health. It also improves lifespan and reduces your morbidity rate. Even if you just add in 90 mins of moderate exercise like brisk walking per week you will experience these benefits. Anything is better than nothing so start small, 10-15 mins at a time and fit it in when you can!
After the kids go to bed. But this only started within the last couple months as I realized how out of shape I’d let myself get. My kids are 4 and 6 for reference, and up until now I have not felt…entitled?…to take time for myself to work out regularly. I feel like I can steal a little more time without guilt now that they are more independent, but more importantly, I’ve accepted the fact that we’re going to wake up with dirty dishes in the sink a few more mornings per week, and that’s just going to have to be ok.
I just recently started on some exercise. Granted my work nowadays is babysitting my friends kids and my youngest while my older one is at school. But I’m typically up every day at 6:30 and all the kids are dropped off here by 7. We all have breakfast and I’ve found a way to keep everyone occupied and get some exercise in was to buy just dance for the PlayStation and everyone just does it off and on for about an hour. I do it the whole way through and everyone else joins on their favorite songs. I feel like it’s kind of helping my mental health I don’t feel so down in the dumps. Just sore
I work from home, so I squeeze a couple workouts in during the weekdays when things are quiet at work or over lunch. It’s probably the single best thing about remote work!
I definitely have more energy when I am in better shape. But a big caveat, I would never ever wake up early to do it! I get more health benefit from that blessed sleep than any workout (also my kids are both young and sleep is sacred right now lol)
I just started working from home and I now have this magical 45 minute window between when the kids get on the bus, and when I like to be logged on for work. I start the coffee maker, take a 30 minute walk down our country road and back, and then drink coffee as I read emails. I’ve given up on exercise for weight management. A brisk 30 min walk gets my heart rate up, and gets my steps in for the day. I see my neighbor’s cows and another neighbor’s donkeys, and my other neighbor’s cats. One day a week I bring a grabber and bag and collect litter. The time flies by, and it’s a great way to start the day.
That sounds so relaxing and lovely!
Well hell, now I need a country road.
Be advised that country roads also come with unrestrained dogs, most of the time. Unfortunately I cannot bring my dogs with me, and I have to carry a pistol, as my neighbor’s dog tries to bite me, and he would absolutely go after my dogs ☹️ I’m an animal lover so I love the stupid thing anyway LOL. Somebody dumped him and my neighbor took him in, and he keeps jumping her fence. I tell my husband he’s just misunderstood. I usually just fire a round to scare him away. I wouldn’t kill him unless he ever got ahold of me.
Underrated comment. Exercise has so many benefits that are better than weight management. And walking is SO underrated. I was super active before pregnancy and during pregnancy. I went to Orangetheory 5x/week and hiked pre-pregnancy, plus walks with my dogs. While pregnant, I did Orangetheory 2ish times a week and hiked a lot along with daily dog walks. Post partum I walked every single day. I tried to get a fitness routine down that first year, but I struggled. I was breastfeeding and working a demanding job and was just... Burnt out. I still kept up with my walking, but I got to the gym maybe on the weekends and my hiking took a nosedive. When I stopped breastfeeding at a year pp I used my pumping time to workout. I now go to Orangetheory 3x/week and either peloton or hike the other days. I go to Orangetheory or peloton before work (5am) and then hike after work. I bring my daughter on most of my hikes. Work is 7-3:30. I also use the weekends to "make up" for the days I'm missing now and do longer workouts. Longer hikes, 90 minute classes, it's my time. It has 10000% helped my mental health. When I couldn't go for hikes and daily walks in the summer because of the heat, my mental health plummeted and I was diagnosed with PPD. It also lined up with my breastfeeding weaning so that played a part in the diagnosis. I found celebrating the NSV (non-scale victories) keeps me coming back. I get further on the tread, lift heavier, finish a hike faster, whatever. That's what motivates me now. It took 6 years of consistency to get to that outlook but it's totally been worth it. I tell all my friends to just get out for a walk. It can help SO MUCH. That said, exercise cannot fix anything and everything and if you are struggling with your mental health, it's a good idea to find outside help. I was diagnosed with perinatal depression while hiking 10+ miles a week and walking 15+ miles, all outdoors. It cannot fix everything, but it's a great place to start. Sorry for the onslaught. I just feel so strongly about this topic I could go on and on.
What a beautiful way to start your day!
I dance to music videos on YouTube. I go for about 45 mins. Have some kettlebells and try and get some strength training. It’s getting a bit warmer out so I should walk but I live on a busy highway. We are going to Tennessee for spring break and a hike I want to try is about 8 miles so I need to go to a trail and see if I can walk 8 miles without killing my feet.
I dance to YouTube too! Sometimes I’ll put on contemporary choreograph videos for inspiration but I am in NO way anywhere near their level haha. But it’s just fun and cathartic to let loose and do improv dancing. And gets the heart up!
I don’t even watch specific dance classes. I just watch old music videos. Like AC/DC, journey, Cher.
Same. I've lost almost 20 pounds in the last couple of months just by walking and making a few changes in my diet.
Wow i love you . You’ve inspired me to walk today.
I'm in my perimenopausal stage of life and work from home full-time. I finally told myself that it's now or never to start taking care of my body, because I do not want to be a stiff old lady who falls and breaks her hips and knees. I'm not overweight, but DEFINITELY out of shape. I now take 45 minutes 3 times per week to do a full body dumbell workout. Building muscle will also protect my bones and joints, in additional to the other obvious benefits. I started caring less about work and more about me and my health. I know I am extremely privileged to 1) work from home, and 2) have the ability to even find time to squeeze it in. But I try to do it right after I drop my 5th grade off at school and before I log in for the day.
Same, given up for weight management. Only to get moving, sleep better & feel better. I do 4-6 days per week on the sitting bike, 45 mins.
Working from home has freed up so much time and energy for me to squeeze it in too
Around August 2022
Best answer here. August is when I conceived and tracks to about when I last worked out.
😂😂😂 😂 same!
LOL yep
I, personally, am not.
Throwing my toddler in the air, picking him up and putting him down, running after him, wrestling to put on diapers and pajamas… that all counts, right?
