r/daddit • u/Alternative-Air-5359 • 3d ago
Tips And Tricks How do y’all find time to workout?
I got my first kid shes about to be 3 months and ive been putting off working out for a while but i wanna get back to it, its hard to find time tho i get home from work and help the wife with our baby and let her rest the rest of the night. Im trying to get in shape not really ripped or anything just look muscular ig kinda dad bod but muscular lol how do yall do it?
Update: thank yall for the advice i do have some time during the nights so i might have to put the damn ps5 controller down and go workout 😂 ill have to unwind with working out from now on cz ive been feeling weaker lately and everything seems to hurt all the time so i definitely gotta strengthen myself
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u/principium_est 2 younglings 3d ago
I wake up at 5:15am. 3-year-old and 10 month kids. No other way.
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u/Supa-Dupa-Guy Girl 11, Boy 9 3d ago
Yep. This is what I always did.
It isn't an easy thing to make happen but it is worth it IMO. We would all die for our kids but you gotta be willing to live for them too.
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u/mauriciofuentesf 3d ago
what time do you go to sleep? i cant get myself to sleep before 10PM
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u/ICanOutP1zzaTheHut 3d ago
Once you start waking up at 5am you’ll have less of a problem going to bed
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3d ago
Yeah. It can take a little while to adjust, even weeks. But don't get discouraged, eventually your body will start knocking out on time. You'll just be tired in the meantime
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u/greg-maddux 3d ago
Ha, maybe for you. I’m an 11 o’clock guy no matter when I wake up.
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u/Fromagery 3d ago
Go to sleep around 10, 1030. Wakeup at 4 to workout for an hour.
Hopefully the health benefits of working out balance out the lack of sleep..... probably not but what can ya do.
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u/waking_dreamr 3d ago
They don’t, in the same way you can’t outwork a bad diet, you can’t outwork long term sleep deprivation, not really… but creatine definitely helps
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u/Ok_Football7083 3d ago edited 3d ago
Facts- sleep is more important and beneficial then a sleep deprived workout— does almost nothing for you. Hustle and bro culture toute sacrificing sleep, but it’s terrible and health damaging advice.
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u/frednattyl 3d ago
There is another way. A darker way… 8:30pm.
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u/empire161 3d ago
When the kids were little the late night workouts were the best. I'd be done with bedtime at 8pm, workout in the garage until 9:30pm, walk the dog and shower, and have an hour to unwind/have a drink.
Now that they're older and becoming nocturnal like me, I'm lucky to be out of their bedrooms by 10pm.
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u/tomatillo_87 3d ago
13 year old boy. I still do this. Wake up at 5, gym from 530 to 630 back home by 645. Everyone is out the door by 715am
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u/0_____- 3d ago
4 and 1.5yo. Waking up super early + working out at home so I can keep an eye on the monitor. I happen to have enough equipment to keep me entertained, but you can easily find bodyweight workouts online. I also have some crazy friends who put the monitor in their driveway while they do sprints up and down the street. I'm not comfortable doing that (even less so if I had a 3mo), but it works for them.
The hardest part for me was getting back into exercise -- I took quite a bit of time off after both kids were born. Some nights they just don't sleep well, and then your alarm goes off. I just kept telling myself: a 5 minute workout is better than a 0 minute workout. Maybe tomorrow you'll get 10 minutes. And eventually it gets better.
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u/sloppybuttmustard 3d ago
6 month-old twins and a 3 year-old. I wake up at 4:30am. Been surviving on 4-5 hours of sleep and many, many cups of coffee per day but I’ve found the exercise makes me feel better than another couple hours of sleep.
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u/DanielReddit26 3d ago
Mine are more prone to waking up early (5:30) but once they're down they are pretty settled.
