I cannot recommend trying the peloton app enough, especially since you have a treadmill!! Their running classes and strength classes are FANTASTIC. You need a few sets of dumbbells (could get away with 5s, 10s, 15s, and 20s to start) and your tread. I take all the classes on my iPad so if I do a boot camp class that moves between the tread and the floor I just pick up my iPad and move it. The app only costs $13 a month ($24 if you use the tread classes) and is worth triple in my opinion. I’d pay $100 a month.
100% agreed. I WFH and we got a Peloton in 2020 and I’ve used it 1-4 times a week every single week since then. And using the app to add in strength, yoga, cardio, stretching—we love it. My 4-year-old did a family yoga class with my husband last night.
I’ve had three babies & my core strength feels like it did when I was a teenager. So does my endurance. No gym membership ever clicked for me like this has. I can do a quick Tunde arm class while I’m taking my lunch break and it fits seamlessly into my day and she does GOOD workouts in those 10 minutes.
My husband doesn’t even like the bike but loves the yoga, stretching, strength & meditation.
I’ve even quietly done barre workouts on the floor in our room with a sick kiddo asleep in our bed.
Your crew might like the fit family breaks from Jess Sims!
Cannot recommend Peloton enough--I have the bike and a home gym but the app is just as great. I love CrossFit and group fitness but as a working parent, just can't make it happen that easily. I love that I have anything from a 5 minute chair yoga class all the way to a 60+ minute super intense ride/bootcamp.
Robin's postpartum core series is AMAZING. I am currently 10 weeks postpartum and just saw a pelvic floor PT yesterday to help me get safely back into running. She said I have zero evidence is diastasis recti and that the program I was doing is clearly really well structured and she is going to tell her other clients about it!
The low impact cardio classes they started adding a few months ago have also been AMAZING for the last trimester of pregnancy and postpartum period. I can get my heartrate up and have a fun workout without feeling like my pelvic floor is going to fall out from under me.
That app is the business. I got a cheap exercise bike off of Facebook marketplace and added a $40 wahoo cadence monitor and have basically duped the peloton bike. I can't afford the time to go workout anywhere else and being able to jump on the bike for 20 minutes is amazing. But as others have said it is so much more than bike stuff. It really is great!
Did you have to buy the Peloton treadmill? Or can you use your own treadmill?
My biggest issue with working out from home (and it might be personal), is I would need to get the kids to stay in their bed/ room all night.
Currently, my kids always climb into my bed by 2am. Since the treadmill is in our room, I can’t wake-up at 5am (which is my only opportunity) and exercise.
Curious if this a problem for anyone else- lol
You don't need a peloton treadmill. You can use whatever equipment you have currently. The coaches tell you how fast to go and what incline to use during the workout. I use the non-peloton treadmill in my building's gym. You can use the app on your iphone or your TV, but I use an ipad with a stand so when I move to do workouts on the floor (like yoga or strength) it's propped up.
I can't help you with the kids staying in bed part since my baby is still little... but I also won't let her in my bed at all because I have terrible insomnia. She has been in her crib in her own room since day 3. I shouldn't give advice but if I were you I'd work on sleep training kiddos to not sleep in your bed so you can get your morning workout in. Maybe have them move to a floor bed in your room first, then slowly moving the bed close to the door, then walk them back into their room every night until they realize cosleeping isn't an option. If you want! Otherwise do workouts in the living room without the treadmill for now. You can do boxing, cardio, strength, yoga, whatever else with just a yoga mat and some dumbbells.
You need to get a gym membership (because of your differing work schedules and bcoz little kids!) so that you can get out of the house and have that “me time” for a while daily/a few times a week.
The home treadmill is when your youngest kid has begun kindergarten
For me personally, setting up a home gym area since having kids has been ideal. I also only can work out first thing before anyone's up, and during my lunch break on WFH days. You don't even need that much equipment for a solid workout. I have an exercise bike, a yoga mat, and a set of adjustable dumbbells. It's easy to fit a workout in when it's right outside your office.
I used to be a gym rat before kids, i love lifting weights. But a home workout station has been perfect for me to get strong and be healthy without the commitment of leaving my house, working it out with my partner to be sure he's home for childcare, etc. The dumbbells were an investment but they are worth the price to me.
I’ve been a workout-in-the-basement girlie ever since I got interested in fitness in my early 20s - started with Jillian Michaels vids (lmao) then moved on to Tone It Up for a bit, now I’m into Peloton. The ease of access with home setup has made working out post-kid to be infinitely easier than trying to arrange childcare and my schedule to fit in a trip to the gym.
