Mom of Children

Daria

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19 comments on Twisting this way, and that

Twisting this way, and that

I am trying really hard to figure out this exercise thing.

I thought I would only go after work. Well, some days I have to bring R to his jiu jitsu, some days my daughter has piano, other days I have a shit day at work and just want to curl up and hide (albeit those are quite rare). I want a consistent exercise routine but not sure if that is even possible.

ChatGPT suggested mornings. EARLY mornings. Stick it, ChatGPT.

Mornings are HARD. My job is not flexible, it’s from 7:30 till 2:45. There is no such thing as lunch time yoga or Pilates, no.

Going to the gym in the mornings also means no leisurely sipping coffee, no reading for an hour, no staring at the wall. No creature comforts. Or, is it the story I’m telling myself?

Weekday mornings mean I exercise BEFORE reporting to work at 7:30am.

Wake up. Leave house. Exercise. Shower and get ready at the YMCA. Report to work by 7:30.

I tried it today. And I wasn’t miserable.

The alarm rang at 5:00AM. I got up at 5:15ish, and sat down on the couch with my coffee. Left the house at 5:55, at 6:05 I was at the Y.

Exercised.

6:50ish, took a shower right there in the gym and got dressed. Made it to work by 7:27am.

It IS doable.

BUT. To make it work, I needed to have these things ready the night before:

  1. have my gym bag packed;
  2. Water bottle filled
  3. My work outfit for next day, the towel, the deodorant, and the brush, packed.
  4. Thankfully I have a remote starter to the car and I can warm it up before getting into it.

Sigh.

The good thing about morning exercise is that 1. It’s done early and out of the way, and 2. I don’t need to wreck my brain how to fit the exercise in after work.

On weeks that my husband is away, all of the above goes out of the window… so I can exercise in our basement then: bike, rowing machine and some weights.

Snowy back yard on Monday

How do you fit in exercise if your job is not flexible?

Daria's avatar

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Daria

Mother, teacher, partner, friend. I love coffee, books, and travel with and without kids. I dislike exercise. Nothing glamorous here but do have moments of insight.

19 responses to “Twisting this way, and that”

  1. Grateful Kae Avatar
    Grateful Kae

    You sound like my husband! He does not have a flexible job, cannot exercise at lunch, he has a 35+ minute commute, and he usually doesn’t get home until ~6 pm. He decided this winter, after not exercising consistently for years now, that he would go in the morning before work just 2 days per week. This means it’s only TWO DAYS M-F that he has to get up “early” and disrupt his “normal” morning routine. After a few weeks of that, he has decided to add Sunday mornings, as well.

    Could you try something similar? What if you go to the gym just 2x during work week, and then do either a home workout or go to gym on the weekend 1x? That’s 3x, a very respectable and effective amount of exercise! Besides, it’s not like your job is super sedentary- you’re on your feet, etc and busy with the kids other times, too.

    This would give you 3 weekday mornings a week to sip coffee and stare at the wall. 🙂 Best of both worlds. 😉

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    1. Daria Avatar
      Daria

      Kae, thank you for taking the time to write. All of that is true, I wouldn’t consult with a 5am Daria since she’d be like “nope” lol
      I can definitely commit to two days a week, so two early mornings.

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  2. Grateful Kae Avatar
    Grateful Kae

    Sorry, one other comment on this- when Ivan was deciding to go for the morning gym thing, he decided that he had to commit to doing his 2 mornings a week for an entire month before he could even THINK about skipping a day. Maybe you could tell yourself, ok, I’m doing this for a month, I want to do this, and THEN I’ll reassess and decided if I like this or not or if any changes are needed. Don’t leave it up to your “5 am self” to tell you what you want because she lies. 😉 I think you’ll find, like Ivan has, that it feels amazing to get it done in the morning and just be able to relax after work, and that will motivate you to keep going!

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    1. Daria Avatar
      Daria

      So TRUE!

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  3. Lisa’s Yarns Avatar
    Lisa’s Yarns

    This is tricky because some weeks you can do morning workouts but when T is traveling you can’t. The post-work workout when the kids don’t have activities and they are in after care are nice as it gives you a little reset before getting the kids from after care. I loathe getting ready at the gym so applaud you for doing that! The good news is that you are already an early riser!!

