Who works out after kids are asleep

dgmom

dgmom

Member
I recently realized that the only time I can workout in peace and without interruption is at night after the kids are asleep. This could mean showering at 10 or 10:30 pm and waking up many time at night since I have a two month old baby. Also waking up super early since I have a toddler. If I try during the day it's just frustrating because my toddler makes it impossible. He also doesn't nap. So I am so glad I found a time I actually can do a full workout. But sometimes I am exhausted and it's better to sleep than having a crappy workout. Anyone else workout after kids are asleep?

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Not any more. But there was a time. Trying to fit in a workout, or get to the gym, thank goodness my gym had a nursery. Between an infant nap, a toddler nap and a child getting home from Kindergarten. A busy afternoon, then DH coming home, and dinner. Would your toddler be happy watching you workout? I had one child that would sit on the floor and watch. They do grow up, (too fast actually) and it does get better. Hang in there, dgmom.
 
when mine were younger I took them on runs with me and then did weights after they went to sleep at 8. Then when they got old enough for a playground. They would play and I would run the track around playground. I would still do weights after they went to bed. I don't remember what age they were when I could workout without worrying about them. They are young men now. The time sure does fly by. :(
 
Yeah, been there, done that! I too was blessed with high energy, demanding children who never saw the need for sleep! I had to give up on my workouts for a few years: I was in grad school, teaching, taking classes, keeping house and raising kids, and it was just too much. When they were teeny babies, they both refused to lie under their mobile toys and play while I got in a quick workout. That was frustrating. So, I just strapped them into strollers, or put one in her stroller, the other on her trike and we went out walking.

Later, when we moved into family housing and they were older, I could get a quick hour's workout in after school while they were happy to play in their room with toys or outside in the yard. Latterly, as they got older, I worked out in the evenings/night once everyone had been given dinner and they both were settling down to homework or bed.

There just was never a routine. I had to keep adapting to the family timetable, staying flexible to take advantage of physical activity whenever I could cram it in. I still do.

Do what you can. Sometimes sleep/rest is actually more important, otherwise you lose your sanity. The best solution is always if you can get your partner to look after them while you workout. For me, knowing that they were looked after, entertained and happy freed me mentally to be able to focus on me for a while. If my mind was still on them, I couldn't go off and work out. Just couldn't do it. Still can't! And now they are 18 and 21 and their timetable still determines my own. Sigh...

Each woman and her personality and situation is different: find what works for you. And whatever somebody else may think of it: ignore them! Do your thing. Sometimes you have to be selfish too, in order to get your 'me time.'

Clare
 
maddiesmum said:
There just was never a routine. I had to keep adapting to the family timetable, staying flexible to take advantage of physical activity whenever I could cram it in. I still do.

Each woman and her personality and situation is different: find what works for you. And whatever somebody else may think of it: ignore them! Do your thing. Sometimes you have to be selfish too, in order to get your 'me time.'
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Yes and yes! Dgmom, I have a toddler and a 4-month-old, so you and I are in the same boat. My routine is always changing. I try to do my workouts first thing before anyone is awake. I'm blessed with a completely calm little baby who sleeps through the night. Her older sister, on the other hand, never ever sleeps for long stretches...not exaggerating...so sometimes now I'm working out late morning when she's in school and the baby is napping. I'm doing my best day-to-day to just roll with it. As everyone has said, my fear is that this time with my precious little ones will be gone before I know it. But that doesn't mean I can't find time for a workout, even if it's a shorter one. You don't have to workout every day for 1 hour to be healthy and fit (this is what I keep reminding myself).

Another thing that helps me is not having a rotation. I've been working out for years and years, so I know how to intuitively put together a balanced fitness program by just listening to my body. If I have a particular workout dictated to me on a particular day according to a rotation, I feel compelled to do it. It's the straight A, perfectionist student in me. So, at least for now, I've put that aside and just grab what sounds fun during whatever time I have to work out. I've been loving Cathe's shorter DVD workouts and also the Live workouts, many of which are well under an hour. Something short and sweet is often enough to give me the buzz I need to be a better mom, wife, and woman.

Hang in there. You're not alone in the momma trenches.

Lisa
 
Hi Dgmom!
I've been meaning to reply to you here... sorry for the delay!
I have worked out at night, but honestly I prefer not to. I'm usually too tired by then, and just want to tidy up a bit and chill out and have a snack. ;) Weights I'd be more willing do in the PM, but cardio, no.
Up until ~6(?) mos ago, I was working out to DVDs and getting up at some godforsaken hour to do them. Now that I've moved to paper programs (you download PDFs with exercises/sets/reps), I'm finding they're compatible with toddler time. DD has a high chair in my workout room and she can read a book or have a snack while I workout and we listen to music.
But yeah, with a little newborn and so little sleep, sometimes you need to choose sleep/rest over workouts, and trust that you'll be able to work out as regularly as you wish to again.
Roz
 
dgmom,

I hear and sympathize with you! Like many of the Cathletes here, been there and done that too.

My children are much older now but I can recall trying to sneak in a workout during the day (absolutely frustrating!). I have to be truthful, between breastfeeding, trying to put a child down for a nap, maintaining a household, cooking and everything else that comes with having kids, a husband etc working out to Cathe was pretty non existent for me at least for a good 4 months after a birth. And even after that, I must of averaged 50 to 100 workouts a year before they entered preschool.

I guess what I'm trying to say and all the other moms are saying the same, is get your sleep/rest in first. Clare, Lisa & Roz made excellent points and suggestions! Enjoy your children right now. You are a terrific mom - stay strong!

BTW - Working out at night gets me energized and makes falling asleep difficult - you are a lucky one to be able to fall asleep after a workout.
 