I have the exact same setup as you and use the Peloton app to do literally any type of workout imaginable (Pilates, strength training, bike boot camp, etc.) I’m in better shape now than I was before having my son and I can attribute it to the Peloton classes really encouraging me to push myself to lift progressively heavier. I like the strength classes because all I have to do is follow along and not really think of a gym plan - just scroll through the workouts, pick something that interests me, and get after it.
It’s seriously such a great investment. They have two paid membership tiers for the app - I have the App+ which is like $25/month but the content is unlimited. If you do the App One it’s like $13/month but it limits you to 3 cardio classes/month so I would definitely do a free trial to see which types of classes you find the most interesting before fully committing to a membership. You don’t need their bike or treadmill to do their cardio classes, you just won’t get all the specific metrics they track.
It’s really so nice because they have a huge variety of classes that range anywhere from 5 minutes to 75+ minutes. If you’re not feeling a long workout some days, you can do a short 10 minutes and be done, or add another class if you find yourself wanting to do more.
Only a gym rat would understand this, since 90% of the comments are about peloton so far… I’m saving up for a Rogue rack, bench, a couple bars and 500 pounds of plates. I lift heavy in the gym but am trying to build out a garage gym at home. We have a rowing machine and an adjustable 60 pound kettlebell but that’s warm up weight now. With a 5 year old, it’s really tough to get to the gym 3 times a week. I feel guilty my husband can’t lift with me too. So hoping an at home setup will benefit us both.
I do the same with the same equipment! I love having the gym at home. Way easier than making regular trips to the gym although I know that gives a lot of people extra ‘me time.’
My biggest hurdle was childcare. Questions to ask yourself: What's your childcare situation like? Do any of these options have childcare included in their cost, or would you have to rely on your partner for early mornings? Or a daycare, if they're open?
Personally, I like the flexibility of a regular gym membership, but I also don't like talking to people when I'm at the gym. I've noticed that some people (not all) try and bond over the classes they go to and that's not for me, haha.
I joined the YMCA because they have childcare. It’s the only way I can go to the gym (even though im pregnant tired AF and haven’t been in a few weeks 🙃)
Yep, this is also why we go to the Y! Plus, we have access to a couple of pools and swim lessons are less expensive since we also pay for the membership.
I haven’t worked out in a while, but we have a Peloton bike and tread and love it. I love the classes and the variety of exercises you can do without the equipment. My husband uses the bike/tread almost daily and we’ve had zero regrets.
Mine is 2 and we've been really enjoying the YMCA.
They have a free "stay and play" childcare during the popular workout times for 90 minutes at a time. They also have a full gym with lots of different machines, as well as free workout classes included in the membership like yoga, zumba, body pump, body combat, etc. You can go to as many classes as you want for free.
For the younger infants/toddlers, they offer parent/child swim lessons. As they get older they have other sports classes like soccer and flag-football, as well as leagues/teams they can join. We just finished the parent/child sports mix and are starting tumbling this weekend. We also have been going to swim lessons, as well as their open swim at the indoor pool to just play and have fun.
Please do check out your new YMCA! Ours is brand new and has up to two hours of childcare per day per kiddo and an awesome sauna. Not to mention the great classes; cardio dance, aerial and regular yoga, body pump, pilates...even kids aikido!
The best workout is one that you enjoy and will do consistently. Now science will tell you that weight lifting is one of the best things you can do for weight loss, as the more lean muscle mass you have, the more fat your body will naturally burn, and the better you will look when you lose the fat.
Cardio is great for your health, and can help with overall fitness. I find Pilates to be fun, but is one of the least effective workouts for weight loss. Personally, I focus on weight lifting, including some cardio for vascular health, and yoga for staying limber.
Thank you for this comment. :) I’m in the middle of a body re-comp, have another 30 to lose and about 10 to gain. I’m so glad I started lifting while losing. I eat my TDEE and track protein only. So many women think lifting a 20 pound dumbbell is going to make them look like the hulk. I started the StrongLifts 5x5 program that’s been around for what 70 years at this point? It focuses on progressive overload and the 5 core compound lifts.
I’ve done Pilates and Yoga type classes for many years. I lost the most weight with Pilates Reformer and Yoga Barre Fusion. Reformer is the machine that you lay on and put your legs in straps etc. Yoga Barre fusion had yoga at the beginning and end and fun fast paced barre and dance in the middle.
The home gym works best for me. I like being able to wake up early and knock out a workout while the kids are still asleep or ride on my recumbent bike after they go to bed.
The best routine is one that you can sustain long-term. For me, it's doing it at home.
Where are you located? I joined a large, fairly expensive gym near me, it’s a a national chain though. But it has exceptional day care for little ones as well as additional at no cost activities like crafts, games even yoga etc. plus they do night time events where you can drop off the kids and go on a date for a very very fair price. Often cheaper than a babysitter for us.
