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Twin Cities Mom Collective

Where to Really Find the Time to Work Out

Where to Really Find the Time to Work Out | Twin Cities Moms Blog

I was a religious morning worker-outer B.C. (before child). But A.C., the logistics of getting a tiny human and myself out the door, an unfortunately loud shower pipe that shares a wall with said human’s bedroom and swapping workout time with my husband keep me from the blissful 5 a.m. runs I used to love.

So, I get creative. It’s not always pretty. It’s often humorous. My coworkers regularly see me in a singlet. And do I get to shower within a reasonable timeframe after my workouts? Hahaha.

Yeah, yeah, I can stream a 20-minute workout in my basement or run after toddler-bedtime or even make it to the gym if I prioritize like crazy – which often I do. But if I’m being honest, sometimes it’s just too much to squeeze into my busting-at-the-seams day. And I know I’m not alone.

Here are a few of my totally unglamorous, in-a-pinch strategies in case they spark ideas for any other mamas trying to fit it all in:

The I-Gotta-Run-Home-Real-Quick: No, not the BRB-I-forgot-my-wallet kind of running home. I actually RUN home from work. At quitting time, I jump into my running clothes and zoom out. I’m lucky to carpool with my husband, so I can run as long or short as I want, hopping out of the car at any point on our route – but public transit also works great to get to a starting line somewhere between work and home. My husband picks up the toddler, and by the time they assume their waiting positions on the front porch, I’m usually panting down our block.

The Death March Nap: The second my daughter turned two, she refused to nap in any static location. But she still needs the nap, so it’s critical she’s either in the car or the stroller in the early afternoon. Enter the longest walks of my life. I see the telltale eye-rub and jump into action: workout clothes on, water bottle filled, podcast loaded, into the stroller, she’s asleep in 17 seconds. And then I walk. And walk. And walk. Until she wakes up an hour-and-a-half or two hours later. (Oof, I’m getting sweaty just thinking about it.) Two birds, one stone.

The Clean House Circuit: Clean the toilet, do 10 burpees. Switch the laundry, do jumping jacks for a minute. Get the quiche in the oven, set a pushup record. It looks like a freak show, yes, but it’s efficient as can be. Because I still like some structure in my workouts, I have some analog plans to guide me – no pausing a video or trying to catch up with an app. {BodyBoss is one I like, minus all the Barbie-people. The workouts come in a spiral-bound book and are no joke, but can be done with no or very simple equipment you likely have around the house.}

Netflix and Sweat: When my burning need to work out collides with my burning need to chill. I can crush a serious circuit in half an episode of OITNB and barely notice. Except for the sweat. There’s always the sweat.

Do you squeeze your workouts into creative spaces and places?

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