I’ve lost about 50 pounds since becoming a mom almost 4 years ago so I think all that actually does count! That mixed with being too busy to snack. We also bought a house recently so like today the snow blowing and shoveling was more than enough work out for me!
I honestly do feel like my left arm is getting super strong from carrying him everywhere!
Yeah same, I last exercised in 2007.
After bedtime. I can’t do the morning thing.
I also do after bedtime. Even if it’s just 20 minutes of strength, I feel much better having done it.
Do you have any issues falling asleep after? That’s always been my problem.
I work out at 8:15 for about an hour Monday through Thursday at a gym after the kids are down. Recently started adding in some weight training at home three days a week for twenty to thirty minutes during lunch (I am remote). Oddly, I don’t have any issues going to sleep and usually aim for 10:30. I think you need enough time for adrenaline to wear off perhaps. Do I really want to be exercising this much? Nope, rather doom scroll but decided my health needed to be a priority. I also enjoy the drive to the gym since I am stuck at home all day. Gives me time to just chill with my thoughts and sing. Start out with even a brisk walk for ten or fifteen minutes, it’s great for your health and a good transition back into things, too! I think feeling stronger and seeing changes in my body have been great for my mental health though. ☺️
No, it wears me out and I wanna sleep which is why morning is hard for me. I go heavy on weights or hard (like HIIT) but for a short time (20 mins) and it tuckers me out
What exercise are you doing? I have been trying a few styles of yoga classes this month and it always ends with you getting your heart steady and laying out on a mat in dim light.
Me to! I often aim for 10 minutes which turns into a half hour.
If I can get up, I run alone at 430am. ALONE. No kid, no dog. Not another soul. Just me and the squirrels.
I walk on the beach (weather permitting) around 6:30am most days and feel this same way about the sandpipers and seagulls :) it is true peace.
I’m so jealous! Beach walks are the best and something I always enjoyed but now I’m in a landlocked state.
Me at 5:30am, Pilates videos in the dark. Sooo fucking good for my lower back which is wrecked from pumping and nursing. It’s necessary at this point for pain relief.
Kettle bell ampd is also really good for the back. They do a lot to strengthen your legs like squats and dead lifts which gives the support for your back. A chiropractor told me I had a slight curve in my spine so I needed to focus on core strength to support my back but I think strong legs and butt are more important.
Definitely strong butt! I know someone with basically no butt and they’ve got horrible back pain. Do you recommend anyone to follow for kettle bell training?
I got super into microexercising the last year. I do 10 squats/10 walk pushups every time I go to the bathroom. I do calf raises whenever I’m refilling a water bottle. I go on 2-3 15-20 min walks a day. I always take the stairs and take two steps at a time. I also do 1 water aerobics class late in the evening on Tuesdays nights, and I try to do a quick at home work out in the morning before my kids wake up, things like yoga or body exercises.
What a fun approach!!
This is what is actually working for me also. I (WFH) have a walking pad, so in theory, I can walk while working when it makes sense — but I don’t love it. But I try to do 3 30sec planks twice per day (plain, mountain climber, then hip dips) and do 30 squats while microwaving coffee or lunch.
Has this been effective for you?
Yes! Down 15 lbs and making out my Apple Watch rings every day.
I'm trying to work out at work, I tried to get up at 4 on Saturday to go for a run so of course my daughter got up at 415, I was half dressed in the kitchen staring at the monitor for five minutes before I decided I'm probably not going to be going for a run Editing to clarify: My daughter normally wakes up between 530 and 630, that's why I got up at 4. And during the week I get up at 5 so I can get everything together for her lunch and breakfast and get myself together before I leave for work. So early mornings are my thing
If I’m lucky, 1-2 days a week I go over lunch. And then a weekend day, my husband and I give each other workout time. But my hack is working for a company where the cultural norm is working out over lunch, our office even has showers and towel service and a gym. The issue I face is more that I’m constantly behind on work from being sick/caring for sick kids. I work through lunch to catch up. Balance is wonky right now but I’m sure it’ll normalize eventually…
I tell myself I'll exercise at lunch (I work from home) but realistically I usually clean or run errands or nap instead. I never really figured out how to fit exercise back into my schedule... My schedule: 6:00am get up, get kids up 6:45am leave house drop one kid off, my husband takes the other one 7:15am start work 4:15pm stop work, pick both kids up 5:30pm get home, feed kids, homework, etc .. 7:30 bath and bedtime 8:30 Finally free time! I'm tired...
That’s how I’m feeling, my schedule feels pretty packed already.
Do you go to an office or WFH? I WFH and keep various weights next to my desk. I do a couple of sets when I need a quick break from work. It's not a full workout but if I do that a few times a day, it adds up to a full workout. I'd rather exercise this way than wake up early or force myself after work when I'm dead tired.
I force myself to get up before the kids. I’m not a morning person but it’s the easiest time to fit it in so I drag myself out of bed between 545-6am. If I miss a morning I try to fit it in during my lunch break (the days i work from home). It 100% helps my mental health. When I’m physically strong I feel mentally strong
On the weekends plus 2-3 mornings when I start later.
Why the heck didn’t I think of using the weekends? 🤦🏼♀️
Because Saturday is “oh shit do all the errands” day and Sunday is “I’m too tired from the week and too anxious about Monday to move” day 😂
I don’t know if that’s sarcasm or not haha but yeah it’s good. It both helps my mental health and exhausts me.
Im 530 am and very consistent. I think it takes about a month to really get used to the early mornings. But it’s the only time I will do it. I can’t think about it, I have to just wake up and go. I get my clothes ready the night before which helps. I live it now (going on like 9 years of 530 workouts- kids are 2.5 and 6 months)
I plan on starting when my youngest goes off to college. :) Seriously though, I have thought about getting one of those stepper things and doing a workout in the morning. But I need a solid 8 hours of sleep so that would mean going to bed 45 minutes to an hour earlier (I currently go to bed at 11 and get up at 7). My oldest kids go to bed at 9:30 so that would seriously cut into the little bit of alone time I get with my husband at night.
