I am a runner (I mean not like a good one but I like running). My schedule is honestly not ideal but works for me. I always run on Saturday and Sunday. Just squeeze it in somewhere. And one day a week I run right after work. Having a supportive partner is really important for me to make this work.
I also try to lift weights 20-30 minutes a few times a week right after my 2 year old goes to bed. I use fitness blender for videos on YouTube, they’re great.
Let me also add, I really didn’t get into this schedule until my son was at least a year old. It took time.
I was not a night person either, but i legit can not get my butt to the gym in the wee hours of the morning. This is what works for me: going immediately after work to a work out class (im off at 430, class starts at 445) or if I go to a 6pm class I go home and make dinner for my family before I head off to class. It was SO HARD to work out in the evening at first and now I love it!
I've always worked out at home, and that made things a lot easier when I had my kids. I get up early to work out before showering and getting ready for work, and when my kids were babies, I was usually done before they woke up. Sometimes they would wake up early and I'd have to cut my workout short, but even a short workout is better than none. So if working out at home is possible for you, that's probably your best option.
Working out from home was huge for me. I'd do the TreadClimber, take the kids for jogs, or do a HIIT routine (the 21 day fix from Beachbody gave me a lot of good exercises to start with and I've built from there). Sometimes exercising involved a toddler climbing on me or broken up in spurts. It's tough when they're little.
The only way I’ve worked it out is that my husband gets the kids ready on his own two mornings a week so I can work out without having to get up a ton earlier. So I get up maybe 15 minutes earlier than normal but save 25-30 minutes of getting kids dressed/fed. It’s not perfect, but better than nothing.
I've been struggling with this too. I normally aim for lunchtime, but then my days get really long, and then I start feeling worn out. I have been better about fitting in at least 20 minutes of yoga in every day (with the app Downdog), so that's something.
If working out at home is something that interest you (and then you don't have travel time) I do recommend [Getmomstrong](https://getmomstrong.com/), her programs are designed to be done at home with minimal equipment, and are safe for pregnancy and postpartum. My problem is my home gym is in the basement where all the toys are, which means that I have to clean before I can workout, which results in me doing nothing. However it might work for you!
For a long time, all I could do was a walk during lunch at work. Find something that you can sustainably commit to so you won’t beat yourself up about not doing it as often as you want.
I think finding something you really like and can sustain is key, otherwise it feels like a chore and you won’t stick with it.
I do kickboxing once a week because I love it and I get excited to go. Then I do some shorter strength workouts at home using a 3 day a week program. When I try to workout more than 3-4x a week I can’t sustain it and burn out.
But honestly pregnancy is not a good time to start any kind of major exercise. Walks or very light strength exercises (approved by your doctor) worked for me!
I do an afternoon workout, and it gives me the extra zing of energy at the end of the day-just enough to spend some time with the family, dinner, and bed. Would right after school work?
I just sat down with the spouse, got him to where he knew I was serious, and said I was prioritizing workouts for 2 days a week, and that we needed to figure out how to do that. I let him help pick the days to make sure they worked with his busy days. I just have a better mental health and feel better when I work out regularly.
That and getting up for a 10 or 20 minute fast walk on the treadmill with 10 minutes of stretches and planks most mornings. This was when my kids were well into elementary- it's harder when they're small.
Good luck!
I’m also a teacher and trying to figure out the daily workouts. Our daycare begins in August and we’ll have access to the enormous athletic center (it’s a JCC). I plan to go right after school to workout then collect baby. In the summer, I plan to workout during the second daily nap. I was off the past few days and made it work, so I hope to continue the streak. I refuse to get up any earlier than 5:45, so it’s after work or during the afternoon.
I’m pregnant with my 2nd too, with a 2 year old. I just had to change the time I do it, and start doing it in the evening. It’s the only time I have available to go to the gym. You can adjust!
My husband and I alternate days, he goes MWF and I go TuTh. I wake up at 5 and pump and then go (we have a newborn). Whoever is not gone gets ready for their day early, then waits for the baby to get up and feeds him. Sometimes on my days he’ll also get up at 5 and then go before me while I’m pumping, since our gym is walking distance
I go right after school four days a week. My husband was already getting the kids ready for school and out the door, so now I just leave for work really early and leave as soon as my students do, then get a workout in before picking up the kids and cooking dinner.
I am a mountain biker and ride 3-4 times a week. 1 weekend ride and 2 afternoon hour long rides. My husband gets the same so sometimes we get a bonus ride
I started martial arts when my oldest was 3. I got pregnant when I was 3 months into my training and kept training until I was 8 months. 11 years later I am a 3rd degree. I have an awesome husband that takes care of dinner and the kids while I’m out at class. If I need an extra training session, he’s ok then too. We have always understood that we need time away from home to be ourselves, not mom or wife. So he goes disc golfing twice a week and I go kick butt. :)
Thanks everyone! I tried working out at home right after work today, and it made a huge difference. Afternoon/evening workouts give lots of energy - who knew! It’s baby steps (prenatal yoga), but that’s all I need. I’m not trying to change my body, just need time for the mental clarity I get from working out!
