When do you exercise?

[aelgraham]

So for years I would get up early and get a workout in before we started lessons. As I get older, this is just harder and harder to do. It seems like I need more time in the morning to wake up enough to get going, and I don't like starting homeschool so late. This year is seems like it's hard to even start lessons before 9:30 or 10:00 unless I skip a workout. I'm just having a hard time getting into a schedule that I like. It doesn't help that I've struggled with some insomnia, but that seems to be resolving so maybe I'll be able to start getting up earlier like I used to.

 

How do y'all work it in?

 

Thanks!

[abba12]

I have an exercise bike I use while dh and I watch tv in the evenings. I also use a trampoline or treadmill (not on the same day as the bike) in the evening, often after dinner while dh puts the kids to bed, as a way to relax and work out stress at the start of the evening.

 

So, basically, night time.

[Slache]

I prefer in the mornings, but sometimes during lunch. I have a recovery drink afterwards instead of lunch so theoretically you could work out while DD5th eats, make your shake, and drink it while you continue teaching after lunch. She might complain about your smell though...

[purpleowl]

A few weeks ago, I joined a gym and started meeting a friend there at 6 AM. This is the most consistent I've been with working out in quite some time.

 

ETA: The time works for both of us to get back home before our husbands need to leave for work.

[AHASRADA]

I do a short, less cardio workout in the AM, 30 min or less, weights, pilates, yoga, or a walking video. Basically whatever I feel up to that day. Then I do the treadmill in the afternoon, when I feel like it and can fit it in.

 

Some type of physical movement is a great way to start the day, but not if it throws your whole day off. If you can do something quick and not too taxing, that might be a good compromise. Then, if there's another point in the day when the kids are occupied with other things, you could do more. Lunch time, afternoon quiet time, after dinner or after the kids are in bed. See what works with your schedule and your body.

[G5052]

It's always been tough. When they were little I did primarily evenings and weekends. For awhile I did first thing in the morning (i.e. 6am).

 

Now thankfully with teens, I either go with them or when it "fits."

[rutamattatt]

I usually go mid morning with the boys.  They are 13 and 11 and they use the time to run and shoot hoops/practice for basketball.  Around 10:15 the gym we use is mostly empty and I can get a work out in, get home and eat, and get right back to homeschooling without too much hassle.

 

[Runningmom80]

I get up early and either run, or go to a 6:30 am yoga class during the week.  On the weekends I just fit it in when I can.

 

 

I did have to give up coffee in order to get to sleep by 10. I'm still sad about it.

[purpleowl]

Another homeschooling friend (whose kids are older than mine) does a daily bike ride with her kids.  It's just part of their school day, and gets all three of them some exercise.

[Sarah0000]

I do a fitness hula hoop shortly after breakfast and then cosmic kids yoga with DS. The hula hoop is nice because its a full body workout and burns calories much quicker than other inside the house exercises.

 

We also have a balance board that stays in the living room. Its not much for calorie burning, but is good for strength and of course balance. You can also do squats, plies, twists and such on it.

[Doodlebug]

Not a 5 AM runner here.  Never have been.  

 

But I have found exercise 2-3 days/week is a non negotiable for my state of mind and general well being. 

 

I've done it two ways most consistently...

 

I've included DS (9) on my 8:00 AM run -- he rides his bike.  I've also gotten DS started on his math, and then headed out the front door for a 30 minute run/walk alone.  

 

The only problem I've had is where to fit showering in.  If DS is tracking on his schoolwork, I can sneak in a shower before or right after lunch.  If he's dragging his feet, I wash my face, wipe down, and just stay in workout gear till evening.

 

Crazy weeks mean a family walk in the evening.  It isn't a great workout, but it keeps me consistently carving out time for this small thing that makes a huge difference for me.  

