I recently read a quote that said, "Parenting is easy. It's finding a way to get anything ELSE done that is difficult." This definitely applies to exercise, in my experience. Between work, caring for kids, and shuttling them to all their activities, it can be hard for parents to find time to stay fit. What works for you?
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The goal is always during first nap of the day- but finding the motivation is still really difficult for me! I'm still working on consistency!
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I've experimented with a variety of approaches, and the thing that works most reliably for me is to just wake up early and fit it in before the kids are up. My husband does this too, and it helps so much to be able to motivate each other!
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When I worked full time, I went to classes first thing in the morning, but now that I'm home, I have a babysitter for the baby so that I can run to the gym while the older kids are in the school. Many moms use the childcare at our gym, but it's naptime for my baby, so I'm lucky I can leave her at home.
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I've found that yoga right before bed works best for me. It helps me unwind and relax at the end of the day, and it's nice and quiet in the house!
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I get up early to run for 30 minutes in the good weather then in the winter, colder or lazier mornings, I'll go out for a fun on my lunch break from work.
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I used to live in Boston and never experienced cold Winter days like we had there. I used to work out at Golds and after I showered, if my hair wasn't completely dry, it would have ice in it by the time I walked the 15 seconds to the car. But running Boston, and training for it was an amazing experience, even though much of training was in the Winter!
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I try to go to the gym in the morning after the kids are at school. We got a puppy in February who requires a lot of attention so I’ve been struggling getting back into a routine. My exercise these days consist of taking long walks with the dog but I miss my workout classes and runs.
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I workout while they are in school. I like the no distractions. In summer, I will get a sitter or wait until my husband gets home and do it at night.
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I bought a spin bike when Dylan was about 6 months old because I couldn't make it to the gym spin classes around his schedule. I had been spinning for 8 years prior, as well as running, and this seemed to be the best option. Most mornings I work out before my kids are up without leaving the house and zero commute. I use Studio Sweat on Demand on YouTube for free awesome workouts. It is truly ideal all around. If it is a day we're home later in the morning and I sleep in, they are at the age where I can also spin while they are occupied reading, playing or on Wii. Sometimes we also swim together at the YMCA, but my main workout is on my spin bike.
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This has been a struggle for years, but I've finally figured out that for me, it usually works best to find a way to incorporate the kids into my workout time. This isn't always possible, but between work and family/kid activities (and my unwillingness to wake up at an ungodly hour), exercise often gets cut if I don't find a way to incorporate it into the flow of the day. Depending on the age of the kids, sometimes it means using a jogging stroller, or having them run or bike with me. Sometimes, I put on a workout video while they play in the same room (and occasionally join me for the workout). My favorite are family walks/jogs, both simple daily ones around the neighborhood as well as more special weekend ones at a beach or park.
