Please tell me how you balance all the exercise!

[kwormann]

I want to do cardio, weights and yoga. How would you balance this all into a week with work, home stuff etc.?

[Kristine]

Here's what I [try to] do. Granted, my situation is probably very different than yours, but that's okay--I go to school full time, work part time, and don't have alot of "home" stuff to deal with, so it's not as hard to fit in exercise. I do like to work out though, so I make it a priortiy (schedule it into my day).

My general plan: yoga 1-3xs per week (every Sunday, Tu/Th mornings when I can), weights 2 xs per week (usually Tu/Fri or Wed/Sat), cardio whenever it works (always on weight days, sometimes on yoga days, usually on other days). I tend to end up with 1-2 off days per week that vary depending on what my schedule is like. My cardio workouts are usually 30 minutes on some machine, but if I'm really in a pinch (or quite tired), I'll only do 20 minutes. Most days, I work out in the afternoon/evening....I actually hate exercising in the morning, even though it is nice to get it out of the way.

[HejazSunKat]

You have to carve out a time for it. I prefer to work out right after work. I like the stress relief of working out at the end of the day because it really puts me in a much better frame of mind (the old endorphin rush maybe?). It works for me because I still feel like I'm in 'work mode' for a little while after I get home so it doesn't seem too hard to just go get changed and do my thing. Feels almost like a continuation of the work day. I've claimed that (approx) 90 minute interval between the time I get home and the start of evening activities as my time and it's gotten to the point where it's become a habit and it's not a question of if I'm going to work out but simply what I'm going to do.

I like to do a combination of activities outdoors and indoors to keep it interesting and fun. I have tennis lessons twice a week which I count as part of my cardio quota and then I'll do aerobics (a video or a class depending on what part of the planet I'm on) one or 2 other times during the week. I try to get in weights twice a week too. Right now I'm only doing yoga when I need a break from beating myself up with more violent forms of exercise so maybe once a week I roll out the mat.

[MaryH]

What Linda said, except my time is EARLY morning. I have found that if I get it done, I'm not worrying about squeezing it in during the rest of the day. I also tend to be much grumpier if I don't get it in. :D

[MarciaTJ]

Trying to work it all out for me has come down to how I feel. Since I am back in "workout mode" that means I am doing 2 days of weights and 3 days of cardio - leaving my weekends as my "flexible days". Those are the dates where I do yoga or pilates if I am feeling guilty, but most often I just have regular weekend errands to keep me busy.

I always admire people who can keep going at a regular time every day, for some reason I don't seem to be so good at that. When I am feeling virtuous, I wake up and workout in the morning, but most days, my workouts fall somewhere between 12 noon and 6 PM, depending upon my work load, if I am working from my home office or not, etc. Also, I tend to work out from a minimum of 30 minutes to a maximum of 45 minutes per session, after 45 - I start getting impatient after that.

M

[SusanMac]

Doing a wide variety of different workouts is fairly new to me, too. But, I've found that it REALLY keeps me more interested and motivated to workout. I think because each day is a little different. And I end up working out on more days of the week, too.

And, I work hard to ignore all the little excuses in my head. They're usually not valid anyway. (Don't want to shower again is my most recent common one. But, too close to eating, need to go to the store, too windy, too much traffic are other common ones. Oh, and don't forget the old stand-by "don't feel like it.")

I also have tried mixing up who I workout with, also to give me variety. Most days I workout alone, but sometimes with DH and sometimes with a group of friends. It takes a bit more effort & planning to get together with friends, but is really, really fun. Much better than going to a movie together.

[sweetpea]

I don't work full time anymore, but when i did i used to get up early early to workout b/c i had a long commute and by the time i got home, all i wanted to do was make dinner/relax! :) But here is my schedule (which is the same as it used to be, but just not at 5 a.m. anymore!)

Mondays: Wt training AND cardio (i do a Firm video that combines the two)
Tuesdays: cardio only OR cardio and pilates (i walk on the trail near our home for about 40 minutes)
Wednesdays: see monday
Thursdays: see tuesday
Friday: see monday/wednesday
Saturday: cardio
Sunday: off

So in essence, i wt train on monday/wednesday/friday and get cardio EVERY Day and do pilates on my cardio days if i have time, etc.-i give myself an hour to get things done whether walk, walk plus 20 min. pilates or a Firm tape. JUST an hour--all for YOU!! And you get a great workout in that time, but can do it in less of course, if needed, not all days allow for that much workout time. Good luck, you can do it and happy working out! :)

[wallycat]