[BooksandBoys]

I fit it in whenever I can, but that drives me, a serious creature of habit, nuts. I prefer to exercise in late morning or evening and I prefer to be outside; having little children make that challenging, but I did have a glimpse into a glorious future this week. I packed my older two (4 and 7) and their bikes and went to a local park. They biked while I ran. I also took the older two to a park last week where they played while I ran. Just two more years until the youngest is 4 (at 2, he wanders) and we can schedule this kind of activity into our school day!!!! In the meantime, I'm trying to find an inexpensive used treadmill. :-)

[angelica]

Wow I admire you all for being able to work out at home. I joined a gym a mile away and find the classes motivating so i adjust our schedule to accommodate the me time. Everyday is different but I feel that getting up, getting dressed for the gym and sweating for an hour changes the day, always, for the better. Today though I will be working out in the evening with my mother.

[mamiof5]

I don't. Just not finding the time and energy. Haven't exercised in years :(

[Homeschoolmom3]

If I dont do it first thing it wont get done so I get up at 5:30 to jog or do toning before my littlest one rises. 20-30 minutes is all I get but it is worthwhile and just what I need. It is hard to get up that early sometimes! :-/

[Guest]

Afternoon dance parties are the only thing I can manage atm. Crank up the music and dance til my legs hurt and call it good.

[Peaceful Isle]

I find time very time I walk up and down my stairs, or bend to do the laundry, or clean my floor, or do dishes..lol

 

Honestly, though, I hate exercise. It has always been that way.

[regentrude]

I don't "exercise"; I build physical activity into my life.

I bike to work at 7:30am, bike back to cook lunch, bike to work again in the pm when DS has left for his job, bike home. 10 miles total, one hour.

I walk 3 miles after dinner with DH.

We hike on weekends; when the kids were little we all went, now it's just DH and I. 15 miles this past weekend, less when the kids were young.

[SKL]

It varies, but usually I try to do some yoga and a few other warm-up type activities in the morning after sending my kids off toward the school bus.  Then in the evening, I will try to walk while they are doing sports, or we do TKD together.  I have hopes of increasing this, but it is better than nothing for now.  :)

[wintermom]

I'm a late morning or late afternoon/evening exerciser. Walking or running in the morning, playing tennis in the later afternoon or evening depending on when a match is set up.

 

I like to be able to set my dc going with their independent school work, then I get in my walk/run. I go over the dc's work with them when I get back.

 

I run or walk with my dogs, so it's a necessity that it gets done. Often I'll take a child along with me.

 

I find that regular exercise helps to reduce insomnia (though not always). 

[lexi]

I want to get up early but I'm so not a morning person and can't get myself up any earlier than I already get up (which is 5:45).

I actually start school at 6 to get some things done before the littles get up. This means that school is usually done by 1 or so. My kids enjoy the afternoon as time to play outside of work on their own projects. They also do some independent work in the afternoon. So I've been getting on the treadmill at 2 and then showering afterward before I start picking up and working on dinner. I am too tired to work out after I get the kids in bed at night. So this weird schedule is working for now. I also like that I don't have to shower in the morning and can basically roll out of bed and school in my pjs with a cup of hot chocolate in hand.

[momacacia]

I prefer nighttime, but that likely won't work this winter. My plan is to wear some comfortable exercise-ish shoes as my "house shoes" and yoga pants as my uniform so I can do snippets of workout when I have 10-15 minutes at times of day that work for me.

[cintinative]

Lately I have been doing it at 3 or 4 p.m. right after we do our family exercise  (we are doing Family Time Fitness).  I do videos. I used to do it at night and that worked okay. Morning does not work well for me. Generally I am up at 8 but it takes me an hour to get breakfast and everything going so our school can start at 9. 

[Another Lynn]

Dh and I get up early every morning anyway.  I try to run a little bit before sunrise so it's not pitch dark.  Right now that's 7:15 - 7:30 -ish.  We start school at 9:00. 

[Tsuga]

When I had small children and worked from  home, at 10 p.m. Mornings, no matter how early I woke up, they would wake up with me. Any time after 1 a.m. really. 