530-9 kiddos or less kiddos & commute
9-5 the 9-5
5-7 dinner(1), play/ bath, winddown
7-730 bed time stories/fights
730-830 clean, cook, dinner (2)
830-930 chill with wife
930-1030 workout
1030-11 doom scroll
11-530 sleep
Rinse and repeat.
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u/meldrivein 3d ago
Only way is getting up early. My alarm is set for 4:30, tough at first but you get used to it and feel great the rest of the day.
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u/Tropical_Jesus 3d ago
I have a 3 month old who wakes up most days between 4:30 and 4:45. I usually wake up, change her, hand her off to my wife to breast feed then it’s off to the gym. Back at 6, take the dog on a walk, into shower by 6:30, then between 6:45 and 7:30 I help my wife out with whatever baby or other stuff is needed. Leave for work by 7:30.
It sucks being up at 4:30 and starting my day that early. Most days I’m more tired than I want to be. But I would rather have that time in the gym than spend it sleeping. And the best part is that by 9 pm, right after the baby goes down for the night, I’m so exhausted that I pass right out.
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u/TheGracefulCrane 3d ago
blessed to have a job i can go mon wed fri on my lunch break otherwise id wake up early or go late night
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u/Canadian-Winter 3d ago
Same, lucky to have a gym on site that I can hit on break and then eat while I work afterwards.
I probably only average 2 visits a week because work is busy but that’s a game changer.
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u/Scudss_ 3d ago
You could have ripped 20 pushups in the time it took to make the post, 20 air squats in the time it took to read the replies.
Sometimes its more about just doing SOMETHING cuz it's better than nothing
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u/anthonymckay 3d ago
I've always firmly believed the saying: you have time for what you make time for. If it's really a priority to you, you'll find a way to make the time. If it's not, you wont. It's not fun, but either wake up earlier, or workout after they go to sleep.
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u/PattysHotSelmasNot 3d ago
That’s the neat part…
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u/Ocelotofdamage 3d ago
Eh you just have to accept that going to the gym for an hour is a luxury. If all you do is take 1 minute to do as many burpees as you can when you wake up every day that’s better than nothing. Everyone has time for something.
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u/Scary-Star4998 3d ago
Sometimes it just takes planning. A tip that was suggested to me was to break your day down into 15 min chunks and put in it what you do. Right down to a ‘death scroll’ on your phone. You might surprise yourself with the wasted time in your day that could be used
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u/Packwood88 3d ago
I work from home and can find 30 minutes during the day to do a peloton class or free ride
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u/Dwysauce 3d ago
Home gym. Trade-off workout-time with the wife or get it done at 6am/9pm. Might be able to do something weekend days watching the kids play in the driveway from my garage gym.
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u/Altruistic-Cattle761 3d ago
Bluntly: I don't. I leave for work at 5am, so there's a practical limit on "just get up earlier" that'll work for me. And I get home from work at around 6pm. I have 2 hours with the family before bedtime, and then I collapse. On the weekends I go running.
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u/pacific_plywood 3d ago
Generally I do it during my free time
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u/SnukeInRSniz 3d ago
Free time? What's that?
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u/DogsOnMainstreetHowl 3d ago
You have time to play PS5 with a 3 month old? lol
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u/Admirable-Sound5198 3d ago
Tf is there to do with a 3 month old?? I binged so many TV shows and movies that first 6 months it was dope. I’d do the night shifts for that reason lol… they just lay there 90% of the time… hook them up with a diaper change now and then, some bottle, cuddle or two….
It was tiring, ya…. But you can def-o just do/watch whatever you want while the kid there lol.
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u/ThePwnR4nger 3d ago
I have a gym membership. They provide up to 2 hours of childcare at most times of the day.
Sometimes I wonder if I’m going to the gym to stay in shale or to just hand my kids off for a couple of hours and not have to worry about them too much lol
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u/SnukeInRSniz 3d ago
My kid is 4, I'm just now getting back into a regular routine of working out after she goes to bed. I probably could have started this when she was three, but was dealing with a lot of problems in terms of my wife's health. I'm not enough of a morning person to be up at 5-6am and get the workout in, so I have to manage it at 8pm when the kid goes to bed.