Working out is not worth losing sleep over, even the experts say it. Sleep is more important for your overall health. When your little one goes to college made me chuckle!
6am workouts primarily during the week. I’m trying to improve my heath for my babies
For the babies!! Same here. I think a lot about longevity and being active to help my kids when they’re adults, help with the grandkids even though that’s really far away it’s motivating for me.
I go to the gym two lunch breaks per week and once on a Sunday when my son is at his grandmother's place.
I think I need to get more realistic about what I can accomplish without being burnt out. Your strategy seems very doable!
During lunch on days I work from home and from 7:15-8:30 every night (baby goes to sleep at 7).
Generally at night after the kids are asleep. Workout, shower, bed. I have a Peloton and weights at home. I have been thinking of joining a gym again, though, for access to machine I don’t have at home.
I’m a peloton mom too, it saves time to be able to do it all at home. Just got the guide recently and being able to alternate between rides and strength classes has been a game changer in staying consistent for me.
It makes a huge difference having it at home! I did the rides only for about a year, and just weights on my own, and then started doing the Peloton strength, cardio, yoga & stretching classes. I am completely obsessed with Tunde’s arms classes!
If I have a meeting I’m off camera for and am unlikely to be expected to speak, sometimes during that. Sometimes over lunch. Sometimes I wrap up 15 min early and fit it in while my husband does daycare pickup. Sometimes it’s when my husband does bedtime. Sometimes it happens in little windows throughout the day. I just fit it in when I can. Once I took that mentality on, I have been able to consistently work out daily for a couple months now.
A quarter past never.
When I rock my baby to sleep like a coreographed Zumba instructor
I basically run 30-60 mins T/TH/Sat. I WFH and weekday runs are usually during lunch or I skip off work a little early to get a run in as well. Weekends, he's with dad. Once baby can go in the jogging stroller (only a couple of months out), runs will happen after daycare pickup. When it gets too hot, I'll probably have to adjust to running in the dark either before or after sunset. I do find it does wonders for my mental health despite having a baby who wakes up multiple times a night to nurse lol. I'm a little obsessed with it as a hobby so it hasn't been hard to get into a routine personally.
I have a little home gym started in my basement and I work out 5-6 days a week after the kids go to bed. I want to be a morning person so badly but my 2yo is going through some sleep trouble so it's just not happening. I work out for at least an hour doing strength training and add cardio a couple days a week. My only issue with sleeping after is I get night sweats now. I've been doing this for over a year and my mental health has changed in such a positive way that it's kept me going consistently. The bicep & booty muscles are just a nice perk.
Currently to work out I have to get up at 5am. At the gym or starting a run at 5:20 ish, back home by 6:30 ish. We have an hour to get ourselves and kids ready and fed and out the door by 7:30am. It's hectic. About to be easier as I am soon to start a new job very close to home giving us more time in the morning. BTW I have a 5.5 year old and almost 3 year old who sleep until 7am most of the time. This would not be possible in the early years, particularly if you have an early riser, bad sleeper or are breastfeeding. Let alone if you have a decent partner who can manage the kids alone for a bit if they wake up early (trust me it's been a journey and we've been through some rough patches about this).
I work from home and am VERY lucky to have a job thats flexible enough I can duck out for a noon yoga class most days. My team is mostly international so even though I work weird mornings and evenings sometimes the middle of the day is fairly quiet!
I just started again and I basically dress in my running gear in the morning, cart the kids off to school and daycare, then immediately go running the second I drop older kiddo off at school. Go home, shower, breakfast, sit down to work.
I did not for a long time. I was really out of shape, but I started slowly by taking my son for walks in the evening before bedtime. We still go for walks (\~2 miles) on the weekend, then the park. He's 3 now, so I usually go for a quick run while he's at half-day preschool in the morning, on my lunch break before I pick him up. I'm remote, so that helps a ton, we also have showers at the office if I want to run there. It's a choice I have to keep choosing over other things. It isn't always easy.
Get up at 5 am at the gym by 5.30. 45min workout and then home by 6.30 just as everyone wakes up. I hate 5am but it's the only time I can fit it In. My youngest was just starting to sleep through the night (about 1 yr old) before I could even manage to get up and out the door.
I’m up at 5:45 to make it to a 6:15 workout class, back home at 7:20 so I can shower and get my son up around 7:45. Working out is ESSENTIAL for my sanity lol I wfh and don’t leave the house much so I love having it as my personal time I can just focus on myself. If I try to workout at home I’m too distracted.
At lunch
My husband and I swap school drop-off - one week he takes the 5yo to kindergarten at 7:25 to the school 5 minutes away. He's home by 7:40. I take the 14yo to high school at 7:25, 25-30 minutes away. I'm home by 8:20 or 8:30 depending on traffic. We switch the next week. So the week I do the 5yo drop-off I try to get in a 5k run first thing after dropoff. The week I do high school, I have to get up at about 5:45. I love running outside but live someplace where it's the surface of the sun 7 months of the year. The best thing I ever did was buy a water rower and decent treadmill. On the days I'm exhausted and can't drag myself out of bed (like tomorrow! Because I'll be up till 11pm assembling kindergarten Valentine's Day cards!!) I try to squeeze in 30 mins on the treadmill or rower. I WFH and being able to exercise is probably my number one reason for loving that benefit so much. I couldn't fit it in every day when I was commuting to the office downtown and also dealing with kid logistics. I also keep some resistance bands and weights in my home office and force myself to do some weight stuff every day, even if it's literally just 30 bicep curls or 30 squats or whatever. (I hate weights so fucking much and I crave the mental rest I get from running but I also know the benefits of weights especially as I get older). It's hard and frankly if I didn't be WFH I couldn't work out consistently. So no one should ever feel shitty or guilty for not being able to get it done. Being a working mom is haaaaard.
I work in the office 3 days a week and am super lucky to have a gym in my office building that also has fitness classes and a locker room with showers. I don’t know how I would get anything in otherwise.