 

Now I can work from the gym at work but obviously that's not a homeschool answer.

[kalusignan]

I coach CrossFit in the evenings, so I usually workout in between classes while I'm there. A lot of gyms (CrossFit included) have childcare and/or a place for older kids to 'hang out' while you workout. Also, my daughter takes CrossFit Kids class, so I attend a class one day a week while she's in class. It works for us. :) I know it's hard, but it's really worth it!

[ALB]

I run at around 3, when we're finished with school and my toddler is still napping.  I stay close to the house, just lapping back and forth on our street until it adds up to 3 miles. On some weekends my dh and I love to get a long run in together at a state park, but that's only if we're lucky enough to get the grandparents to watch the kids.

 

Exercise is important to me.  I think the good long term results are worth the slight incovenience of scheduling it into my day.  I love the way I feel when I'm in shape, and hate how tired I feel when I am not.  I absolutely think it makes me a better mom.

[Rachel]

I workout around the Ys child care schedule. I just ran a half marathon which required a pretty rigorous training schedule for three months. A couple days a week I run at noon, I drop the kids in child care and am able to run outside. That gives me enough time to get most of school done and then we finish in the afternoon. A few times I have run at a desserted park, my kids play while I run the path that circles the park. It's kind of boring running that loop but it works for shorter runs.

 

I also workout while my kids attend their PE class. On weekends I get up and workout before my family gets up, but it isn't super early. Some days I have supper ready and run as soon as my husband gets home from work.

 

I used to walk my neighborhood 1-2 times a day when I had little kids. Now we hike with me carrying the little one a couple times a month. We also go for family bike rides. I bought a trailer off Craigslist for $25 that has been well used.

[Love My Life x4]

Depending on the day, my alarm goes off between 3:15am-4:30am 7 days/week.  I'm done by 7am... shower, eat and ready for the school day to start at 8.  I'm definitely one of those "I go crazy if I don't workout" people.  LOL!  My family always jokes that my life is kids & homeschooling and working out.  That about sums me up!  LOL! :)

I run marathons, ultras (won my first 100 miler this past July) and am training for my first 140.6 IronMan.  I run between 100-120 miles/week.  I LOVE to run!  LOVE. IT.  My alarm goes off, I might push snooze once (5 minutes) but then I literally jump out of bed, change my clothes, brush my teeth, throw my hair in a ponytail, grab my flashlight and hit the roads... every single morning.  I rarely run less than 10 miles in a morning.  And I also rarely run less than 2 times in a day.  LOL!  At lunch I get in an hour workout... I either run or strength train.  And then of an evening during the kids activities I get in a run or bike ride or go for a walk with a friend. 

I bike 3 days/week, swim 2 times/week and do serious strength training 4 days/week.  Everyday I get in squats, lunges, deadlifts, box jumps or step-ups (depending on how my legs feel), push-ups, pull-ups and tricep dips after my morning run and bike or swim...

[purpleowl]

Depending on the day, my alarm goes off between 3:15am-4:30am 7 days/week.  I'm done by 7am... shower, eat and ready for the school day to start at 8.  

 

Out of curiosity, when do you go to sleep at night?

[Love My Life x4]

Out of curiosity, when do you go to sleep at night?

 

My goal is 10.  Last night I fell asleep at 10:30 (after the Eagles/Giants game).  But some nights (a lot of them) I'm falling asleep on the couch at 9pm (which I don't like but I can't help).  My 9y/o is on the level 7 gymnastics team and her practices last 4 hours so she's not even done until 8:30 (M-F).  We live like 4 minutes from her gym (main reason we live here) so when my other 3 kids activities are over for the evening they can be at home and eat (everyone eats dinner in shifts around here), finish up chores and shower.  When Rylee gets home she eats and showers and then pretty much everyone goes right to bed.  They all can read until 10 and then they are to go to sleep.  Most nights I'm asleep before them though.