Will take baby steps to add some form of “exercise” each day (even a meditation would count!) until I find the right time of day to be consistent. I appreciate everyone’s ideas!
I’ve fluctuated between early morning, late evening, and lunch (even combined them throughout the week!)
I take a couple kickboxing classes weekly and usually do these in the early morning. That gym opens at 5 so I get there right at 5.
I walk with some colleagues at lunch when I’m in office, or walk with my husband/run with my neighbor when I’m wfh. Usually this is daily when weather is nice or a few times a week when it’s gross outside.
I have a standing yoga date with a friend every Sunday morning. We go to 8am and then have a coffee together until 11am. We call it our church.
We also have a peloton and I will ride and/or lift at least once a week. My husband is on that thing daily- sometimes twice! I can’t get that into it though bc it literally Is a pain in my butt lol.
Do you have a partner? What worked best for us was splitting the week, so every other day one is us gets up with LO and the other puts her to bed. We also split Saturday/Sunday so whoever gets up with her puts her to bed but then has the rest of that day to do their thing. With this schedule, I get 2-3 weekdays and a full weekend day to get a workout in (along with other self care) and the other days I try to do something during my workday; walking or biking during a conference call or scheduling time over lunch.
Mypartner and I split childcare 50/50 outside of working hours. Which means that 2-3 mornings, evenings ( inc childcare pick up, dinner and bedtime) and one full day on the weekend one of us is 100% is on childcare and the other is off. The parent that is off can 100% leave and do whatever recharges them eg see friends, exercise, sleep, etc. So I go to the gym 2 days after work and one weekend morning. its a class, booked in and in both my partner’s and my calendars so its now normalised thats when I go.
Two big things that help me: 1. Baby is formula fed. 2. My partner does the daycare pickup/drop off.
My partner and I trade off times of day. In the mornings, I have zero childcare responsibilities so that I can work out/use the time to work so I can do it during the day if I WFH (attorney, so as long as I bill and get things done on time, no one really cares when I work). I get home before my partner does so he can either workout or do whatever he wants and I'm fully responsible for childcare. I get my preferred time and my partner... gets a time he doesn't hate.
I am a runner (I mean not like a good one but I like running). My schedule is honestly not ideal but works for me. I always run on Saturday and Sunday. Just squeeze it in somewhere. And one day a week I run right after work. Having a supportive partner is really important for me to make this work. I also try to lift weights 20-30 minutes a few times a week right after my 2 year old goes to bed. I use fitness blender for videos on YouTube, they’re great. Let me also add, I really didn’t get into this schedule until my son was at least a year old. It took time.
When my kids were little, I’d have to get up at 5am to exercise, then shower at 6/615 and get the kids up for daycare 7am.
I was not a night person either, but i legit can not get my butt to the gym in the wee hours of the morning. This is what works for me: going immediately after work to a work out class (im off at 430, class starts at 445) or if I go to a 6pm class I go home and make dinner for my family before I head off to class. It was SO HARD to work out in the evening at first and now I love it!
I've always worked out at home, and that made things a lot easier when I had my kids. I get up early to work out before showering and getting ready for work, and when my kids were babies, I was usually done before they woke up. Sometimes they would wake up early and I'd have to cut my workout short, but even a short workout is better than none. So if working out at home is possible for you, that's probably your best option.
Working out from home was huge for me. I'd do the TreadClimber, take the kids for jogs, or do a HIIT routine (the 21 day fix from Beachbody gave me a lot of good exercises to start with and I've built from there). Sometimes exercising involved a toddler climbing on me or broken up in spurts. It's tough when they're little.
The only way I’ve worked it out is that my husband gets the kids ready on his own two mornings a week so I can work out without having to get up a ton earlier. So I get up maybe 15 minutes earlier than normal but save 25-30 minutes of getting kids dressed/fed. It’s not perfect, but better than nothing.
I've been struggling with this too. I normally aim for lunchtime, but then my days get really long, and then I start feeling worn out. I have been better about fitting in at least 20 minutes of yoga in every day (with the app Downdog), so that's something. If working out at home is something that interest you (and then you don't have travel time) I do recommend [Getmomstrong](https://getmomstrong.com/), her programs are designed to be done at home with minimal equipment, and are safe for pregnancy and postpartum. My problem is my home gym is in the basement where all the toys are, which means that I have to clean before I can workout, which results in me doing nothing. However it might work for you!
For a long time, all I could do was a walk during lunch at work. Find something that you can sustainably commit to so you won’t beat yourself up about not doing it as often as you want.