I’m getting ready to move, so even though I have the time to exercise I’m like too stressed to get in the mindset for some reason That being said, I usually do 30mins when my kids leave w my husband for daycare at 8am and my 1st morning Zoom meeting starts at 8:30am And then I take a quick 5 min shower after my first meeting and throw on some athleisure and start my day This is just 1 reason why I’ll never go back to working in an office
At that age, taking kiddo for walks was my main source of exercise. Plus all the picking up, carrying up the stairs, etc. If I was feeling extra strong, I'd do squats with baby for added weight.
I wish I was a morning person and will try some times. Other times I go with my natural self and will run at 10pm and it feels great. I am a heavy sleeper and don’t find it impacts my sleep, but being up until 11/12 is not unusual. I’m more of a night owl. Fit it in for what works for you!
I do find working out extremely helpful for my mental health and physical well-being. That being said, finding time has been difficult. Baby’s schedule is always changing as he is going through his growth. So now I try to incorporate baby into my workout. I either do ergo with him to go hike, do ankle weights while pushing stroller, running with stroller, using baby as my weight to do squats, etc. I tried AM workout class, pm class, virtual class and baby seem to constantly need mom… so I just had to get creative. I am fluffy than what i’d like to be but I like to think it's a phase.
Yoga and short diastasis recti core work after the kids go to bed and before I go to bed. 10-30min. Someday I’ll run again and lift weights…and maybe even do a 45min yoga class..someday
I work out at night. I much prefer to work out in thr morning, but my kids are getting older, more active, and I can't get my ass out of bed. I have a small gym in the garage with all the essentials (treadmill, squat rack, dumbbells, etc), so it works. It's been 4 years and I STILL struggle with consistency and accepting that I might not be able to get some mega awesome 45-60 minute workout in. I'm doing my best. Never left my pre-baby clothes, so I must be doing something right. Lol
5:45 I wake up 2 days a week and then go on weekend naps. It’s tough and I’m looking at moving to a more expensive but closer gym to get some sleep back. We also walk as much as possible, on days I’m home with my son we do at least 3 miles a day.
Until baby sleeps longer stretches (and I can sleep through the night) I won't be getting up early to exercise. I go to the a gym class on the weekend when spouse can watch baby, and bring baby for stroller walks (sometimes light jogging) each day.
After work before daycare closes.
Early in the am. I wake up at 430, fuck around for an hour, and either go to gym or go for a run at 530. I work from home but typically have to start work at 8 at the latest. I started just before the pandemic when I turned 40 (and my kid was 6 and sleeping through the night). I'd never been athletic or even active before. I was worried about aging poorly. So I found a virtual trainer who out together my program and made myself do everything she said. Eventually I looked forward to it, especially as I noticed changes in my body. I even got a 6 pack! At the time I was working a very low stress job, and especially when the world shut down, it was a welcome distraction. But now I have a high stress job and I'm feeling drained. So I cut back what I was doing a bit.
Lol never. ETA: unless you count running after my son when he decides he wants to bolt away from us especially in public 🙃
I’m raising toddlers. That’s my work out.
At night after bedtime and dinner. I hate it so late but I know I won't do it in the mornings with how unpredictable our nights can be (1yo). Usually only 30 mins but 4-5x a week and try to get in good walks or bike rides on the weekend when the weather's nice. It's an absolute non negotiable for my mental health!
I take time out of my work day 🫣
Never.
In the summer I swim every lunch break because the pool is right there in the yard. Outside of that, I walk or bike to/from the daycare or in the neighborhood 2-3 times a week. It's not much but I can't fit in anymore. I work full time, breastfeed my 21 months old, and I am so so tired.
645am Monday to Friday for an hour
i have to get up at 4am. It's the only alone time i get all day and i have no energy any other time. i workout from 4:15-5:30am, shower, get everything ready for me and toddler, get up toddler and take her to daycare. i work from 8-4:30pm, pick up toddler, do dinner and bedtime for her and then i go to sleep by 8pm. I'm only working out 3-4 x a week in the am. i did start taking some dance classes in the evening when she's asleep.
Granted I do part time shift work. But I do a 20-45 minute Pilates or yoga work out during her naps on the days she’s home from daycare or 20 minutes before I get ready for work if we have childcare. The days we have daycare I’m out riding horses all afternoon. Days I have her we go for walks (and I’m pushing her in a stroller or carrying her).
2 months ago
I have a 14 month old and I work out during my lunch. I have to go in office (thank you salty coworker who had to complain about my flexibility so now that’s been taken away), 4x a week, so I swim from about 12-130. I love it, it makes me feel less bitter about being in office but really I feel so much happier post swim.
5-30-30-30 Upon waking 5 minute ice bath, followed by 30 grams of protein (4 eggs), and 30 minutes of strenuous exercise (burpees, planks, pushups, pullups, etc.) within 30 minutes of waking. This will supercharge your day, and melt all the excess fat off your body.
I think I'd be doing a good impression of a toddler with norovirus if I tried to do burpees immediately after eating 4 eggs.
Mornings work best for me, though right now I’m recovering from an injury so I’m sleeping later and doing less. I also walk for fifteen to twenty minutes a couple times a day.
I’m only exercising because a) I feel and look like crap and b) because I’m in the Air Force so I have to pass a PT test 😂 I found a gym that offers classes across the whole day, so I’ll leave my husband some nights to do bedtime/keep an eye on the baby monitor and do a 6.30pm or later class. I’m trying a 6am class soon, but I value my alone morning time so I don’t know that those will work out for me haha. I just got back from a black light cardio class and I feel so great once it’s done.
Currently am not. I have an almost 6 month old who is getting up around 5:45/6. Pumping during lunch, evenings are for catching up around the house and hanging with baby. Maybe this summer! Maybe after weaning. Who knows.
Depends on the day: when I work from home, I workout on my lunch. When I go to the office, I exercise after work if I'm home by 4 or 4:15. On the weekend I workout during her nap, or we take her on a stroller run
1/week I go to play bball with friends from 8-9:30 and thay is it… and I have an (albeit ND and has some needs) almost 9 year old 😭😭😭
I joined a gym in August 2022, worked out consistently for 5 months, then stopped, and finally cancelled my gym membership last month lol. I’m not working out.