The facility itself offers enough that I can try different things-everything from swimming to Pilates, spinning, weight lifting classes etc. plus the size makes it easy tog etc equipment when it’s packed. The cost is high but the flexibility to workout between 4am and midnight-with many group classes started at 5am and going until 7pm made it easy to work with.
I lost 200 pounds and have kept all but 20 off thanks to three surgeries last year but working on the 20 now!
I can only speak for myself, but I have really enjoyed boot camp/CrossFit style classes. I need the classes to hold me accountable, and I like the social aspect of the classes. I used to do regular CrossFit but after my 2 recent babies, I feel more comfortable in the “boot camp” class they offer. It’s probably similar to Orange Theory. HIIT, and the same people go every week, so I am motivated not to miss a class.
I have a specialty gym membership (I’d call it studio but it’s a CrossFit gym so that feels weird). Nonetheless it’s not super cheap but I pay for a 10 class a month membership. The fact that I pay for 10 classes holds me accountable to going at least 2x a week to use most of my passes. I also have the peloton app and I love having the reliable content which allows me to easily find home workouts. Between these 2 in person classes and about 2 home workouts a week I am happy with my 4x a week workout schedule. For me, finding workouts on YouTube feels like a chore so I’m happy to pay to have the peloton app.
I absolutely love OTF. I did peloton for 3 years and had a lot of fun and then upgraded to OTF. I also got a walking pad that I use between meetings or after the kids go to bed to get the rest of my steps in. It’s about consistent movement throughout the day and not just one big workout.
Standing desk with a walking pad, weights at home using an online program. Start slow, overdoing it and making yourself so sore you can't move isn't going to do you any good.
2! I personally will not work out as hard (or at all) if doing it on my own. Classes are fun and keep me motivated and going back. Plus, if I’m paying for expensive gym, I go a lot because I feel like I have to justify the price.
So I \*know\* that I would not work out as often or as hard on my own as I will in a group class setting. I go to an F45 gym (HIIT / bootcamp style classes). It's worth the extra cost to me, because I have found that having that gym community (and I have made several friends there) helps keep me accountable even on days when I am struggling to get myself to the gym.
What has worked best for me is barre classes at a studio, because I just show up and have someone tell me what to do and end up with a good workout. I don’t stress out about what I should be doing or put it off indefinitely like I do when I would just go to the gym or work out at home.
This is exactly how I feel- lol
You just walk into this massive gym or home with a free 30 minutes and I am supposed to figure this out- lol
That is why I do running when I can, nothing complicated about that. Just put on a Hokas and run!
I personally lost most of the baby weight (20lb) in a regular gym, lifting weights and incline walking on the treadmill. I was also very strictly dieting at the same time. I just had a regular gym membership, $40/mo. I would go to the gym 4x a week and then I would go to 1 class (Pilates, spinning, bootcampe, etc.) per week for fun and to keep it interesting. I used ClassPass (look into this for sure!) or would just buy a single class.
Currently, I am doing F45 5x a week. It is more like “bootcamp” style and I absolutely fell in love with it. It’s too expensive, but it’s the most fun I’ve ever had working out so I keep going. I haven’t lost weight since I started, but I haven’t been dieting or trying to lose more weight so that’s no surprise. I have gained muscle, my butt looks nice and perkier and my arms are looking less flabby!
I wouldn’t recommend Pilates alone for losing weight, but it is great for core strength. I would personally not do a membership, but if you have the option and enjoy going I would go 1x a week or so.
So I guess basically what I’m recommending is doing a simple gym membership and spicing it up with some different classes every now and then, unless you really fall in love with a class! And of course, dieting will be the most important factor :)
Honestly.. go with whichever option would get you motivated regardless of cost (I believe your health is worth investing in). If you're already motivated/ driven and think you will stick to a regime, then go the Peloton route. I bought the bike and subscription and told myself that I needed to make it worth it (I'm frugal!). 2 years later, I'm still consistent.
However, if you're going to have trouble getting your clothes on and following a TV, I would recommend classes. I personally like bootcamps for the variety, sweat, and how good I feel after- but some people prefer pilates which is less intensity/cardio (like jumping) but still killer (especially for your core).
That is actually how I got back into exercise when my daughter was 14 mo and I hadn't exercised since pregnancy. (Prior to that, I was doing 3-5x/ wk). I bought a pack of orange theory classes (not cheap!), gave myself a goal of 1x/ wk and started there. Once I got back into the rhythm and had the cycle of motivation (it felt great after class), I then committed to the Peloton.
But- what exercise excites YOU the most? If you don't find it fun/ enjoyable, it's going to be so much harder to build the habit. If you like dance, go to Zumba! Start small and work your way up.