    I aim to workout 4 times/week. I always work out on the weekends and then find 2 other days. I workout on my WFH days when I have more flexibility. But you have no flexibility so have a more challenging problem to solve!

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    1. Daria Avatar
      Daria

      I went three times last week: Wednesday, Thursday and yesterday. You are right about having the Y be the ham in the work-home sandwich. It IS a nice reset before I have to face my children lol

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  4. sarahjedd Avatar
    sarahjedd

    I do it first thing no matter what– about an hour-ish every morning. I know that I won’t exercise in the afternoon/evening.

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  5. Michelle G. Avatar
    Michelle G.

    At this stage in my life, I feel so lucky that I can workout whenever I feel like it. All I can say is be gentle with yourself. You have a lot on your plate, and you’re doing great!

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  6. Kari Avatar
    Kari

    It’s hard to fit in exercise when you’re working a job outside the home and doing all the mom things too! And getting up early, especially in winter, feels so much harder than when it’s warmer—or maybe that’s just me. 🤣

    Sending love your way, and I hope you find a routine that works for you. Side note—the last picture with the sunbeam? Absolutely spectacular.

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    1. Daria Avatar
      Daria

      Oh no, leaving the house in winter when it’s bloody dark and cold is quite miserable. I have a remote car starter so I can at least warm the car up. But still…

      Liked by 1 person

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  7. San Avatar
    San

    For me, morning works. I also wake up at 5 am to work out before work. You get used to it. Do I want leisurely mornings with coffee and reading? Yes. But honestly, getting the exercise out of the way in the morning makes the rest of the day so much better.

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    1. Daria Avatar
      Daria

      Oh I believe you. I know I can commit for two (maybe three) days a week – M-F. On weekends T is home so I can go whenever.

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  8. Ernie Avatar
    Ernie

    I do workout videos 7 days a week but I do work from home abc if I am sweaty when the tots get dropped off – I can shower at nap time. I love the Caroline given videos. I have a few sets of weights. I would have a hard time leaving the house so early but I have done that. For a few years I did an in person workout at my health club. I felt amazing afterward and it gave me energy to get thru my day. Um I started this when I lost my drivers license for having too many speeding tickets and I had to rely on a neighbor to take me to the gym – she did early classes. The speeding ticket story is a story for another day. 😉

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    1. Daria Avatar
      Daria

      Ernie! So nice to hear from you! I also noticed that exercise in the morning gives me that nice jolt of positivity. And energy.

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  9. K @ TS Avatar
    K @ TS

    100% mornings! It’s kind of like saving for retirement. You set it up so the money is taken out before you get paid, and then you don’t miss it as much. For working out, you get it done in the morning so that it is done and you move on with your day. Is it harder to get up early? Definitely! However, when you are already done your workout by 7, it feels so rewarding, and I also found that my serotonin or adrenaline levels are higher and my day is better mentally due to it! Maybe just start by doing this 2 x a week with regularity and see how it goes? Then if on the other days you curl up and weep at the end of the day, at least you would have either already worked out that day or you would still be working out at least 2 x a week!

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    1. Daria Avatar
      Daria

      Thank you for the validation, Kyria! I can definitely do 2 early mornings and then the rest on the weekend..

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  10. pocobrat1c78170505 Avatar
    pocobrat1c78170505

    I kind of like the margins for your mornings (staring at the wall, lol–but those can be inventive and creative moments!). But it’s true also that if exercise doesn’t get done in the morning, it would be too easy to feel unmotivated/too tired in the evening.

    I like the try two mornings a week suggestion!

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  11. Weekly recap and weekend – Mom of Children Avatar
    Weekly recap and weekend – Mom of Children

    […] health: I was struggling with when to fit the exercise in on weekdays. I ended up going to the ymca on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday […]

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  12. Stephany Avatar
    Stephany

    I loooove my slow and relaxed mornings, but now I’m trying to get to the gym twice a week, and early mornings just work better for me because otherwise, I’ll find a way to skip it. So it makes me sad that two days a week, I don’t get my slow/relaxed mornings, but it’s only two days a week, right?! I love Kae’s suggestions!

    You’ve got this! I’m so impressed by your determination!

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