Carving Out Time to Exercise

how about, when you arrive home at 6:00, do a workout then before dinner. then make quick easy salads or bbq meat and vegies, that take 30 minutes or less, so you're eating by 7:30, quick clean up and then have a little time to relax before the cycle starts all over again. have your daughter do her homework while you're working out so you can check over during dinner and chat about school during dinner. good luck to you M., you're doing great taking care of the kids!!

Gosh! Well I'd say power walk every morning break for 20 min, 3 nights a week do an hour workout b4 dinner (have salad or leftovers doubled up from night b4) 2 nights cardio and 1 night weights and a long workout one weekend day- hike w son, bike ride etc. You don't need to go to crazy this is plenty and your diet is most important. Good luck. BTW I lost 70lbs since giving birth a year ago by walking 3 times a week for 1hr20min and drinking green smoothies everymorning http://ahealthykitchen.com/healthy-recipes/healthy-breakf...

Can your child help with clean up, and putting lunch together? I get up early to get my exercise in; however, getting up before 5:30am does not sound appealing so I won't suggest that.

How about weekends? You could get exercise on weekends. Also, how about a family walk or bike ride? That would get in your exercise, show your child how important exercise is, and get some mother-child time in.

I feel you mama! I like the ideas for adding all the little bits of excercise that can add up throughout the week but also think the time between dinner and bedtime is a great time for you and your child to excercise together -- if his/her heart condition allows?

8 is a great age for bike rides or even dvd workouts when it's dark or the weather's bad. (I'm a child of the 80's and have vivid memories of doing ALL the Jane Fonda workouts with my mom LOL) And it's really good to instill good excercise habits into your kids, especially as they get older, and the best way to do that is to be a good example :) The evening workout may be tougher in winter months but go for the dvd or even a local community center/school gym. Maybe there's even a free parent/kid group you could join in your neighborhood? Or a sport that you both enjoy or would like to learn? If your child's health makes him/her unable to join you, maybe the home dvd workout or the community center (where he/she could watch/play while you excercise)?

Also, weekend hikes are a great way to get excercise and share some quality time exploring the beauty of the bay area with your kids!

Best of luck to you and be proud that you're initiating a great goal!

Your routine sounds like mine. I started excercising in the morning by getting up 20-30 min earlier. Its the only time I can have to myself. And I am not a morning person. I have an eye doc appt this a so I'm on my treadmill in a few minutes. For the last 2 weeks after dinner I'm taking the kids for a walk or short bieke ride. They love it beacause they are outside. In all I'm sleeping better ar night and have more energy tghrough the day. If you are looking for ways to loose weight quickly, you might want to try HCG. Research it and search prior posts to get feedback. There is very positive feedback and some very negative. I found out c a couple people at the daycare did it and lost weight. I was/am looking for a way to quickly get some of this weight off. You are on a restricted diet of just lean protien and veges and 2 fruits a day (no oil or dressings eithr) but your body feels better getting the toxins out from processed food. The kids and dad still eat normal although I kind of have dad on a South Beach version. With that said I'm here to say it works! I've lost 20 lbs in 18 days! And so far I am ok without the food I used to eat. Once you get away from carb overload (me) its easy to stay away. Good luck. :-)

I really can relate to you and this is what I was doing. After you make Dinner and feed the kids,2 times during the week and once on the weekend. Just pack everyone up and go to the track. You can fast walk or medium fast walk/ 8 laps which will be two miles and do some crunches and push ups and be done. In the meantime, you can bring stuff for the kids to do. They can play soccer on the track, bring bikes, jump rope, play BB etc. as long as you can still see them as you walk. This is an immediate solution it will take no more than an hour and you can continue to check homework, you eat, put them to bed/shower etc. you will continue with bedtime routine. The only thing is you won't be able to clean up until they are in bed. Good Luck.