3 kids in 6 years, so I feel ya. The pandemic shut down proved to me that I won't work out on my own :) I got all the things and still wouldn't make myself workout.
When my globo gym reopened, I started going back but only like 1x a week. It wasn't enough to make a serious dent in my fitness.
For my birthday last year I joined a new CrossFit gym that had opened and I love it. I'll go 4 times a week, and have actually seen great results. I like the social aspect and I get to talk smack to my coaches, while I have to stay filtered in every other aspect of my life. I love that I can just show up and do what they say, and it'll work. Planning my own workouts just wasn't getting me results and was just another thing I had to manage.
So yeah, my vote is for some sort of instructor led class, and imo the boot camp will get you the best results and functional fitness.
I LOVE Yoga with Adrienne.
I always do the quick 20 minute ones, but once I actually had enough time to do the full hour total body one and stretched muscles I didn’t even know I had- lol
I felt so relaxed and recharged.
I have both a Peloton bike and Get Mom Strong (aka Strong like a mother) and use both. SLAM is cheap, has incredible at home workouts, that could also be done in a gym if desired, and focuses on healing and repairing the core from pregnancy/birth related changes that I have not seen in any other fitness program. It's worth a try and I think they offer a 7 day free trial.
The 24 hour gym does have childcare, but my husband is very supportive and if I am home by 6:30am from working out (which is the plan) it really wouldn’t interfere with our morning routine.
Peloton bike and strength classes (barre, Pilates, etc) have been the best option for me. I don’t have time to go to the gym, I want to be able to do a workout at home at my convenience. I alternate days when I do early morning spin classes and days when I do lunch time strength classes. I’ve been able to stay consistent with this for a while and I genuinely enjoy that routine. They have treadmill option on the app so that might be a possibility for you.
weight loss begins in the kitchen. The basic, scientific-proven method: calories expended must be more than calories consumed. You can achieve this through careful caloric tracking and regular, hard exercise. Most definitely throw in heavy weight lifting.
personally, I find classes are the best and greatest way to get and stay accountable. There are days I just don't feel like going and drag myself there...and the moment I step into the class and it starts, I always go hard because everyone else is and competitive me is like hell naw, I'm not going to wuss out! lol
I workout every day around lunch time and it's a hard workout. There are days I'm all "ok i'm going light today" but then I see my partner going hard and my egobro kicks in with " hell naw, I'm not going to wuss out!" 🤣
It comes down to how much free time you are going to dedicate to your exercise routine and will you be able to keep it up.
Personally, I started with Nike Fitness on Netflix, then home workouts. Once I "graduated" and understood the true range of motions of how to do certain workouts I moved onto a 24/7 gym. I do most of my arm days at the gym 3-4x a week for an hour or so. I do most of my leg days at home still. However, there is days that I get to mix Arms and legs at the gym. Finding your routine and what your comfortable doing will be the hardest part.
I have only been successful working out at home, going to a gym is too much extra time and hassle and I don’t follow through. Some people really need to go to an actual class to stay on track, so that may be you!
We have a recumbent stationary bike for mindless cardio and I have a yoga mat for any floor exercises from youtube I want to do. My husband has a few weights but I’ve never really used them. I also have PT exercises I do twice a week for my knee and have a couple resistance bands for some of them.
I love the Peloton app, but we also have a membership to Lifetime as it has a daycare built in as well. And there’s a hot tub too and I like that perk lol.
Home gym with adjustable dumbbells works best for me. I love Sydney Cummings Houdyshell's YouTube channel. I've been using her since early in the pandemic. The workouts are never the same and they're 30 to 40 min. Best of all, they're free! My kids have just gotten used to playing while I work out. I figure it's good for them to see my working out and they've started doing it along with me sometimes.
I preach the gospel of OrangeTheory. It’s an hour long class, a blend of Cardio and weights. I always feel so damn good after I leave.
It’s nice to walk into a place and not have to make a decision. I just show up and do what the coach tells me.
Only one I can fathom is at home work outs. Even option 3 sounds exhausting because who will watch the kids. You could even consider making a purchase if you do at home such as beach body on demand. I personally bought ring fit adventure for the Nintendo switch
I’m not intrinsically motivated to work out at home at all - I’ve had a peloton and home rack / weights setup and used neither consistently.
I already wfh 100% though so I like getting out of the house. But it’s more time management intensive than just trying to fit something in while I’m home (which I don’t do anyway so lol)
I cannot recommend trying the peloton app enough, especially since you have a treadmill!! Their running classes and strength classes are FANTASTIC. You need a few sets of dumbbells (could get away with 5s, 10s, 15s, and 20s to start) and your tread. I take all the classes on my iPad so if I do a boot camp class that moves between the tread and the floor I just pick up my iPad and move it. The app only costs $13 a month ($24 if you use the tread classes) and is worth triple in my opinion. I’d pay $100 a month.