[Rebecca in KY]

For the last 7 years, I've worked out at the YMCA and fit the rest of my life around it. Lately that wasn't working so well. Now DS and I do a 40 minute "power walk" each day and I try to also do some yoga or Pilates on DVD. We normally walk before school, around 8. Today we had a field trip, so we're going to walk at 3.

 

My fitness needs and goals have changed. For a few years, I religiously attended YMCA classes 5-6 days a week. Then it dropped to 2-3. Now I'm good with a vigorous walk every day with some hiking, biking, yoga, and Pilates thrown in. I definitely must exercise almost daily or I become the Mommy Monster.

[Porridge]

I fit it in here and there. I often bring a jump rope with me so that if we're at a park (soccer, or park play date, etc.) I can jump while they play.  I go for a run while they are in chinese class. If I'm very time crunched, I put on a short Youtube fitness video and try to do at least 15 minutes of something high intensity before I go to bed. We try to ride our bikes as much as possible.

[Sahamamama]

When I brush my teeth.

[EmilyGF]

What works for me is to change into exercise clothes right after I clean up from dinner. I may not get around to exercising until 8 or even 9, but by getting dressed for it right after dinner I sort of commit to doing something active in the evening. I generally do an exercise video, which may range from a 15 minute T-Tapp or Yoga video to a 60 minute aerobic dance video, depending on how I feel and how much time I have.

 

Emily

[ItoLina]

Right after we finish school. At that point the kids are itching to go play and do their own thing so they are more likely to leave me in peace for a good chunk of time. [emoji6] Then I get my shower in while they are watching their one 30 minute show for the day so I won't be interrupted. It's routine for them now and they know they only get that video if they play and let me get in my workout first.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[aelgraham]

Wow, there are some very dedicated folks on this board! I'm impressed and also wondering if y'all are all just younger than I am. :sad:

 

I think I just need to keep doing my best every day to get it in. I like the idea of including my daughter, though want to make sure I get a good workout. 

[Blessed Mommy]

I workout a half an hour to an hour after dinner.  I make dinner, my hubby helps and supervises the children doing their after-dinner chores, and then I go to our room to do my workout.  My husband makes sure the children stay out of our room, as I don't like to be interrupted.  He usually takes them outside and/or on a walk.  Without this time in the evening, my workout wouldn't get done.  I'm NOT a morning person!  :)

[Seeking Squirrels]

Exercise? I'm supposed to be doing that? Seriously, I couldn't tell you the last time I intentionally exercised (meaning we've gone hiking as a family, but for fun. The exercise was just a bonus, not the goal)  I know I should, but I have no idea when I'd do it, I feel like I have a full schedule already. :/

[Guest DrewSoCo]

I have to workout first thing in the morning otherwise I get too busy to hit the gym. I used to spend hours at the gym but I don't have time anymore so I've maximized my time at the gym and it only takes me about 30 minutes now. 

 

I stretch for a few minutes and then I focus on my workout. I like to do super-sets (that's where you do two exercises back to back) this saves some time and I also make sure my rest breaks between sets are absolutely no longer than 60 seconds, I set a timer on my phone. I do about 4 different exercises and I make sure I'm keeping good form and that I am challenging myself. I hit the gym 3-4 times a week. 

 

Even with these short workouts I've seen huge gains in strength and I have more time outside of the gym for other things. 

 

There are a lot of websites out there that offer great workout programs all ready written for you and I would be happy to recommend a few if you're interested.

 

Good luck and Stay Motivated!

[Collins4]

I just did my seventh week in a row of exercising daily!! I am not an exercise person but really wanted to lose some wright and feel healthier so I committed to daily exercise and actually did it.

 

I get up at 5:05 and do a thirty minute workout, followed by some quiet time/reading/coffee and then get myself dressed for the day. Which means I am almost always dressed and ready for our day when my kids wake up now. It feels great!