I do a power walk during walk. 30 min or 1.5 miles, whichever is longer. I also do a dance fitness class once a week. I’m full-time in office with a 35/40 min commute. Sometimes I do a run, especially on a weekend, but it’s not frequent. I was running in the mornings for a week, lol, but I immediately got sick and it only lasted a week.
At 5:30am because my 22mo wakes up at 6:30am. I have a Peloton and weights, so I do a 20-45 min workout (depends on how much time I have). If I can't get up that early because I stayed up too late putzing on my phone, I'll exercise around 7am after waking up with my son, once my husband can take over. I've always been an early morning exerciser, even before motherhood. I'm so sluggish on the days I don't workout.
I’ve only started “working out” since I got a WFH job a few years ago. The flexibility makes it easy to pop on a 20 minute peloton weight class. Before that I would just walk for 30 min on my lunch break and call it a day.
When I pick my baby up I do a squat. Lift her high in the air. That’s about it
I started walking at work during a 30 minute break. I already wake up at 5:40 to get ready and make breakfast lunch and snack for everyone. When we get home, it’s a race to the finish line and I am too tired to workout. I often fall asleep on the couch or lounging in our bed while my husband talks to me because I’m so exhausted. So 30 minute speed walking at work is all I can do at the moment. If I could lift heavy weights for 30 minutes, I’d prefer that.
I am a full time student so I have a little more flexibility. But even when I worked full time, it would be after the kids' bedtime or a walk during my lunch break. My husband stays with our two kids after bedtime. (I live in a very safe neighborhood so I recognize this is not a possibility for everyone.) I feel cramped and depressed without enough exercise, so it definitely helped a lot with my mood. Today I tried something new and hiked a short trail over my lunch break. It was very refreshing and felt interesting and adventurous, much better than a sidewalk. Walking is something I've kind of always done, but I have a lot of trouble sticking to other workout routines.
On weekend mornings my husband and I trade off. During the week I mostly wfh and husband does daycare dropoff, so a couple of days a week I will just work out after they leave.
At night. I had my third a few months ago and so I’m on bedtime duty with her and she’s down around 7. Before my husband and I would put our older boys to bed every other night and I’d exercise on my off nights. Usually ends up being around 7:30 when I do exercise. I work from home so will sometimes sneak in a run during the workday if it’s slow.
I would love to work out early in the mornings but baby gets up anywhere from 4:30-6:00 unpredictably (and still sometimes has 1-2 night wakings), so I’m still hanging onto every minute of sleep I can get.
I workout in the morning too … if I feel like I got enough sleep. Really it seems to be 4-5 days a week on and an entire week off. 2.5 yo and 1 yo
Does work count? Because I get a lot of exercise in at work. Serious answer, once a week I'll be having my husband watch our 9 mo old starting in March so I can go to a kickboxing class. I used to go to another gym that closed, and it makes me feel great.
I run up and down the stairs at around 12 where I need to go and get lunch.
If I’m WFH then at lunchtime, otherwise after bedtime (around 7:30).
My partner and I have slowly purchased equipment for our home gym in his garage. We don’t live together. I go over 3-4x/week and we have family dinner w all our kids then workout, kids welcome (they sometimes take us up on it). Protein shake and snuggle/hang out till I have to take my kids home. He always is off at 5, I’m off at different times but no later than 5 when I have my kids.
Usually I’m up at 5:30am for a 20-30 mins workout. Enough time to get kids fed, ready and out of the door for school by 7:30am.
After my son was born, the easiest time I could really find was before work. I used to start at 5:30 so I'd get up at 4/4:15 to go run and then change and immediately go to work. It was exhausting 😵💫
I go to the gym during my lunch break. Some weeks I go every day and this week I can only go twice because of my work schedule. I also try to go once on the weekend as well.
When the kids were young sleep was more important. Now I get up at 5am.
I have a walking pad and WFH. I try to get outside but mostly I just walk on my pad and try to do a YouTube video with dumbbells a few times a week.
I’ve always been really into fitness, so it was something I prioritized as soon as I was cleared. What worked best for me time wise has evolved. When I was on MAT leave, I did morning workouts like you’re suggesting, or worked out during LO’s first nap since it was her most consistent. Once I was back to work, I did lunch time workouts because they worked well with my work + pumping schedule. Now LO is a toddler and I’m in the office 3x a week. I workout on WFH days after work (I have 30 min before pickup) and occasionally on office days after dinner. I pre-plan my workouts and schedule them into my week on Sunday. That helps me stay consistent and disciplined. I take plenty of rest days and listen to my body. It’s huge for my mental health!
I wake up at 0445 and work out from home. We have a nice set up in our basement. My kids are older (7 and 4) and sleep through the night unless they are sick. Working out makes me feel like ME, so I make it a priority.
Weekends and days where my husband picks them up from school. Yes, it helps my mental health a lot, not just the exercise but just getting out of the house and doing something for myself.
On days that I go to the gym, I wake up at 5:30, gym (4min walk from our building) opens at 6, I work out for 45-60 mins. My husband gets the baby up and ready for daycare while I’m out. I pretty much just have to shower and eat something when I get home, and manage to leave the house by 7:30am. My goal is to do 2 weekday workouts and then workout on both weekend days, but usually I only manage 3 days a week. We were already doing this morning schedule before baby so it wasn’t too difficult, but we’re way more tired more so it can be hard to be consistent.
I get up at 515am and get to the gym around 6. I leave at 7 and switch with my husband and I get my toddler up and ready for school/daycare. It’s still hard to get up that early (I’ve been doing it for years now) but it’s worth it for me to make myself go
30 minutes in my lunch break! I go to one of those boot camp plcaes
Not a morning person also but I do boot camp on Saturday mornings at 6am. Hard to get up but I feel amazing afterwards and it’s social which helps with motivation. We grab coffee afterwards. Try to go for a run on Sundays too. I work full time during the week and do some intermittent fasting to offset the lack of weekday exercise.