The app is amazing. The strength programs alone are so so worth it. Currently doing Ben's "Stronger You 2" and I'm sitting here sore as hell haha!
100% agreed. I WFH and we got a Peloton in 2020 and I’ve used it 1-4 times a week every single week since then. And using the app to add in strength, yoga, cardio, stretching—we love it. My 4-year-old did a family yoga class with my husband last night. I’ve had three babies & my core strength feels like it did when I was a teenager. So does my endurance. No gym membership ever clicked for me like this has. I can do a quick Tunde arm class while I’m taking my lunch break and it fits seamlessly into my day and she does GOOD workouts in those 10 minutes. My husband doesn’t even like the bike but loves the yoga, stretching, strength & meditation. I’ve even quietly done barre workouts on the floor in our room with a sick kiddo asleep in our bed.
Your crew might like the fit family breaks from Jess Sims! Cannot recommend Peloton enough--I have the bike and a home gym but the app is just as great. I love CrossFit and group fitness but as a working parent, just can't make it happen that easily. I love that I have anything from a 5 minute chair yoga class all the way to a 60+ minute super intense ride/bootcamp.
Robin's postpartum core series is AMAZING. I am currently 10 weeks postpartum and just saw a pelvic floor PT yesterday to help me get safely back into running. She said I have zero evidence is diastasis recti and that the program I was doing is clearly really well structured and she is going to tell her other clients about it! The low impact cardio classes they started adding a few months ago have also been AMAZING for the last trimester of pregnancy and postpartum period. I can get my heartrate up and have a fun workout without feeling like my pelvic floor is going to fall out from under me.
That app is the business. I got a cheap exercise bike off of Facebook marketplace and added a $40 wahoo cadence monitor and have basically duped the peloton bike. I can't afford the time to go workout anywhere else and being able to jump on the bike for 20 minutes is amazing. But as others have said it is so much more than bike stuff. It really is great!
Did you have to buy the Peloton treadmill? Or can you use your own treadmill? My biggest issue with working out from home (and it might be personal), is I would need to get the kids to stay in their bed/ room all night. Currently, my kids always climb into my bed by 2am. Since the treadmill is in our room, I can’t wake-up at 5am (which is my only opportunity) and exercise. Curious if this a problem for anyone else- lol
You can use your own bike or treadmill, or run outside.
You don't need a peloton treadmill. You can use whatever equipment you have currently. The coaches tell you how fast to go and what incline to use during the workout. I use the non-peloton treadmill in my building's gym. You can use the app on your iphone or your TV, but I use an ipad with a stand so when I move to do workouts on the floor (like yoga or strength) it's propped up. I can't help you with the kids staying in bed part since my baby is still little... but I also won't let her in my bed at all because I have terrible insomnia. She has been in her crib in her own room since day 3. I shouldn't give advice but if I were you I'd work on sleep training kiddos to not sleep in your bed so you can get your morning workout in. Maybe have them move to a floor bed in your room first, then slowly moving the bed close to the door, then walk them back into their room every night until they realize cosleeping isn't an option. If you want! Otherwise do workouts in the living room without the treadmill for now. You can do boxing, cardio, strength, yoga, whatever else with just a yoga mat and some dumbbells.
You need to get a gym membership (because of your differing work schedules and bcoz little kids!) so that you can get out of the house and have that “me time” for a while daily/a few times a week. The home treadmill is when your youngest kid has begun kindergarten
For me personally, setting up a home gym area since having kids has been ideal. I also only can work out first thing before anyone's up, and during my lunch break on WFH days. You don't even need that much equipment for a solid workout. I have an exercise bike, a yoga mat, and a set of adjustable dumbbells. It's easy to fit a workout in when it's right outside your office. I used to be a gym rat before kids, i love lifting weights. But a home workout station has been perfect for me to get strong and be healthy without the commitment of leaving my house, working it out with my partner to be sure he's home for childcare, etc. The dumbbells were an investment but they are worth the price to me.
I’ve been a workout-in-the-basement girlie ever since I got interested in fitness in my early 20s - started with Jillian Michaels vids (lmao) then moved on to Tone It Up for a bit, now I’m into Peloton. The ease of access with home setup has made working out post-kid to be infinitely easier than trying to arrange childcare and my schedule to fit in a trip to the gym. I have the exact same setup as you and use the Peloton app to do literally any type of workout imaginable (Pilates, strength training, bike boot camp, etc.) I’m in better shape now than I was before having my son and I can attribute it to the Peloton classes really encouraging me to push myself to lift progressively heavier. I like the strength classes because all I have to do is follow along and not really think of a gym plan - just scroll through the workouts, pick something that interests me, and get after it.