When I worked full time, I would go right after work, 6 days/week...doing aerobics/weights and karate.
When I started taking night classes or I had to fly somewhere, I'd get up at 4am to get my workout in. God to be young again :D
I think it was also easier for me because I wasn't married.
I don't know why, but when I was in a relationship, I always let it take over all areas of my life....silly me. It almost made working out easier when I had no one in my life. :rolleyes:

Now that I work part-time/free-lance, I can arrange the day so that my workouts are my priority. I told DH it's like a job for me...motivates me to keep at it. The only time I skip workouts is when we are doing road-trips and I consider that healing time for my bod :p

[Love to Run]

Fortunately I'm a morning person and have gotten used to running in the dark. And in the summer that is the coolest time of the day. Here's my schedule:

Monday-swim 45 minutes at noon
Tuesday-run 6 miles at 5 a.m.
Wednesday-run 3-4 miles at 5 a.m. & swim 45 minutes at noon
Thursday-run 6 miles at 5 a.m.
Friday-30 minutes weight training during lunchtime
Saturday-race whatever distance is available in the area
Sunday-long run-varies from 8-14 miles

This is my schedule when I'm not injured. I'm just now coming back from my second stress fracture (high risk for osteoporosis) and I need to add the weight training to my schedule but if anything gets bumped that is it. The great part about exercising early in the day is that you can eat well the rest of the day and since it's already done you won't come up with excuses not to get out there and do it.

Carole

[starrleicht]

I can so relate- my life has been getting busier than every and this once six-times-a-week faithfully worked out lifestyle has been totally turned topsy-turvy and I find myself totally drained by the end of the day with no motivation. There's a quick little quiz that might help you determine just where your problem lies. Here's the link, if interested:

Analyze Your Excuse for Lack of Exercise (http://www.fitnessandfreebies.com/health/analyze.html)

[kwormann]

I appreciate all the responses! I bought a small trampoline today and I LOVED jogging on it! Im a heat whimp and it is TOO hot here for me to be outside right now, so I did 20 minutes on it then did 15 minutes of weights. Tomorrow I hope to do 30 minutes then do yoga. If I can do this pattern 5-6 days a week, I think I will feel Im doing some good.

Thanks for the quiz....part of mu excuse is LAZINESS! Exercise is not something I like to do, so "not feeling like it" seems like a good excuse to me. I want to get into the otehr swing, where not doing it isnt an option to my brain!:)

[KValley]

Kim,

I'm a little late chiming in, but I'm going to anyway :p I recently returned to a traditional 8-5 job, after 4 years of telecommuting and traveling, so I've had to completely adjust my workout schedule and expectations. I don't have the schedule flexibilty I've enjoyed these
past years! To top it off, I've just started training for my first triathlon, which means introducing swimming into my workout routine; that's been the biggest challenge.

I'm a morning person and I do best when I program myself to workout first thing- then I have my evenings to relax, not rush through preparing or eating dinner, have time for a walk or bike ride with Brendan or just veg. I start out each week with a plan in my head of what's going to happen when. And now with the triathlon coming up, I have a written training plan.

I'm at the gym at 5:30 a.m. 4 days/week for 30 minutes of weights and 40-45 minutes of cardio (treadmill running or elliptical machine). One weekday morning I swim. Saturday morning I swim and run outside, then go to Pilates class. Sunday I swim, but it's also a "fun" day- hiking or a long bike ride.

Once the triathlon is over (late September) I'll swim once a week and start yoga again in the evenings.

Life has been such a rollercoaster recently- planning my workouts and starting each day knowing I've accomplished something that brings such immediate and fulfilling results gives me a sense of control over at least ONE area of my life right now.

In addition to starting each week with a plan- that takes the guesswork out of what I'm going to do each day (and takes care of the "if", too!)-It's also really helped me to have an event goal to work towards (and to tell people about it- then I feel OBLIGATED ;) ) - it gives me purpose when I am dragging and feeling like I'm spinning my wheels.

It might take several weeks to make it a habit, but soon you will notice how gloppy you feel when you DON'T exercise- your body, your spirit come to expect those lovely endorphins. A nice addiction to have :)

Julie

[kwormann]

OMG, JULIE!!!! I almost fell out of my chair when I saw your name! Where have you been? Ive missed my source of inspiration! Glad to see you back!!!

Again, you have showed me how it can all fit in!

What is your new job? I also have one this year!

[KValley]

Originally posted by kwormann
OMG, JULIE!!!! I almost fell out of my chair when I saw your name! Where have you been? Ive missed my source of inspiration! Glad to see you back!!!

Again, you have showed me how it can all fit in!

What is your new job? I also have one this year!

Hi there :) I didn't want to co-opt your thread or bore anyone, so I sent you a PM!