Finding time to workout?

Q

quarterpint

Active Member
Hi! I have been trying to get back into working out. It seems that I was doing well when off from work (I teach), but now that I'm back to work, I can't seem to keep it together. After being on my feet all day, I'm tired and time doesn't allow a workout before the kids are in bed. I am also so NOT a morning person... (In college, I used to rationalize...shower or sleep, food or sleep, etc...sleep always won in the morning! :eek: )

So ... how do you guys do it? What can I do to find time and be motivated enough with enough energy?

Thanks!
 
Well, my solution is early morning workouts. I know it's not easy at first, to get up an hour earlier than you're used to. But each time you do it, it gets just a bit easier. My bottom line became "either early morning workout, or none at all". There was just no question about it for me.

It's like second nature now, and I find that on the days that I don't HAVE to set my alarm clock (like during the holidays and school is out), many times I'm up early because my internal clock is just now used to it.

If you decide to try mornings, just do it slowly. The first week, just set your alarm to 15 or 20 minutes earlier than normal. Get up, do a little something, and continue with your day. Then the next week work on another 5-10 minutes earlier than that. Etc.

Good luck.....the important thing is finding a time that WORKS FOR YOU.
 
Morning workouts aren't for me either, especially since I have to be in my office by 7:30 or 8:00 am. I recommend changing into your workout clothes before leaving work. I find whether I workout at the gym or head home, having the clothes on makes me feel "ready" to workout.
 
First thing in the morning or it is not going to happen. That's me at least. But I am a morning person and usually wake up full of energy.
 
Unfortunately there is no easy answer. You just have to MAKE time.

I used to think I wasn't a morning exerciser. But I just started doing it and now I crave that morning workout! I make sure to eat AS SOON AS I wake up. I measure out an ounce of prunes and 3/4 ounce of raw almonds at night. When I wake up I roll over and start eating. It gives me a quick boost of energy and before I know it I am sweatin' away!

Good luck! Pick the time you are going to workout and stick to it. Even if its just 30 minutes 3x/week, set a date/time and give it to yourself. Taking care of yourself will help you take care of those around you!
 
I was always an AM exerciser until I started teaching and had to leave the house much earlier to get to work. I did well with afternoon/evening WOs for some time, but recently that stopped working for me. With bigger class sizes and increased responsibilities, I’d been finding myself with less energy at the end of the day.

Last month, I switched back to before-work workouts. Like Gayle, I’ve reached a point where it’s “either early morning workout or none at all.” I think both she and Kate gave great suggestions—to aim for 3x during the workweek, and if you go for early morning, ease into it. That’s exactly what I’ve done. During the week, I shoot for three 30-45 min. WOs at the Crack O’ Crazy with longer WOs on Saturday and Sunday—depending on what I have planned. If I’ll be spending time with my baby niece (meaning WOs aren’t likely to happen), then I adjust my schedule. And I think that is a critical piece of being successful: anticipating what’s on your calendar (professionally and personally) each week and making adjustments when needed to make sure your goals are reasonable and challenging and that you will meet them.

I have found over the years that the demands of the workload have, at times, thrown me off-course from good habits. I don’t want to throw that up as an excuse because I agree with what was stated that you have to MAKE time. But it’s a challenge that I imagine every teacher understands: when there’s work to bring home many nights and weekends and when deadlines are looming and you have 100 students asking when their essays are going to be graded, how DO you fit it all in, including time for your family and for yourself? The bottom line is—and it’s one I have to remind myself of often—the work is important, but it can’t be everything. I’ll do a better job if I’m healthy, happy, and have energy. And without regular exercise (and time to relax and pursue other interests), that’s not possible.

Best of luck in figuring out a new schedule that works for you!
 
I get up early and run 3 days during the week, then do weights when I get home from work. On the weekends I run both days and do weights on Saturday. I work full time, but not on my feet. It's pretty easy for me to find the time because I'm a single mom and my daughter is old enough to not care if I'm not paying attention to her every minute - she's usually still asleep when I'm running, and she goes to her father's on 2 of my weight days. It's just a matter of making your priorities. My house isn't super clean. It's not a wreck, but I wouldn't invite the Queen over.

Honestly, I think the trick to finding the time to exercise is finding the love of exercise. Once you have that, finding the time is a piece of cake.
 
I work in a school cafateria and I have to be at work for 6:00 A.M. I get up at 4:30 and am out the door by 5:45. I am on my feet the whole time. I've tried doing some 10 minutes workouts before I leave but that faded away. I've tried working out in the late afternoons but I'm to tried. On week nights I'm in bed by 8:00 so I can get up the next morning. I don't have the motivation anymore. I told myself that with the new year I was going to workout everyday but I just don't have the get up and go to do it. Hope you have better luck than me
 
ITA with what others say on the a.m. workouts. Start with 2x during the week, then go longer on weekends. Consider breaking up the workouts during the week a bit a.m, a bit p.m. 15/20 min each. For example:

- 10 minutes abs in the a.m., a HIIT workout in the p.m. Cathe's HIIT dvd has three 25-30 minute ones or Turbo Fire has 15, 20, 25 and 30 minute HIITs which are great and fast.