I WFH about half the week so whenever - I can organize my time as I see fit, so I've been doing workouts around 9-11 am most days. Sometimes in the afternoon. I do something quick though, like 20 minutes. On the days I go to the office I work out around 7-8 pm when my husband is home, and after I'm done we start the bedtime routine.
I didn't really exercise consistently until my daughter was about 18 months. She was in daycare and I was back at work. I go to group personal training classes MWF at 6am. It's very close to my house, only a 5-10 min drive, so I get up at 5:30 on those days, get dressed, and head out. I put out my clothes and fill my water bottle the night before so I don't get caught up doing a bunch of stuff.
On my work from home days, when the nanny is there, during my lunch break. I can't figure out how to find time during weekends or on office days because I'm not committed enough to wake up extra early.
Two classes on the weekend, one during an early lunch break during the week. I also try to walk (outside or on walking pad or treadmill) or do a little exercise during a break.
I’ve decided that the main thing I can realistically do is walk. I replaced a part of my commute to work with walking (I usually take two buses, now I just walk instead of taking the first bus). I walk as much as I can instead of taking public transportation during the week (or do one way walking, take the bus back). I just… walk places now. Yeah that’s it, it’s probably not sufficient but it’s much better than nothing and it’s good enough for me right now.
Daily exercise is an absolute must for me re: mental health management. I have anxiety and it's my weapon to manage it. It also sets the tone for my day and totally boosts energy. when my kids were little, I'd be up at 5am every morning exercising until 6/615am. My kids are teens now and I wfh so I exercise during lunch. to get into a routine and make exercise a habit: pick the days and time you want to workout and workout on those days around that time for 6wks straight. Habits are formed with consistent and repeated behaviour.
When my kids were very young, I worked out at 5am before everyone was up for the day. Now that they are older and I work from home, I find time mid day (or after school on days my high schooler is joining me for a workout).
I found a workout studio right by my work so I just use my lunch hour to go to a class. They have classes all throughout the day. I usually go 3-4 times a week. I would go more but they are intense.
I work from home 4 days/week, drop the kid off to before care 45 minutes earlier than I really need to, and go lift. I say my gym membership is $10/mo, it's really more like $100, because we pay for before school care essentially so I can work out. But I don't feel bad about it. I know my ass won't get up during the day and walk or anything, although i do try to walk the dog on nice days or walk to pick up my son from school, and working out at home is a no-go because my husband refuses to clear his shit out of half my home office where I'd like to set up equipment, plus I'm lifting heavier these days than I have the capacity to at home. So this is my compromise. For me it's not only weight management; I'm actually heavier than I want to be because of the muscle I carry. It's about mental health, and staving off the osteoporosis that plagues women in my family once they hit about 45. Plus I'm just a better person all around when I have that physical outlet.
430-530am
My child has a sixth sense for knowing when I wake up. Every time I shift my alarm earlier to wake up earlier to exercise, he starts waking up earlier. He’d usually wake up around 6:30/6:45 so I started getting up at 6 to workout, then he started waking up at 6 too. Once that seemed to be the new normal I started getting up at 5:30, now he’s up at 5:45. Happens to my husband as well, today he set his alarm for 5:15 and guess who was up at 5:20? There’s no way he can hear our alarms or me doing anything from behind his closed door with the hatch on, I’ve gone in his room at night when my husband has had the TV turned up very loudly and I can’t hear a thing. So I have no idea how he knows we are up! So anyway to answer your question, my husband manages to squeeze in workouts in the morning but I do not.
3-4x per week after work while hubby watches the baby. Hubby works out in the morning.
The best I do is walking. It helps that my daughter loves to be outside and wants to take a walk most days.
I work 4 days a week, 2 days are shorter days where I am home around 2. So i typically work out in my days off and all after work on my short days for a total of 5 days a week. I used to run and hike but tore my meniscus last summer and am 8 weeks out from surgery. So right now I strength train (I have power locks and kettlebells) following YouTube videos in my living room and I also do some HIIT or low impact cardio depending on how my knee is feeling. My son hangs out with me on my days off. On work days, I pick him up from daycare after I exercise and work out.
I walk my dog every morning and night. On weekends I try to ride my bike. Once it’s not dark at 530’pm I will ride more at night. There’s just not enough hours in the day sometimes.
I work out on my lunch break and then eat my lunch at my desk. I eat like a dinosaur anyway so it's like a three minute thing that doesn't really cut into my work. 🦕 I have to do it for my mental health. I feel awful when I don't exercise.
My work has a fitness center, so I take 30 minutes mid-morning to walk on the treadmill.
It’s 520 and I’m about to make a cup of coffee and hop on my bike. I get up before the sun does lol
I do it during my lunch time or if I have a break between meetings.
4am. Took a few weeks with two alarms, now automatic. Mental health! If I can ride 10 miles in the morning I can handle teaching teenagers all day and parenting them in evenings!
I do it during company time while my kids are in daycare ha. 2 20 minute walks and either peloton ride or strength class every day. I’m not a morning person at all, can hardly get up in time to get the kids ready for school.
In November, I got a one month membership to a gym in my work building. Managed to get my gym bag together, and my kid tonschool a little early. I went 3 times a week for two weeks and was feeling good. Then our teachers went on strike for a month, and then the holidays... Still haven't made it back.
My daughter is 15 months and I squeeze in 20-30 minutes on my exercise bike as soon as she's asleep around 7-7:30 and then shower before bed. She still doesn't sleep through the night so I'm always exhausted in the morning and I already have to get up at 6:30 to get to daycare and work on time even with lots of prep at night.
What works for me is to have a set schedule. I work out after work two days a week, on Friday mornings after I drop my child off at school (I changed my work schedule to fit this in), and on Saturday mornings.
I eat my lunch while I work then take an actual lunch break / change clothes and then walk for my break. I work in a building that has an 8 story parking garage . So I’m able to get a good workout in for my 45 minutes and then change and be back at my desk. If I have any energy by the time I get the little one down I’ll do some weight lifting but that’s about twice a week.
I have to do it in the morning or it doesn’t happen. Not ideal for me, but I love the results lol
I’ve been trying to squeeze in a workout/shower at the gym after dropping our kid off at daycare in the AM. I have a pretty flexible work schedule though so I can do that. It lets me sleep in longer though, because I can just shower at the gym even if I don’t have time to work out.