 

I do all kinds of things to make it go well though. I leave my clothes on a chair in my room, get the mat and weights and even my shoes ready. I even cue up the dvd b/c I don't want to have to make any decisions in the morning or I will probably talk myself out of it!

[Collins4]

Oh and one more thing. Since I only wash my hair every other day then I give myself the treat of a morning bath after my workout a few days a week! It feels very idulgent and special so that helps me get up and get moving.

[lea_lpz]

I have had the same problem and was getting upset about late start mornings. This week I decided to commit to us getting up by 7 am. After some chores, getting dressed and eating breakfast I am taking us outside to stretch and go for a walk, about 8:30. We still don't start school until about 9:30, but at least we are getting exercise in and I feel more energized to tackle Lang & math with my kids after. My 6 year old seems a lot more attentive and able to sit still. I'm trying to take baby steps as I haven't been working out for a bit and am pregnant with twins, but my goal is to maybe hit the gym at 8:30 to do a class. My kiddos can go to the kid club, where they can play in a playground, so also get some exercise.

 

Another time that works good for us when the weather cools (mid-October through mid-April) is about 3:30 pm for a walk. Kids usually are done with school and have had their snacks. We try to do this the days we don't have after school stuff going on.

[Tiramisu]

Insomnia has ruined my workout schedule, too.

 

I used to workout at 7 with fitnessblender.com, when dh and dd left for school. Now because of the insomnia returning, it's closer to nine. I wake up, put on workout clothes and my sneakers, get the other kids up, make breakfast for them, and then start working out. The kids like to be able to read in the mornings so they have time for that after breakfast while I'm jumping around. We wind up starting formal school close to ten and that works for us. Dd9 gets through her work quickly and dd13 has ADHD and only has so many productive hours in her. We try to be done by 3. (In the old days, with my older kids, I had everyone working at 8:30 but I guess I've matured.)

 

This week I've gone right from working out to working with dd13 and she's complained about my post-workout self. But it seems efficient to work through a few things with her while I'm cooling off and then take a shower when she's ready for a break.

[OlgaLA]

I do my workouts together with my kids. We started a few years ago with a martial arts class that was mixed ages, Now we do fencing together. Yes, sometimes I feel a bit strange being the only adult in a class of mostly kids (actually there are 1 or 2 others most of the time), but as long as it gets my heart rate up I am fine with it. And I don't have to waste time sitting and waiting for the kids.

[lea_lpz]

^^^this is another thing I used to be really good about (but not lately). If the activity was drop off and about an hour I would take a brisk walk while kids were in class.

[trulycrabby]

DS11 and I walk 3.5 miles at least three times per week, we take a yoga class together once a week; I walk and do pushups at his soccer practices, and then I try to take a Bikram yoga class once or twice a week.

 

I used to get up early and take 6:00 am Bikram yoga, but insomnia kills my desire to get up at 5:00 am. I just cannot do it and still have energy to homeschool.

[Laura Corin]

I go out and walk up and down hills after supper.  

 

When I had young children at home, I would walk with child in stroller/on tricycle/running beside me/on bike/running around me in circles/taking great loops around the park.  There were times when I couldn't make it work with their developmental stages, but it was mostly possible.

[Clear Creek]

I get up at 6:30 and do half an hour of pilates with one of my kids. I am not a morning person, but apparently regular exercise first thing in the morning keeps my daughter from sleepwalking, so that is my motivation.

[pehp]

I get up at 6 and workout. That's typically done by 7:15.  Then I write morning pages, drink coffee, and by the time my children are up (8ish) am ready to feed them, take my shower and start our day with chores and so on.

 

We usually start school between 9:30-10, and we are done by noon. 

 

My son (8 years old) is old enough to start (some of) his schoolwork on his own, and if his work took longer than 2 hours, I'd have him do independent stuff for an hour or so until I was ready to do 1:1 stuff with him.  But since we can finish in about 2-2.5 hours, I don't do this right now. (Last year I had him do math drill, ETC and copywork while I was getting dressed.)