I stopped working out for 2 years. May be I worked out few times during these two years but not much. My eldest was demanding and a bad sleeper. I would put him at night to sleep and wake up after 45 minutes or even 20 minutes and is up very often at night. Naps... only naps on me. My newborn now is a much better sleeper. So I am so glad to be able to workout at night. Only a little bit before my second pregnancy that my eldest started to sleep better at night. So, few months before getting pregnant I realized that I can workout at night and I did. However, as soon as I got pregnant, I became too tired to do this. So now I am able to workout and I am grateful. I do enjoy my kids. I am with them 24 hours. I never slept one night apart. I am very present to them. And I forgot myself. I need to be me again. Working out allows me that. I also started to sew more and improve myself. So the night are my time. I am noticing that I am going with a pattern of sleep one night. The next night I workout and sew after. Then I sleep next night. And then I workout the one after. I guess that's what my body can handle for now. I will take it. I so miss my small body. I feel so out of shape. Thank you all for your support of not making me feel alone in my world.
 
I, too, stopped working out for a few years when I hit the full-blown mommy stage. After a 3+ year exercise hiatus (had my 2nd kid, lost my workout room, and fell off the fitness wagon :eek:), I started back up with my Cathe workouts this past June and have been faithfully working out 4-6x per week and seeing some nice results, especially muscular gains. Still a long way to go to lose the extra pounds, but I'm determined to keep my routine up when I go back to work starting tomorrow (I'm a teacher). That said, the only way this will work is if I get in a 5:00AM workout with zero wiggle room for extra minutes before my son and I have to be in the car by 7:00AM (OUCH!). I'm a nightowl by nature, not a morning person, so my biggest challenge starting this week will be to make sure I am up, dressed, and ready to exercise no later than 5:00. I tried working out at night after I had my first child (and still had a room to exercise in), but I was just too tired and it was too easy to put it off till the next day, and the next, etc. I imagine that I may have to occasionally still work out at night if I can't drag myself out of bed at 4:55 in the mornings, but I really crave that 8-10PM time as "me" time to read, do laundry, watch TV, etc - in addition to grading papers and prepping for lessons. I fear that I'll start to resent my workouts if I have to do them during this time slot and it will be easier to rationalize putting them off . . . . . Good luck!

Another thought: Do you babywear your newborn? When the weather was nice out, I frequently would pop my daughter in the baby wrap, take my son outside to play, and then do tons of walking lunges around the perimeter of our yard. My son thought it was great fun to keep up with my "monster walk" and my daughter would often fall asleep in the wrap on my back. I could do squats with her back there, too. :)
 
dgmom said:
And I forgot myself. I need to be me again. Working out allows me that. I also started to sew more and improve myself. So the night are my time. I am noticing that I am going with a pattern of sleep one night. The next night I workout and sew after. Then I sleep next night. And then I workout the one after. I guess that's what my body can handle for now. I will take it. I so miss my small body. I feel so out of shape. Thank you all for your support of not making me feel alone in my world.
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dgmom, you are sooooooo not alone in this. All of us who are currently there or who have 'been there done that' are all cheering you on. You can do this, and you are worth the love, effort, and attention.

Mommy guilt is real but definitely unnecessary for a woman who clearly loves her children the way you do. Just keep telling yourself that a happy, healthy mom raises happy, healthy kids. You owe it to yourself and you owe it to them. Do what you can, when you can, and you'll be fabulous.

Hugs to you and all the other momma (and papa) Cathletes out there!

Lisa
 
lisa_la_machina said:
dgmom, you are sooooooo not alone in this. All of us who are currently there or who have 'been there done that' are all cheering you on. You can do this, and you are worth the love, effort, and attention.

Mommy guilt is real but definitely unnecessary for a woman who clearly loves her children the way you do. Just keep telling yourself that a happy, healthy mom raises happy, healthy kids. You owe it to yourself and you owe it to them. Do what you can, when you can, and you'll be fabulous.

Hugs to you and all the other momma (and papa) Cathletes out there!

Lisa
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Ohhhh!! So sweet. Thank you Lisa :)

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Cafelattee said:
Ok wow feeling very nostalgic today and wrote a book . Maybe it will be encouraging for some of you.
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Yes, thank you Cafelattee. This was beyond encouraging. Must get Kleenex now.

I hope your family is in good health these days. What a blessed woman you are to have two grown boys who want to hug and kiss their mother. You've definitely done something right.

This has been a great thread.

Lisa
 
Cafelattee, thank you so much for sharing this story. Such a good reminder in so many ways.
And thanks to everyone who's chimed in here. What a great thread.

Anytime any of you are wanting or needing some momma hugs and/or high fives, you're welcome to pop by the mommy check-in on the pregnancy and postparum forum. Even if you're 30 years postpartum. No workouts necessary!
Roz
 
I just thought of this today --
If you're ever looking for a quick workout to do in your living room during the day (i.e., a mid-day quick workout as opposed to a longer PM one if you won't have time in the evening, Jill Coleman has some great 15-20 minute workouts that you can do in less than 20 mins using bodweight or a couple DBs. They will DEFINITELY get the job done in a short amount of time.
http://jillfitlifestyle.com/20x20challenge/
Those are from a recent 20-day challenge she did.
Hope you're well.
 
Hmmm... some of the links to workouts on the page I mentioned get 404's, others will link you to the workout videos. Maybe she took some down since the challenge ended, I don't know.
The link to the 'Delt Domination' workout video does work, and that one's a fave of mine (also featured as Jill's contribution to Jen Sinkler's Lift Weights Faster 2 program) for a quick-and-dirty upper body workout that will leave you seriously breathing!
 
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