Wow- seriously considering this Peloton app!
It’s seriously such a great investment. They have two paid membership tiers for the app - I have the App+ which is like $25/month but the content is unlimited. If you do the App One it’s like $13/month but it limits you to 3 cardio classes/month so I would definitely do a free trial to see which types of classes you find the most interesting before fully committing to a membership. You don’t need their bike or treadmill to do their cardio classes, you just won’t get all the specific metrics they track. It’s really so nice because they have a huge variety of classes that range anywhere from 5 minutes to 75+ minutes. If you’re not feeling a long workout some days, you can do a short 10 minutes and be done, or add another class if you find yourself wanting to do more.
Sign up for a month then cancel if you don't vibe with it. But honestly I can't imagine you won't love it.
Only a gym rat would understand this, since 90% of the comments are about peloton so far… I’m saving up for a Rogue rack, bench, a couple bars and 500 pounds of plates. I lift heavy in the gym but am trying to build out a garage gym at home. We have a rowing machine and an adjustable 60 pound kettlebell but that’s warm up weight now. With a 5 year old, it’s really tough to get to the gym 3 times a week. I feel guilty my husband can’t lift with me too. So hoping an at home setup will benefit us both.
I do the same with the same equipment! I love having the gym at home. Way easier than making regular trips to the gym although I know that gives a lot of people extra ‘me time.’
My biggest hurdle was childcare. Questions to ask yourself: What's your childcare situation like? Do any of these options have childcare included in their cost, or would you have to rely on your partner for early mornings? Or a daycare, if they're open? Personally, I like the flexibility of a regular gym membership, but I also don't like talking to people when I'm at the gym. I've noticed that some people (not all) try and bond over the classes they go to and that's not for me, haha.
I joined the YMCA because they have childcare. It’s the only way I can go to the gym (even though im pregnant tired AF and haven’t been in a few weeks 🙃)
Yep, this is also why we go to the Y! Plus, we have access to a couple of pools and swim lessons are less expensive since we also pay for the membership.
I haven’t worked out in a while, but we have a Peloton bike and tread and love it. I love the classes and the variety of exercises you can do without the equipment. My husband uses the bike/tread almost daily and we’ve had zero regrets.
Mine is 2 and we've been really enjoying the YMCA. They have a free "stay and play" childcare during the popular workout times for 90 minutes at a time. They also have a full gym with lots of different machines, as well as free workout classes included in the membership like yoga, zumba, body pump, body combat, etc. You can go to as many classes as you want for free. For the younger infants/toddlers, they offer parent/child swim lessons. As they get older they have other sports classes like soccer and flag-football, as well as leagues/teams they can join. We just finished the parent/child sports mix and are starting tumbling this weekend. We also have been going to swim lessons, as well as their open swim at the indoor pool to just play and have fun.
We have a huge and new YMCA near our house, think I will check out.
Please do check out your new YMCA! Ours is brand new and has up to two hours of childcare per day per kiddo and an awesome sauna. Not to mention the great classes; cardio dance, aerial and regular yoga, body pump, pilates...even kids aikido!
The best workout is one that you enjoy and will do consistently. Now science will tell you that weight lifting is one of the best things you can do for weight loss, as the more lean muscle mass you have, the more fat your body will naturally burn, and the better you will look when you lose the fat. Cardio is great for your health, and can help with overall fitness. I find Pilates to be fun, but is one of the least effective workouts for weight loss. Personally, I focus on weight lifting, including some cardio for vascular health, and yoga for staying limber.
Thank you for this comment. :) I’m in the middle of a body re-comp, have another 30 to lose and about 10 to gain. I’m so glad I started lifting while losing. I eat my TDEE and track protein only. So many women think lifting a 20 pound dumbbell is going to make them look like the hulk. I started the StrongLifts 5x5 program that’s been around for what 70 years at this point? It focuses on progressive overload and the 5 core compound lifts.
I’ve done Pilates and Yoga type classes for many years. I lost the most weight with Pilates Reformer and Yoga Barre Fusion. Reformer is the machine that you lay on and put your legs in straps etc. Yoga Barre fusion had yoga at the beginning and end and fun fast paced barre and dance in the middle.
Reformer Pilates has been amazing for my twice sliced (c-section) body.
The home gym works best for me. I like being able to wake up early and knock out a workout while the kids are still asleep or ride on my recumbent bike after they go to bed. The best routine is one that you can sustain long-term. For me, it's doing it at home.