What about walking during your 30 minute lunch break? Eat 3 small meals a day between your 2 breaks and at your desk after walking for 20 minutes at lunch. That will give you 50 minutes (2 x 15 mins at break and 20 mins at lunch). Try to do this 3 x's a week. You could also do more active things with your child between 7 and 8 pm - a walk around your neighborhood or a park if there is one close. It's a great time to hear about each others day and burn off dinner. My boys and I do this a few times a week and they enjoy taking turns picking where we will walk to and they are more open talking about themselves then when we are just sitting at home.

Hope this helps. Good luck!

Congratulations on putting yourself and your health on the top of your list. I would suggest either waking up a half hour early and workout and then try to cut down your dinner prep time and do another half hour in the evening or if you want to do a full hour, wake up an hour earlier 3x a week. To get my workout in, I wake up at 4:30 3x a week to workout for an hour. I get it over with and don't have any excuses like I would have by the time evening rolls around (i.e. it's too hot, I'm too tired, etc). I also usually go to bed at 11:30, but on the days that you wake up earlier, you will find that you'll just naturally go to bed a little earlier. Wishing you great success on your journey!

Plan dinners that either take 15 minutes to toss together, or take oven time during that hour you set aside. Have your DVD and mat, weights and clothing laid out. Set your child up with their homework and pop in a DVD to exercise to. I love Jillian Michaels 30 day Shred (takes 30 minutes tops...actually its aobut 22 minutes, but with getitng my shoes on and setting the DVD player up and junk, 30 min is about right) and am back "on program" again. I also calorie count with a phone app.

You need to plan the meals well and shop for them on the weekend. Maybe grill up a bunch of chicken for use in salads and stuff. We either do that, or I just buy a few rotisserie chickens and use that for sandwiches with low cal bread, for salads, to just warm and eat, etc (I get all the meat off while they are warm and toss in a baggie to use all week). Prep hotdish meals on the weekend and store in the refridge. Have a menu list on the fridge so you know what the choices are or whats been planned for the day so you are not floundering. Have some easy back ups like Grill cheese and soup or eggs and toast.

I do daycare for 11 hours in my home. As soon as the last child leaves, I set dinner going if its timely, or I just go change and get going. If I don't do it ASAP , it won't get done.

Good luck!!!

I've had to find creative ways to get exercise in for myself. We always park a bit further away from the store etc so we have further to walk. Unless we're in a hurry we take the longer way around the store to pick up the one or 2 things we need. While waiting for the water to get hot before doing my shower I do 20 squats. We live in a 2 story home so when I need to change a diaper I have to go upstairs to do it, I don't have anything downstairs (of course you're past the diapers LOL) I find some random times to do a handful of ab exercises a day. Change laundry loads, hit the floor and do 15 then get up and go take care of the next thing on my list.
I have 3 kids and home school so I have to get very creative with time. It can be done. I am finally back into most of my pre-pregnancy pants and the rest are getting close.

You really need to read The Four Hour Body! Then you can easily fit in what he suggest to get the absolute most benefit with the least amount of effort. Believe me it is MUCH less than you are thinking. I highly recommend this read!

You can start with little things.

-Walk up stairs whenever you have the chance.
-Stand at your desk at work. (this will use muscles you didn't know you had, and will burn calories like crazy, believe it or not) - do 20 min at a time to start out.
-Make child interaction active! Wii-fit. Or have him dance around with you...something.

To get more aggressive. While you're cooking, do 20 squats at the stove.
When you're walking to the garbage, do walking lunges there and back.
20 push ups while you're boiling something.
20 crunches while you play before bedtime.

In other words, you don't have to do it all at once. You just have to do it.
If you can run in place for 5 minutes at a time, 4x/day, there's 20 minutes of cardio - done.

You just have to have it be an important part of your day. If it is, you'll find a way to get the work in. Bottom line.