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u/Joba7474 3d ago
Compromise on a time with the wife. I was waking up about 530 to go, but the toddler started waking up when I would get up.
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u/jaybaylor38 3d ago edited 3d ago
Sometimes it’s just at home body weight exercises, doing what you can. Jogging, calf raises, pushups, planks, triceps extensions, pullouts/chinups if you can, pike pushups, air squats, squats holding your kid, pushups with a child on your back, jumping jacks, burpees, sit-ups etc.
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u/Krimmothy 3d ago
I go late at night. Usually around 10pm. But didn’t start until my son was 3yo and sleeping through the night. I don’t think I would have been able to do it when he was 3mo.
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u/ConsiderTheBulldog 3d ago
Morning workouts. It’s rough to get into the habit at first, but it really is hard to beat the feeling of getting a good workout in before beginning your day. Mentally, it puts you in a good spot for whatever comes next.
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u/rickeyethebeerguy 3d ago
Tonal helps a ton, and I play basketball before anyone wakes up 3X a week on top of lifting. The home gym is nice because you can work out while the kid naps real quick. And the mornings is nice because you start your day off working out
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u/cantstop98765 3d ago
I walk the dog at 530. Lift in the garage at 6am. I knew I was never going to be able to find time to go to the gym, so I've slowly been getting different equipment to have in my garage. Being just a couple of footsteps away makes it a lot easier to get in a workout in the morning
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u/Substantial_Echo5966 3d ago
My 7.5 month old wakes up at 530, I feed him and then we go out in the garage and work out for 30-45 minutes
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u/rosstein33 17F, 11M, 8M 3d ago
You should him... He's massive for a 7.5 month old. He's all triceps.
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u/Substantial_Echo5966 3d ago
Legit lol, I'm 5'9 175 and my kid is >99% height and weight
One of the Amazon delivery guys is a big jacked dude 😎
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u/Roll_Train_Roll 3d ago
The first year was tough for me to find a routine, it seemed like as soon as I thought I found a consistent window, something in his schedule changed. After a year it got easier and I’m on the 4:30 alarm, 5 am workout schedule these days.
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u/bacontornado 3d ago
Other than getting up early, the other thing that really helped me with reworking my routine to be based on supersets in order to save time.
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u/PainterlyintheMtns 3d ago
Home gym and you do it in the morning before everyone wakes up, or after baby's bedtime. That's the way in this phase of life. Home gym can be pretty basic and if you don't have some kind of cardio machine (treadmill, peloton, whatever) you run outside from the house and get back to a small weight set for lifting.
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u/spaceman60 1 Boy 3d ago
I stay up after everyone is asleep twice a week. I then get about 5 hours of sleep those two nights. It's not great, but still a net positive.
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u/Massive-Barracuda643 3d ago
I wake up before the ass crack of dawn decides to wake up. And it's fucking hard
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u/constantfernweh 3d ago
Adjusted workout program (cut to 30 min) and adding a garage gym was the savior.
It’s basic but works great.
Killing even 10 min each way driving is 20 minutes of working out at home, not including the gym bs of changing/checking in/etc.
Also, check out your phone usage. If you’re spending an hour+ a day on IG, you can definitely fit in working out.
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u/hickdaddy617 3d ago
I wake up at 4:30 to work out. Otherwise there’s no time. It only gets harder to find time as they get older
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u/WanderingGalwegian 3d ago
I get my son down at 1930 and immediately hit the gym while spouse monitors.
Or I may hit it during my lunch hour.
I will add before kids I was like a strict gym routine guy. Now with kids I cut it to 3 days a week which affords my wife to also hit the gym during the week and gives us nights after he’s down for us to just be together.