- Also, if you can get a treadmill, exercise bike or other aerobic equipment (craig's list is so awesome for this stuff used and cheap) go on it for 15 minutes in the a.m. or p.m., doing 5 minute warm-up, 5 fast 2 minute intervals with 1 minute rest in between intervals, 5 minute cool down = 25 minutes. Less time, do less intervals. Especially cool to do to a good t.v. show (The Good Wife, anyone?). a.m. or p.m. that day do core.

- Cathe Boot Camp upper body only or lower body only (I think around 10 - 20 minutes each).

- a.m. do three rounds of 15 push-ups; 15 crunches, 15 lunges each leg.

- I like the Exhale Core Fusion workouts, with their 10 minute sections. "Pilates Plus" the 2nd to last ab section and last stretch section are a perfect 20 minutes of core and awesome stretch.

Go to bed 15 - 30 minutes earlier on a few nights to make up for less sleep on the back end. I love that idea of having a snack at your bedside to dive into first thing!

Good luck, you're halfway there with your motivation! And keep us posted!

Julie
 
I agree you will need to make time to fit your workouts in. I too think start small like 2-3 days a week and build yourself back up. Or try working out 30 mins in the morning and 30 mins in the afternoon. It may be tough in the beginning but after you start getting used to everything it will become much easier and then you can alternate your schedule to fit in a hours at a time or however you would like to do it.

Hang in there and do keep us posted.
 
During the week I am up between 4 and 430 in order to have my coffee and work out for an hour before I go to work. On the weekends I work out when I have the time or feel like doing it. For the most part, I am with the group who says it's early in the morning or it's not happening at all during the week so I do what I gotta do. Early to bed and early to rise as they say! Speaking of which, it's actually PAST my bedtime! EEK! :eek: Better hit the hay! Good night!:)
 
Ditto for forcing myself to do it in the morning.
If I don't do it then, I'll find ANY excuse in the world to not do it at all.

So these days, I get up at 4:30 (sometimes 4, if the baby wakes up early to eat, I just stay up) and get it done. It's a hard adjustment, but again, it's what I need to do to get it done. Most days I need to leave for work by 6am, so that's my only option.
 
I am so NOT a morning person - I've tried morning workouts and the effects were actually very negative for me so I know better. What did work for me (and I have to get back to), is I figure out each day what I am going to do when I get home. Then, as I workout in my living room, I set up all of the necessary equipment before I head out. That way, when I get home, I just change clothes and go straight to the workout. Having everything set up in advance really works for me because if I don't do it, then I either have to put everything away (which is totally loserish if I haven't used it) or I have to sit and look at it all (which also makes me feel guilty for not having used it). I found this technique was pretty effective for me.
 
For those of you who work out in the morning, do you eat before your WO? If so, what do you eat? Due to my work schedule, i'm going to incorporate 2 early morning WOs for a few months. I've tried to WO in the morning before, and I just felt like I had no energy. I think this came from not eating before my workout. I know Kate mentioned she ate an ounce of prunes and 3/4 ounce of raw almonds (great suggestion!) and I'd love to hear any other ideas!
 
I just read somewhere that a banana is a great thing to eat pre-work out. I stopped eating before my early a.m. work outs but if we have them in the house it's what I reach for when I'm done! :D
 
I don't eat before I work out.
I take Synthroid each morning, so I need to let that absorb for an hour before I eat.

Also, if I have anything at all in my stomach during a workout, I cramp up like crazy.

Just me.
 
ricklyk1 said:
For those of you who work out in the morning, do you eat before your WO? If so, what do you eat? Due to my work schedule, i'm going to incorporate 2 early morning WOs for a few months. I've tried to WO in the morning before, and I just felt like I had no energy. I think this came from not eating before my workout. I know Kate mentioned she ate an ounce of prunes and 3/4 ounce of raw almonds (great suggestion!) and I'd love to hear any other ideas!
Click to expand...

No, I don't eat before I work out in the morning, because I'm just doing a run. If I was lifting, then I would eat SOMETHING. If you don't have energy, then you should eat something light. I just read in Marathoning for Mortals that if you're working out in the morning, you may want to set your alarm for an hour before you're going to get up - then get up and eat something light and go back to sleep. There's a lot of humor in the book, so I'm not sure if that was a joke or not. Either way.... that's just not going to happen.
 
I'm another one who became a morning person because of the need to fit my workouts in somewhere. I used to work out in the evening, but all too often was tired after work and would make excuses to skip it. Now it's the first thing I do in the morning every day. I don't eat first, I get up and put on my workout clothes and go. I was SO not a morning person when I first started this, but now I have more energy in the morning than any other time of the day. I used to take Wednesday as my day off so that I could have a sleep in day during the middle of the week and that helped. Now I am so used to getting up early that I moved my off day to Sunday. Good luck!

Pam
 
What about working out right after school for 30-45 minutes, while you're still there? You could do that 3 days/week and then get in 2 workouts (higher intensity/duration) on the weekends? I just started a new job working from home last month and I thought fitting in my workouts would be a breeze-nope. So I decided to workout for 30-45 minutes 4 days during the week, then get 1-2 more in on the weekend-so far, so good!

Good luck!
 
If I don't do it in the morning it doesn't get done. But in the winter time it is hard, I workout out in the basement and there is no heat down there so I layer up to keep warm. Some days are more of struggle than others. But I put out my clothes the night before and aim for 30 minutes. On my non-work days I do longer workouts and workout when I want.

On work days I don't eat before working out.Just water. I eat breakfast right after though.

Jenn
 
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