I'm with you - I really prefer to set aside at least an hour to really work out. However, since I've become a mom I've had to let go of the idea that I need a full dedicated hour or more to make it worth working out. Every little bit really does help! You've gotten a lot of good responses. I agree with the people who suggested packing a snack that can be eaten while walking and using one of your 20-minute breaks to go for a walk. It may not feel like a good workout, but it is still exercise and will help. For a workout that will make you sweat, I agree with the Jillian Michaels 30-Day Shred suggestion - it's a pretty challenging workout that is just under 30 minutes long.

I would cut down on food preparation and cooking time for exercising.
A crock pot is a great idea!

While standing to prepare lunch or food, move your hips, stretch your legs, dance to the music. Just move for fun till you feel and burn... how's that?

If you son is 8, does it need to take so long to get ready in the morning?... And I think an hour of dinner prep is long too. Do you have a grill? It makes things so easy and fast. I think 1/2 hour of dinner prep should be sufficient for a good enough meal. And your bio says you're married. Can't your husband do some of this? Finally, 2 days on the weekends = time for 2 workouts... Then just two more days during the week. Those two days could be the really simple dinners. ie: bake some salmon.

Hi S.,
I hear you! Life is busy and there will always be too many things and not enough time. I'm a nutrition coach and one of the things I work with most with my clients is mindset. You need to change your mindset that you can only work out if you've got an hour available. You truly can lose weight if you amp up your activity level whenever you have a chance. When you're waiting for the water in the shower to warm up, do some squats or push ups. Squeeze your butt while you're brushing your teeth. Park your car as far away as possible and walk. Yes, doing an hour of cardio is great, but you can do a lot in 10 to 20 min. increments!

My suggestion would be to write your success story (just like you read in magazines). Pretend it's 5 years from now and you've successfully had your surgery, lost weight, kept it off and become a consistent exerciser and healthy eater. What has changed in your life to make this happen? What obstacles did you overcome and how? How has your social life been affected? Your relationships? Your career? By strongly visualizing the life you want to create, you can help motivate yourself to make the change and stick to it.

Good luck to you!

I'd say to either walk during your 20 mins (1x a day) or make easier meals at night and walk/work out before you make dinner each night. Also prepare lunches the night before and have everyone's clothes laid out for the morning. Then you can maybe squeeze in 15 mins in the morning before your shower and getting ready then another 15 minutes at lunch or before dinner.

Or enlist your daughter and go on walks/bike rides/swimming with her a few times a week!!

I realize you say that doing 20 mins here and there has not been effective for you but it's better than nothing.

This is a good question.
I would wake up at 5:30 am and do 1/2 hour cardio 1st thing in the morning to start. (do you have a treadmill, an eliptical, or the option to go outside and leave your child at home?) It's not a full hour, like you are hoping for, but 30 minutes is a REALLY good start, very doable. Then shower and continue on with your routine. You may have to start packing lunches at bedtime if you can't fit it all in.
Then, at work: Walk during your 20 minute breaks and during your lunch period. Eat while you walk. (Sandwiches, fruit, and pre-cut veggies are all easy to eat while walking.) If this just isn't doable, then at least walk during your two 20 minute breaks. That's 40 minutes/day of walking! Combine that with 30 minutes of cardio in the morning and you are well on your way to losing weight!
I try to squeeze in push-ups, sit-ups, squats, lunges, etc...during commercials or when I'm in the kitchen waiting for something to cook.
Also, if possible, try to get to bed earlier.
You are most likely going to have SO MUCH more energy once you start exercising. I know I did! Good luck to you!

Id say order a meal 3 times a week and work out while you wait, make your kids help out with chores and carve out 20 minutes of a workout on those days.

I know its hard but you HAVE to make time for yourself.

Congratulations on putting yourself first. I totally feel your pain. Definitely make a plan to have a quick dinner a few nights a week. I have recently made exercise a priority again and I can't tell you how good it feels. Don't feel like the kids will suffer, they will adjust to a new routine. They will benefit from having a healthier, happier mama.