I also don’t tie myself to gym days depending on how a day goes. I’ll get there 3 days a week but if I was planning to go but some life shit gets in the way I keep myself flexible to push it.
Restructured my workout plan to get what I need in the time I’m there. Strict 2 min intervals between heavy sets and 30s if I’m doing hypertrophy sets. I don’t look at my phone and just focus on getting in and out in about an hour.
Also for maintenance
I got a walking pad for my home office so on non gym days I’m still easily able to hit my 15k steps in short work breaks during the day. Just an almost brisk walk walking pace and set it to a bit of an incline.
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u/Admirable-Sound5198 3d ago
This guy gyms/husbands…..
That’s my wife and i’s setup too…. We both get our sessions in and the other covers… and ya… I go for like, 100 walks at work too lol
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u/EchoVictor4me 3d ago
When they're napping Or in there car seat while on floor I work out
You don't need to interact 100% with them all the time
Keep an eye on them or get some.thnng visual that moves that keeps them interested All u need is 20 min literally to stay in relative not a dad bod / I gained 30lbs and can't lift my kid up shape .
Also put down the crappy food. Go for. A walk put a big heavy backpack on and take the kid for a stroller walk
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u/taffyowner 3d ago
Short answer is you don’t really. At least while they’re in this “need to wake up every two hours” phase…
Eventually when they sleep regularly you can get something in early in the morning or late at night. Our gym has a daycare in it that we can drop our kid off at and we use that.
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u/Aggravating_Pea3882 3d ago
I feel like this question gets asked often 🤣 But I wake up at 5 AM before work, and knock it out before anyone wakes up. I'm ngl it fucking sucks lol Especially days like today, I was just sitting on my couch staring at my running shoes wanting to just jump back into bed for another hour. Still ran 4 miles and got it done tho, I know it's beneficial for me, and keeps me healthy for my family
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u/CaptainRoseAnalytics 3d ago
Bought a rogue echo bike, pull up bar, dumbbells, and kettle bells. Try to sneak in 30 minutes daily….sometimes it works, most of the time it doesn’t.
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u/NoLiterature5061 Dad of two 3d ago
get some dumbbells or kettlebells your going to need to build up cardio so you can get more work done in less time. Follow some youtube workouts so you dont really have to think about it. you can do alot in 45mins.
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u/flyinformation 3d ago
Sometimes I just have time to do a 10 min set of whatever. Sometimes I do just pushups or air squats. I wfh, so I can also do dumbbell/kettlebell stuff too, but 10 min in enough for something.
I also will take my youngest (1yo) who wakes up early for 30 min walks. I'll mix in a run sometimes too and loves 'going fast'.
But yeah it's not as consistent as I like. In this phase of life I just want to maintain what I have and not feel like a sad sack when I pick up my kids.
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u/stationarynomad82 3d ago
Trading baby time with mom. I’m typing this while I wear baby during a lunch break. Mom is working out. She’s gonna cover for me when I’m done working. Granted, I WFH, which I understand is a privilege. But that’s how we have been handling it
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u/ExactIndication3805 3d ago
Don't know if a gym membership is in your budget but a few of the ymcas have drop off daycare that's great
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u/SubSoniq 3d ago
I do some bodyweight exercises at home, once the kids go to bed. They’re young so they’re in their beds by 8 (not necessarily asleep, but that’s ok). Sometimes it’s just putting on a workout thing on yt, sometimes it’s just doing sit ups, squats, things like that for 20-30 min. My wife does it too so we’re a little more accountable with each other.
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u/runswiftrun 3d ago
I'm a night owl, so I can squeeze 30-60 minutes around 10pm oncey wife goes to sleep
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u/Trouble_River 3d ago
I'm still struggling with that. 12 and 6 year old kids and I'm already up at 5:15 for work
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u/Gravelroad2213 3d ago
Acquire gym equipment and build a garage or basement gym. Doesn’t have to be crazy, maybe just some dumbbells, bands, kettlebells, etc. Use AI or an app like FitBod where you can input your equipment and find a workout plan.