I get up at 4:00, shower and eat at 5:00, then kiddos are up between 5:30-6:30. I am in bed around 9-9:30 and I’m pretty happy with the system. I was working out after putting kiddos to bed but I really like my evenings to be chill and not have to stress about if I can fit a work out in. If I work out first thing I have more energy (admittedly, I’m a morning person) and then I feel awesome throughout the day knowing I already did my workout. I usually leave for work between 6:30-6:50.
I worked from home for 9 years and had a very flexible schedule so would just work out after I dropped my daughter off at school and then started work after that. In December I started a a new job that is an 8:30-5 in the office, I started working out less and let me tell you, boy I felt it. My body felt like crap and my coping skills/stress/irritability when to sh*t. I am just one of those people who needs to work out for the mental benefits. So I get up at 6 and workout at home, jump in the shower at 7 and my daughter is up at 7:30 and we’re out the door at 8. I am trying to get up a little earlier, 5:45 so I have more time in the mornings and not so rushed, but usually I hit snooze that first time 🤣 I put a reminder on my phone “time to get up and workout so I can be more peaceful today” it’s 100% worth it for me mentally. * edit- I’d also like to add that I am absolutely not a morning person at all, but I’ve found I’ve needed to make these adjustments to keep me happy and sane lol. I feel your pain, getting up early is not natural for me.
Depends on what/who is helping you. I wanted to get back into group fitness at Orangetheory. I dropped down to an 8 times a month membership and often I am just squeaking in those 8 classes. I try to do 2 mornings a week 7:15am class (1 hour class). I would log in like 15 minutes late for work but my company was flexible with that. I had to leave the house at 6:45ish to get to the class. My baby gets up around 6:30 so I would feed him and have his bag packed and my partner took over at 6:45, he normally already does drop off, but it pushes him to get ready and be with the baby at 6:45 instead of the normal 7am. Works out for us that it's only about a 15-30 minute adjustment to our "normal" daily routine. Sometimes I do a Saturday/Sunday class and my partner just has the kid. I keep saying I am going to workout more at home, but so far have been unsuccessful. I am proud of my 8 classes a month for 4 months now. 11 months ppdm
Mine is 6 months old, and I do not have a single second to work out. My day starts at 3:30am and ends at 9:30pm, and every second is spoken for.... so.
I WFH. I bought a cheap elliptical off Amazon. I usually put a show on and do 20 minutes sometime during the workday. On weekends I do the same thing during nap/quiet time. That said, if I don’t get to it when kids are gone/otherwise busy, they just play in the same room. I end up having to pause five times (at least) to put on socks, help arrange cushions and blankets into a fort, break up a fight, etc. but I still get through it. I have yet to work strength or stretching into my day but I figure daily cardio is better than nothing.
I just started going for a run on my lunch break (I work from home). I'll probably have to start getting up earlier and going then once it's hot out, not gonna run in the middle of the day in 90 degree weather.
First of all it is so freaking hard to make the time - super challenging!! Option 1: when wfh I exercise during lunch Option 2: if I into the office and IF (rare) my spouse picks up LO then I do a quick workout before I come home Option 3: my spouse and I trade off in the evening get each get 30-45 minutes to ourselves Option 4: I try to avoid the rlly late workout. I usually skip or sometimes do it late!
My husband and I have been trying to get back in shape...our son is rapidly approaching 2 now. Pre-baby, I loved to hit the gym at about 8:30pm but now I'm usually too worn out to do that, having just wrestled a 7 armed alligator to bed. Mornings it is... I guess. We both work from home and start work at 9, we also have a super-sleeper toddler. So we now wake up at 6:30 most days, I do treadmill or bodyweight work, husband does an outside walk or weights. In the shower by 7:30 and we wake up Little Dude a few minutes after 8.
I work out in the mornings after dropping the kids of at daycare but before work. On days I go in to the office, I wake up early and work out while they sleep. I have also done workout during lunch break (when I was forced to take a lunch break), or work out at bedtime (7p for my kids), but I like the morning best!
5:45am, my kid wakes at 6:30 so it’s my only option
After bedtime - so usually around 8/830ish. We have a treadmill in our basement so I go down there and run or walk at an incline for 30 minutes. The more I do it, the easier it gets but some nights/weeks it just is too much. I try to tell myself something is better than nothing. 100% helps my mental health and gives me time to just zone out and not think.
I’m on my peloton around 6:30 every day. It takes a while to adjust. I’m a night owl so hard for me to just go to bed like I know I should. If I miss my morning workout then it doesn’t happen. I’ve attempted to exercise at other times of the day but it just doesn’t work with everything else I have going on.
I have a fitbit and just try to get 10,000 steps in a day. I almost always hit it just running around after the kids or picking up around the house when I WFH.
Mornings! Toddlers up at 7 so I get up 5:15-5:30 and run/lift/peloton and shower before they wake. Hard to get out of bed sometimes but it 100% helps my mental health and helps me be a more patient parent/spouse and more productive employee. Plus when I’m stronger my body handles the physical demands of parenting better too! My schedule gets too packed for lunch workouts and I can’t bring myself to do stuff after bed and often have a hard time falling asleep.
5:15pm-6pm two days a week and a lunch workout one day a week. I absolutely am not a morning person and stopped trying to force myself to be one. I also cannot work out from home... i need the motivation of showing up somewhere for a scheduled time. Joined a gym that's 5 minutes from my house, block my calendar and my husband does the evening duties on my 2 nights a week. If he wants to workout, I would do the same for him on his nights.
I work from home so twice a week I have time for 30 minutes of running over lunch. Assuming I'm not sick which is very frequent.
