Tuesday

finding time to exercise

So those of you with jobs and children and households to run, when do you find time to exercise? I am having a really hard time figuring out how to find time to even walk regularly lately, much less get over to the barn and get on a horse.

I don't seem to do early mornings that productively, and frankly, I don't live in a neighborhood where I can/should be out walking around much at night in the dark...

13 comments:

Anonymous said...

You just pencil it in to your schedule EVERYDAY without fail. EVERYDAY. Minimum 20 minutes. View it to be as important as brushing your teeth twice a day - there's 4 minutes of your time, what's another 16 for your bod/heart/lungs?

karrie said...

I do not WOH, but I do carry a full courseload. SInce my son is young (2), I take him to the gym nursery a couple times a week so I can strength train. Like KLC said, its part of my routine.

I also run errands on foot when possible, and I go to a bellydancing class one night a week. (Or should say I did. I've been slacking a bit there.) I remember you mentioned interestin learning to bellydance. Did you ever sign up?

Anonymous said...

This would all be so much easier if there weren't homework. If you didn't have to make sure they finished it before they were too tired, you could easily go for a walk before dark. But if you walk first, they'll be too tired to do the homework. And if you do the homework first, it'll be too dark to go for a walk.

Catherine K. said...

Its hard for me too and I don't even have kids! We could team up with the dogs and walk together. It'd be safe(r) and I definitely need to do it too!!!

Anonymous said...

My newest joy is yoga that I do everyday at home, in the morning, or before I go to bed. I can't seem to get to the gym, but I either use a tape or a book. I also try to take a class once a week when my kids are with their dad. It isn't easy, but once you make it a routine (they say it takes 3 weeks), you hate missing it.

Anonymous said...

This is what i keep telling my feller and I have made an exercise convert out of him...you must (as kic said) pencil it in as a regular and unmovable part of your schedule. I know it is hard to find time but the benefits are well worth it.
becky

Anonymous said...

I used to go to the gym at least 3x/week but when we moved that became too far out of the way to continue.. so now I do yoga every morning, and along w/ barn chores and riding our horses, I'm staying about as fit as I was with the gym. We do a fair amount of hiking (were in Townsend the past 4 days and enjoyed the mtn. trails!).

With reference to homework, which we don't have to deal with, I have had several friends whose children were inundated w/ homework - the moms went in and pretty much just announced that their children would not be doing hours of homework every night in addition to attending school most of the day. One was a private school, the others public, and it worked. Might be worth a shot if you feel the homework is overwhelming.

Anonymous said...

I SAH and do most errands on foot, either with the 3rd in the stroller or on my own when I occasionally have some help from my mom or my cleaning lady. Also I go to the pool once a week: when the 2 older kids have their 45 minutes lesson in the learning pool I swim in the big pool. When they're over they join me in the big pool for another 30 m; my husband does the same on the second day they go to the pool, so we take turns babysitting the 3rd.
On weekends we go to parks, the beach (in the summer) or the riverside where you can either walk, run (only the kids, playing tag, hide and seek and the like), ride bikes, rollerblade, swim, fly kites (a helluva exercise, I tell you). We tend to do what the kids do: saves time, makes sure WE do exercise, and spend good, stressless time with the kids.

Anonymous said...

As for homework: at my children's school they don't believe in homework. Thank God for that! My eldest is just in the 1st grade and my middle one is still pre-kindergarten, but they'll stay in this school until 4th grade (9/10 years old), so that's a good relief in the coming years.
The funny thing is, it is a pretty old fashioned school, still doing phonics for reading and froebel's gifts for geometry and maths (I've been reading it's all back in fashion and with a vengeance!!!)and in this homework thing totally out-of-synch with the country's mainstream.
Nevertheless it is a very well known school for its academic achievements and the kids seem to spend the time they should be doing homework involved in other activities and/or doing nothing whatsoever (which, after a 7 or 8 hours working day is really what they're looking for). My kids only have swimmimg lessons 2x a week, the rest of the time they just go to the park and meet the neighboorhood kids, or, on winter rainy days, stay home playing.
I look forward to reading books and searching things that are of their interest with them in their off-school time, not to do homework - more of the same of what they do everyday, all day long, at school.


marta from lisbon

Anonymous said...

I walk the dog at the crack of dawn before the family wakes up. Stay out walking at least a half hour.

Anonymous said...

Hey Katie,
I get up at the crack of dawn--actually before--to meet a friend and run for 30-40 minutes 2xs during the week, then both weekend days. It's pretty brutal in the winter, but overall wonderful to be out in the fresh (pre)morning air. I'll start training for the Knoxville marathon with a group of women pretty soon. Long runs are on the weekend--join us if you can!
Kathleen Zitzman

Anonymous said...

i think it's just super hard to fit it in. my partner works full time, plus another part time job, and she gets up at 5:15 a.m. in order to get to the gym by 6:00 and to work by about 7:15. i know you said you're not a morning person -- what is the late afternoon/early evening schedule for you and your family?

mamamarta

Anonymous said...

This has been my on-again, off-again issue for 5 years now, since I got divorced. It was lots easier when I was married. I suspect now, even were I married, it would be hard, due to schedules. Here is what I do:

* I spent $600 on a middle-of-the-line treadmill several years ago. I too live in a neighborhood where it is not safe to run/walk alone at night or early a.m. I have been very pleased with my investment and I can walk or run at 9 p.m. when the kids are in bed.

* I look for odd times of the day and odd ways to exercise. I try to find 20 min or a half hour at lunch to take a brisk walk. Much of the year, this is possible. You can't really break a sweat and expect to be welcome in the office all afternoon, but a nice walk is better than nothing and I think it counts.

* I also look for weekend activities that are active, if not full-on exercise. In the summer we swim a lot, for instance.

* My kids are not always receptive to going to the park for a walk, but it is fun to go play tag, or whatever.