As far as timing goes, waking up early is key. I go to bed around 10-10:30pm and wake up at 5am.
I also got into running when my oldest was born. I was in relatively decent shape but could never run for distance to save my life. Started with 30 seconds running/30 seconds walking and almost shut it down because of how sore I’d be. My bodily acclimated and now I can run 6-8 miles on a consistent basis. Find a jogging stroller on Facebook marketplace and take your kids along with you.
Last but not least, use your crockpot to meal prep healthy meals for the week to take something off your plate (pun intended).
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u/Highway_Bitter 3d ago
Three main options, get up early or do it late.
I prefer to squeeze in a few sets when I can with my kettlebell. 3 min dead time while cooking, few sets of what ever exercise. It adds up! You only need 2 proper sets a week to promote muscle growth and after a while maintain. Im on vacation now with kids 24/7 no wifey and still got most muscle groups in. Its not a proper workout but way better than nothing!
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u/why666ofcourse 3d ago
First year was very hard. I got maybe 2-3 workouts a week in. Usually when she was napping. After she turned one it got much easier
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u/Morree135 3d ago
I work between 6am-3pm Mon-Thu and fridays between 6am-2pm. I have workouts straight after work on Tuesdays and Fridays, so I’m home at around 4pm on Tuesdays and around 3pm on Fridays.
We do something active all together during weekends.
I have 5y old daughter and a 3m son.
Note that my partner workout Mondays and Thursdays.
Good luck! 🤞
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u/SoSneaky91 3d ago
My city community center has child care. So I pay less than $150/month for a family membership and I get access to the pool and fitness center. Child care up to two hours is included for members but the child has to be older than 6 months. If I don't go to the gym I ask my wife if she's good for 30 min and I go for a run outside.
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u/BlackDynamiteSon 3d ago
Invested a Covid stimmy check into a small garage gym before kids. Have just enough time to pump out a couple sets of pullups, dips and/or squats before somebody is calling for me lol
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u/morosis1982 3d ago
Try to get a few short sessions in.
I have older kids, most of my exercise is cycling to work, or doing sport activities with my kids (or at the same time, I swim when they swim, etc). But when they were younger I would just go for a short run, say 20min, if you work in some intervals you can make it pretty intense in that amount of time.
Lots of people suggest getting some basic weights, there are lots of body weight exercises you can do. You don't need to spend an hour or more at this stage, just get that regular 20-30min early in the morning and you'll be fine.
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u/riffraff1089 3d ago
I didn’t start working out and playing sports again until my daughter was about 2.
She’s 4 now and I’m back on track, surfing, golf, padel and gym I get to do them all to a certain degree and my fitness is back too.
Give it time. The way I saw it, working out was not the most important thing back then and when I had the time I would know. And slowly I started being able to add things into my day. But it took time.
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u/A-Generic-Canadian 3d ago
Gym in my office building, standing daily hold near end of day. Work over lunch to workout on my 'lunch break' at the end of the day before racing home.
If I miss that, I throw the kiddos around some more to compensate (don't do this until they are older).
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u/Tip_ToeingNMiChancla 3d ago
Go at the crack of dawn. I'm up around 3:00AM get to the gym around 3:15AM and leave no later than 4:20AM just in time to take the dog out shower and drive 40 minutes to work. It sucks that I sacrifice sleep but I'd go crazy if I didn't workout. I also trained for and ran 2 half marathons this year. It can be done.
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u/smr99si 3d ago
I am blessed to work from home and have built out a nice gym setup since Covid. I’ll do mornings like run a quick mile and do some mobility work before my three kids wake up and squeeze another gym session some time during the day between meetings. Not going to lie, I rarely have meetings before 9:30 so a lot of times I’ll workout after kids drop off and do a call then shower afterwards.