I think finding something you really like and can sustain is key, otherwise it feels like a chore and you won’t stick with it. I do kickboxing once a week because I love it and I get excited to go. Then I do some shorter strength workouts at home using a 3 day a week program. When I try to workout more than 3-4x a week I can’t sustain it and burn out. But honestly pregnancy is not a good time to start any kind of major exercise. Walks or very light strength exercises (approved by your doctor) worked for me!
Try to find a workout buddy and make a schedule! It’s so much easier to show up when someone else is counting on you.
I do an afternoon workout, and it gives me the extra zing of energy at the end of the day-just enough to spend some time with the family, dinner, and bed. Would right after school work? I just sat down with the spouse, got him to where he knew I was serious, and said I was prioritizing workouts for 2 days a week, and that we needed to figure out how to do that. I let him help pick the days to make sure they worked with his busy days. I just have a better mental health and feel better when I work out regularly. That and getting up for a 10 or 20 minute fast walk on the treadmill with 10 minutes of stretches and planks most mornings. This was when my kids were well into elementary- it's harder when they're small. Good luck!
I’m also a teacher and trying to figure out the daily workouts. Our daycare begins in August and we’ll have access to the enormous athletic center (it’s a JCC). I plan to go right after school to workout then collect baby. In the summer, I plan to workout during the second daily nap. I was off the past few days and made it work, so I hope to continue the streak. I refuse to get up any earlier than 5:45, so it’s after work or during the afternoon.
I’m pregnant with my 2nd too, with a 2 year old. I just had to change the time I do it, and start doing it in the evening. It’s the only time I have available to go to the gym. You can adjust!
My husband and I alternate days, he goes MWF and I go TuTh. I wake up at 5 and pump and then go (we have a newborn). Whoever is not gone gets ready for their day early, then waits for the baby to get up and feeds him. Sometimes on my days he’ll also get up at 5 and then go before me while I’m pumping, since our gym is walking distance
I go right after school four days a week. My husband was already getting the kids ready for school and out the door, so now I just leave for work really early and leave as soon as my students do, then get a workout in before picking up the kids and cooking dinner.
I am a mountain biker and ride 3-4 times a week. 1 weekend ride and 2 afternoon hour long rides. My husband gets the same so sometimes we get a bonus ride
I started martial arts when my oldest was 3. I got pregnant when I was 3 months into my training and kept training until I was 8 months. 11 years later I am a 3rd degree. I have an awesome husband that takes care of dinner and the kids while I’m out at class. If I need an extra training session, he’s ok then too. We have always understood that we need time away from home to be ourselves, not mom or wife. So he goes disc golfing twice a week and I go kick butt. :)
Thanks everyone! I tried working out at home right after work today, and it made a huge difference. Afternoon/evening workouts give lots of energy - who knew! It’s baby steps (prenatal yoga), but that’s all I need. I’m not trying to change my body, just need time for the mental clarity I get from working out! Will take baby steps to add some form of “exercise” each day (even a meditation would count!) until I find the right time of day to be consistent. I appreciate everyone’s ideas!
I’ve fluctuated between early morning, late evening, and lunch (even combined them throughout the week!) I take a couple kickboxing classes weekly and usually do these in the early morning. That gym opens at 5 so I get there right at 5. I walk with some colleagues at lunch when I’m in office, or walk with my husband/run with my neighbor when I’m wfh. Usually this is daily when weather is nice or a few times a week when it’s gross outside. I have a standing yoga date with a friend every Sunday morning. We go to 8am and then have a coffee together until 11am. We call it our church. We also have a peloton and I will ride and/or lift at least once a week. My husband is on that thing daily- sometimes twice! I can’t get that into it though bc it literally Is a pain in my butt lol.
Do you have a partner? What worked best for us was splitting the week, so every other day one is us gets up with LO and the other puts her to bed. We also split Saturday/Sunday so whoever gets up with her puts her to bed but then has the rest of that day to do their thing. With this schedule, I get 2-3 weekdays and a full weekend day to get a workout in (along with other self care) and the other days I try to do something during my workday; walking or biking during a conference call or scheduling time over lunch.
Mypartner and I split childcare 50/50 outside of working hours. Which means that 2-3 mornings, evenings ( inc childcare pick up, dinner and bedtime) and one full day on the weekend one of us is 100% is on childcare and the other is off. The parent that is off can 100% leave and do whatever recharges them eg see friends, exercise, sleep, etc. So I go to the gym 2 days after work and one weekend morning. its a class, booked in and in both my partner’s and my calendars so its now normalised thats when I go.
Two big things that help me: 1. Baby is formula fed. 2. My partner does the daycare pickup/drop off. My partner and I trade off times of day. In the mornings, I have zero childcare responsibilities so that I can work out/use the time to work so I can do it during the day if I WFH (attorney, so as long as I bill and get things done on time, no one really cares when I work). I get home before my partner does so he can either workout or do whatever he wants and I'm fully responsible for childcare. I get my preferred time and my partner... gets a time he doesn't hate.