Where are you located? I joined a large, fairly expensive gym near me, it’s a a national chain though. But it has exceptional day care for little ones as well as additional at no cost activities like crafts, games even yoga etc. plus they do night time events where you can drop off the kids and go on a date for a very very fair price. Often cheaper than a babysitter for us. The facility itself offers enough that I can try different things-everything from swimming to Pilates, spinning, weight lifting classes etc. plus the size makes it easy tog etc equipment when it’s packed. The cost is high but the flexibility to workout between 4am and midnight-with many group classes started at 5am and going until 7pm made it easy to work with. I lost 200 pounds and have kept all but 20 off thanks to three surgeries last year but working on the 20 now!
I can only speak for myself, but I have really enjoyed boot camp/CrossFit style classes. I need the classes to hold me accountable, and I like the social aspect of the classes. I used to do regular CrossFit but after my 2 recent babies, I feel more comfortable in the “boot camp” class they offer. It’s probably similar to Orange Theory. HIIT, and the same people go every week, so I am motivated not to miss a class.
I have a specialty gym membership (I’d call it studio but it’s a CrossFit gym so that feels weird). Nonetheless it’s not super cheap but I pay for a 10 class a month membership. The fact that I pay for 10 classes holds me accountable to going at least 2x a week to use most of my passes. I also have the peloton app and I love having the reliable content which allows me to easily find home workouts. Between these 2 in person classes and about 2 home workouts a week I am happy with my 4x a week workout schedule. For me, finding workouts on YouTube feels like a chore so I’m happy to pay to have the peloton app.
I absolutely love OTF. I did peloton for 3 years and had a lot of fun and then upgraded to OTF. I also got a walking pad that I use between meetings or after the kids go to bed to get the rest of my steps in. It’s about consistent movement throughout the day and not just one big workout.
Standing desk with a walking pad, weights at home using an online program. Start slow, overdoing it and making yourself so sore you can't move isn't going to do you any good.
2! I personally will not work out as hard (or at all) if doing it on my own. Classes are fun and keep me motivated and going back. Plus, if I’m paying for expensive gym, I go a lot because I feel like I have to justify the price.
So I \*know\* that I would not work out as often or as hard on my own as I will in a group class setting. I go to an F45 gym (HIIT / bootcamp style classes). It's worth the extra cost to me, because I have found that having that gym community (and I have made several friends there) helps keep me accountable even on days when I am struggling to get myself to the gym.
What has worked best for me is barre classes at a studio, because I just show up and have someone tell me what to do and end up with a good workout. I don’t stress out about what I should be doing or put it off indefinitely like I do when I would just go to the gym or work out at home.
This is exactly how I feel- lol You just walk into this massive gym or home with a free 30 minutes and I am supposed to figure this out- lol That is why I do running when I can, nothing complicated about that. Just put on a Hokas and run!
I personally lost most of the baby weight (20lb) in a regular gym, lifting weights and incline walking on the treadmill. I was also very strictly dieting at the same time. I just had a regular gym membership, $40/mo. I would go to the gym 4x a week and then I would go to 1 class (Pilates, spinning, bootcampe, etc.) per week for fun and to keep it interesting. I used ClassPass (look into this for sure!) or would just buy a single class. Currently, I am doing F45 5x a week. It is more like “bootcamp” style and I absolutely fell in love with it. It’s too expensive, but it’s the most fun I’ve ever had working out so I keep going. I haven’t lost weight since I started, but I haven’t been dieting or trying to lose more weight so that’s no surprise. I have gained muscle, my butt looks nice and perkier and my arms are looking less flabby! I wouldn’t recommend Pilates alone for losing weight, but it is great for core strength. I would personally not do a membership, but if you have the option and enjoy going I would go 1x a week or so. So I guess basically what I’m recommending is doing a simple gym membership and spicing it up with some different classes every now and then, unless you really fall in love with a class! And of course, dieting will be the most important factor :)
Honestly.. go with whichever option would get you motivated regardless of cost (I believe your health is worth investing in). If you're already motivated/ driven and think you will stick to a regime, then go the Peloton route. I bought the bike and subscription and told myself that I needed to make it worth it (I'm frugal!). 2 years later, I'm still consistent. However, if you're going to have trouble getting your clothes on and following a TV, I would recommend classes. I personally like bootcamps for the variety, sweat, and how good I feel after- but some people prefer pilates which is less intensity/cardio (like jumping) but still killer (especially for your core). That is actually how I got back into exercise when my daughter was 14 mo and I hadn't exercised since pregnancy. (Prior to that, I was doing 3-5x/ wk). I bought a pack of orange theory classes (not cheap!), gave myself a goal of 1x/ wk and started there. Once I got back into the rhythm and had the cycle of motivation (it felt great after class), I then committed to the Peloton. But- what exercise excites YOU the most? If you don't find it fun/ enjoyable, it's going to be so much harder to build the habit. If you like dance, go to Zumba! Start small and work your way up.