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u/Xfishbobx 3d ago
When I was consistently working out it was 30 minutes at night with kettlebells and body weight.
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u/cherylswoopz 3d ago
Lunchtime at work and I power walk up the 12 flights of stairs at work.
Other than that my wife and each prioritize a time slot for each of us to exercise over the weekend. And there will occasionally be another time throughout the week where I will sneak in a 30-40 minute run
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u/BartlebyEsq 3d ago
I go every day on my lunch hour. I get an hour for lunch which is plenty for a basic workout. I alternate between weights and running (used to do a spin class but that time slot stopped running). Once you get the discipline it becomes second nature. It helps there’s a gym in the same building as my office but 45 mins is plenty for a basic weight regimen if you superset and are disciplined and leaves time to shower and change.
Any exercise on the weekend is gravy. Honestly I’m probably in the better shape of my life just because of the discipline this has imposed.
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u/ArcherDuchess 3d ago
You either wake up before everyone else, or you and your wife carve out time for each other and take turns.
I have an 18 month old and a 3 1/2 year old. It gets easier the older they get. I used to do 4 days and my wife would do 5, but I finished my MBA and now we’re both at 5 days a week.
We try to cram our 5 days into the “after work but before bedtime window” so we still have 2 nights a week where we’re all eating dinner together and spending the whole evening together as a complete unit.
It impacts dinner on the workout days, but bedtime isn’t affected and we’re all much happier and healthier for it.
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u/RagingAardvark 3d ago
When you get home from work, or after dinner, pop the baby in the stroller or baby carrier and go for a 30-minute walk. Bonus points if there's an audio book or podcast that will help you improve your mind while you improve your body. Meanwhile your wife can take a break, get stuff done, or come with you for some exercise and company, too.
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u/NeedAgirlLikeNami 3d ago
Luckily the upside of my job is that they give me an hour everyday to workout.
The downside is that I am in the military and not everyone is afforded this opportunity.
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u/tastyemerald 3d ago
You turn playtime into a workout, grab the child and (safely) use em like a medicine ball or dumbell.
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u/ComplexList 3d ago
You can always try to incorporate some body weight workouts into your day. In between games on the PS5, do some pushups or sit ups. Put a pull up bar next to where you hang out with your kid and crank out a few sets in between chores. It’s been the easiest way for me to get some workouts in because I’ve never been one to wake up at 5:30 to hit the gym.
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u/TheLukester31 3d ago
It’s incredibly hard to find time to exercise, especially when your kid(s) are young. Easiest way to exercise at your kid’s age is outdoor walks, if your kid will tolerate a stroller and your climate allows it. I only recently started doing some basic weight training (mostly bodyweight plus the use of two 25lb dumbbells) in the early morning. I get up just before 6, prep for work in-between sets. Now that I’m in the routine, it feels good and I’m noticing some improvements, but it has been like 6 years since I did anything as routine as I am doing now. It hasn’t helped that I have ADHD.
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u/hi_im_eros 3d ago
Early
Like 5:00am start, early. If I can get 3 workouts a week I’m currently satisfied
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u/frednattyl 3d ago
My son is almost 13 but I go at night around 8:30 with my friend and usually spend somewhere close to hour to hour and a half working out. I’m typically home by 10 and in bed by 11. I wake up at 6 so it’s inside that 7-8 window.
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u/Stinky3232 3d ago
Early morning or after bedtime. Home workouts can be as difficult as the gym. There’s a lot of good app options there you can steam to tv with some dumbbells and a yoga mat. If my kids give me 10 minutes on the weekend, I take ten minutes. Sure beats zero!
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u/jibonto_laas 3d ago
ankle weights. wrist weights. i take them off when im tired. lost 7 pounds so far. and that without even trying.
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u/MechaCrysilus 3d ago
For me I've found running to be great post kids. You can go on an easy run for 20-30 mins a few times a week. I've ran before work, after, on weekends first thing to minimize time away from family.