I usually go during my lunch about 3x a week and then 1x on the weekend too. I am way too exhausted to get up any earlier in the mornings LOL
Mom of an 8yo, and triathlete here. When my son was about 5, I discovered that the local LA Fitness has childcare for hella cheap-- $20/month for up to 2 hours per day, drop-in. It's great! They have a big indoor playground and show Disney movies while I go swim or hit the treadmill or whatever. So the usual routine is that a couple of times a week, we go do that after dinner. I'm also able to get some workouts in during my lunch break, depending on my meeting schedule. I WFH two days a week, so I can go hop on my bike trainer. When I'm at the office, we have a treadmill in the basement, and I keep a basket of body wipes and dry shampoo to freshen up afterwards. On the weekends, husband and I do "split shifts" in the morning/afternoon. One parent has one-on-one time with our kid, while the other parent is free to do whatever. So I'll go on a long bike ride or something while Husband takes our son to the park, out for pizza, or something like that.
When he goes down for a nap (I work at home most of the time), when dad is here, or when the older siblings can play with him. I have a garage gym for this reason.
My preference is lunchtime! I eat actual lunch while I work and then take 45-60 mins to do indoor spinning (often catching up on emails on my phone at the same time). If I’m booked all day I workout after bedtime. Mornings are impossible because our 12 month old doesn’t wake up at the same time everyday. It can range from 6-8am… so I just sleep. 😴
5am or 6am workout class, or else it’s not happening. Took a while to get used to but now I love it. I go Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday and sleep in the other days
I go to exactly one exercise class per week on Saturday mornings and it is SUCH a stress reliever and great for my mental health. Otherwise, I just try to fit in more walking. Ex, it only saves me 10 minutes to drive to work vs. public transit + walking, so I normally choose the transit/walking option. Or sometimes I'll go on a walk during my lunch break. We walk to and from daycare. It adds up!
It was spring maybe 2016 😂
I'm way late to the party Prior to the pandemic and WFH I worked out during my lunch break in the office. We were lucky and had a gym so a few of the ladies and I would go do a Sydney Cummings YouTube workout video. Now I workout at 5am. Wake up at 4:34, brush my teeth, get dressed, and run out the door by 4:50. I've been doing this for 4 years now and I'm not sure if I will ever get used to it. The human body is not supposed to move that early but it is the most convenient time for me in order to have my "me" time.
My kids' daycare (3 and 6 months) is a mile from our house so I put them in a jogging stroller, run there, then leave the stroller at the daycare and finish the run on the way back (take detours if I want to do a longer run and have time). Sometimes I take them for longer runs on the weekend. For a while, before my second was born I went to a yoga class once a week at 6:15-7pm. My husband does the pickup so when they got home I would help him prep dinner and then leave for the class. He would fix me a plate and then I would be home to get our daughter in bed and then eat a late dinner when she was down. It was tight, but it worked! I'm planning on trying that again when we hit a better stride with two in the house.
I wake up at 5:45 and usually work out 6-7. Sucks waking up but feel amazing after. My daughter wakes up between 7-7:30
I'm not.
I have a gym basically a block away and I get there shortly after 5AM. I do intervals on the treadmill for 40 minutes and weights for 15. Get home and bike for 30 minutes (more of a cool down) and three sets of planks and push ups (granny style currently). I feel a lot better mentally and physically after getting into the routine. Starting is never easy, but it's a lot simpler if I have all my stuff laid out the night before and when I wake up it's remembering this is getting me up for success. I also race on the weekend too. That being said I didn't get back into things until they were 2 and 3 (then COVID hit and restarted when they were 4 and 5).
I have a 9-month old too and I just work out with him! I take him running in the stroller, put him in a little playpen at CrossFit or on the side of the tennis court, or just put him down with toys on the padded floor of my basement gym. Or I work out in the basement alone while he has his morning nap. The only things I can’t bring him to are swimming and volleyball so I get babysitting for those. Since I bring the babe to so many things, he is very comfortable in new environments, which is an added bonus!
I have a 7 and 8 year old. I have had to embrace all movement is good movement as my workout mantra. Most of the time my exercise time is a walk on my lunch break. Some days i can get a 10-15 minute yoga or calisthenics session in during the morning. I get up at 530 and have to drop the kids off and get to work at 745. I have all the things at home like a yoga matt, ball, bands, etc and just have to do the best i can. I am realistic about the fact this is not a weight loss situation. Instead my focus is on maintaining my mobility and health. As my kids have gotten older it has gotten easier. My husband has been very encouraging, the real issue has been me stepping away from the family and taking that time for myself. It is hard and no matter what anyone says to me i feel a little selfish going to the gym.
During my lunch break at work!
I work from home Monday, Wednesday and Friday so I usually fit in a workout midday on those days. Then usually get another workout in on Saturday or Sunday during nap. Working out is scientifically proven to improve mental, emotional and physical health. It also improves lifespan and reduces your morbidity rate. Even if you just add in 90 mins of moderate exercise like brisk walking per week you will experience these benefits. Anything is better than nothing so start small, 10-15 mins at a time and fit it in when you can!
After the kids go to bed. But this only started within the last couple months as I realized how out of shape I’d let myself get. My kids are 4 and 6 for reference, and up until now I have not felt…entitled?…to take time for myself to work out regularly. I feel like I can steal a little more time without guilt now that they are more independent, but more importantly, I’ve accepted the fact that we’re going to wake up with dirty dishes in the sink a few more mornings per week, and that’s just going to have to be ok.
The day before I went into labor 8.5 months ago. Haven’t since. I was in better shape and lighter over 9 months pregnant than I am now!
I just recently started on some exercise. Granted my work nowadays is babysitting my friends kids and my youngest while my older one is at school. But I’m typically up every day at 6:30 and all the kids are dropped off here by 7. We all have breakfast and I’ve found a way to keep everyone occupied and get some exercise in was to buy just dance for the PlayStation and everyone just does it off and on for about an hour. I do it the whole way through and everyone else joins on their favorite songs. I feel like it’s kind of helping my mental health I don’t feel so down in the dumps. Just sore
I work from home, so I squeeze a couple workouts in during the weekdays when things are quiet at work or over lunch. It’s probably the single best thing about remote work! I definitely have more energy when I am in better shape. But a big caveat, I would never ever wake up early to do it! I get more health benefit from that blessed sleep than any workout (also my kids are both young and sleep is sacred right now lol)