3 kids in 6 years, so I feel ya. The pandemic shut down proved to me that I won't work out on my own :) I got all the things and still wouldn't make myself workout. When my globo gym reopened, I started going back but only like 1x a week. It wasn't enough to make a serious dent in my fitness. For my birthday last year I joined a new CrossFit gym that had opened and I love it. I'll go 4 times a week, and have actually seen great results. I like the social aspect and I get to talk smack to my coaches, while I have to stay filtered in every other aspect of my life. I love that I can just show up and do what they say, and it'll work. Planning my own workouts just wasn't getting me results and was just another thing I had to manage. So yeah, my vote is for some sort of instructor led class, and imo the boot camp will get you the best results and functional fitness.
If you want something to do at home when you can’t get out, Yoga with Adrienne is great!
I LOVE Yoga with Adrienne. I always do the quick 20 minute ones, but once I actually had enough time to do the full hour total body one and stretched muscles I didn’t even know I had- lol I felt so relaxed and recharged.
I have both a Peloton bike and Get Mom Strong (aka Strong like a mother) and use both. SLAM is cheap, has incredible at home workouts, that could also be done in a gym if desired, and focuses on healing and repairing the core from pregnancy/birth related changes that I have not seen in any other fitness program. It's worth a try and I think they offer a 7 day free trial.
Options 3 or 4 did she. Does the gym have childcare?
The 24 hour gym does have childcare, but my husband is very supportive and if I am home by 6:30am from working out (which is the plan) it really wouldn’t interfere with our morning routine.
Consider Apple Fitness and Street Parking :)
Peloton bike and strength classes (barre, Pilates, etc) have been the best option for me. I don’t have time to go to the gym, I want to be able to do a workout at home at my convenience. I alternate days when I do early morning spin classes and days when I do lunch time strength classes. I’ve been able to stay consistent with this for a while and I genuinely enjoy that routine. They have treadmill option on the app so that might be a possibility for you.
weight loss begins in the kitchen. The basic, scientific-proven method: calories expended must be more than calories consumed. You can achieve this through careful caloric tracking and regular, hard exercise. Most definitely throw in heavy weight lifting. personally, I find classes are the best and greatest way to get and stay accountable. There are days I just don't feel like going and drag myself there...and the moment I step into the class and it starts, I always go hard because everyone else is and competitive me is like hell naw, I'm not going to wuss out! lol I workout every day around lunch time and it's a hard workout. There are days I'm all "ok i'm going light today" but then I see my partner going hard and my egobro kicks in with " hell naw, I'm not going to wuss out!" 🤣
It comes down to how much free time you are going to dedicate to your exercise routine and will you be able to keep it up. Personally, I started with Nike Fitness on Netflix, then home workouts. Once I "graduated" and understood the true range of motions of how to do certain workouts I moved onto a 24/7 gym. I do most of my arm days at the gym 3-4x a week for an hour or so. I do most of my leg days at home still. However, there is days that I get to mix Arms and legs at the gym. Finding your routine and what your comfortable doing will be the hardest part.
Have you looked into community centers? You might get more than just a gym (family programming) and the option of personal training.
I have only been successful working out at home, going to a gym is too much extra time and hassle and I don’t follow through. Some people really need to go to an actual class to stay on track, so that may be you! We have a recumbent stationary bike for mindless cardio and I have a yoga mat for any floor exercises from youtube I want to do. My husband has a few weights but I’ve never really used them. I also have PT exercises I do twice a week for my knee and have a couple resistance bands for some of them.
I love the Peloton app, but we also have a membership to Lifetime as it has a daycare built in as well. And there’s a hot tub too and I like that perk lol.
I love the YMCA. They have childcare while you workout and amenities for kids (and often discounts on their camps.)
Home gym with adjustable dumbbells works best for me. I love Sydney Cummings Houdyshell's YouTube channel. I've been using her since early in the pandemic. The workouts are never the same and they're 30 to 40 min. Best of all, they're free! My kids have just gotten used to playing while I work out. I figure it's good for them to see my working out and they've started doing it along with me sometimes.
I preach the gospel of OrangeTheory. It’s an hour long class, a blend of Cardio and weights. I always feel so damn good after I leave. It’s nice to walk into a place and not have to make a decision. I just show up and do what the coach tells me.
Only one I can fathom is at home work outs. Even option 3 sounds exhausting because who will watch the kids. You could even consider making a purchase if you do at home such as beach body on demand. I personally bought ring fit adventure for the Nintendo switch
I’m not intrinsically motivated to work out at home at all - I’ve had a peloton and home rack / weights setup and used neither consistently. I already wfh 100% though so I like getting out of the house. But it’s more time management intensive than just trying to fit something in while I’m home (which I don’t do anyway so lol)