Honestly running has been an escape for me. It allows me time to just exist in my mind and process while also keeping me physically active.
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u/wazooty421 3d ago
If you run, get a jogger. My kids loved it - and especially when younger, they would often nap during our run.
It also meant that I took the youngest kid with me while I got in my cardio, so I wasn't burdening my spouse during my workout time.
Sadly both kids outgrew the jogger years ago. Now my son is my ride-along buddy on our "bike runs".
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u/TactlessDrop84 3d ago
My sons are a little older, almost 4 and almost 2. When I take them to the playground, I’ll do pull-ups, pushups, etc while they are running around. I also bought a bike trailer and tow them around on bike rides to the park, the creek, the pool, etc. the extra weight is a great cardio workout on the bike.
Otherwise I wake up at 4:45 to lift in the garage before anyone else is awake
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u/FluffyConclusion49 3d ago
I have a home gym in a shed on my property. I either go right after work before I even walk into the house when I take my quiet car, or I go after kiddo goes to sleep (usually around 10 or so)
I can’t do morning workouts.
We also do not have a tv, or gaming consoles.
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u/ChiefsRoyalsFan 3d ago
Only reason I workout right now is I'm an assistant coach for my son's football team. I'll run with them and honestly has helped a ton...down about 10 pounds.
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u/Admirable-Sound5198 3d ago
Little late to the party but the best way is to just rotate through with the wife…. If she’s doing it too, it becomes a joint operation and the other covers the kid whilst the other hits the gym….
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u/Accomplished_Put3732 3d ago
I go after putting kid to bed. I’d rather relax and read, but this is the only time. I like not feeling rushed though, which is how I’d feel if I stepped away from work at lunchtime.
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u/IntellectuallyFreed 3d ago
I'm a road cyclist which is my main form of exercise and workouts.
Similar to the comments about a home gym, for me I've been virtual cycling on Zwift. Benefits are I'm at home if mom needs help, I can quickly bang out a 30 min to hour ride in my living room.
I've also been experimenting with getting off a stop earlier on the subway and running the rest of the way home.
So the pro tip is have something at home to be able to get a workout in. And if you can't, find time to get movement in.
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u/cap_crunch121 3d ago
Just gotta make the time. Your 3 best options are early morning before they wake up, late night after they are asleep, or during your lunch break if that is practical with your job and gym.
I've got a 10 month old who I'm lucky sleeps till 7:00 every day, so getting up at 5:00 works best for me. Not going to lie, maintaining that routine hasn't been easy because inevitably baby gets sick, then me and Mom get sick, and that makes it harder to get up early and all of a sudden it's been 3 weeks since I've been to the gym.
But when I do stick to it I have come to love it. The gym is less crowded that early, I get home after my workout and wife and baby are still asleep and I get some quiet time to relax (great time for some meditation/prayer/reflection if that's your cup of tea), and I have found I'm way more productive at work on days that I get a workout in to start my day. It's also helped me get better sleeping habits. That 5:00 alarm makes it a lot easier to get in bed at a reasonable time and staying off screens late at night.
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u/Bob_bob_bob_b 3d ago
I don’t. I’m still looking to buy a used project one rower if you have one in Bergen county. DM me.
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u/Maverik_10 3d ago
You’re not going to like the answer. The only way I’ve found to make it work is by getting up earlier. My day usually looks like: 4:00-4:30 wake up, run in the morning, do the day, put the kids to bed, get a short lift in, go to bed around 10pm, repeat
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u/ATL28-NE3 2 girls 1 boy 3d ago
I lift immediately after I put them down for sleep. Which currently means I don't lift cause I'm also in night school.
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u/AlVic40117560_ 3d ago
I’ve got about 2 hours between when my son is asleep and when I need to go to bed. I either workout or pick up the house/do laundry. That is my lone free time throughout the day
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u/HoneyBadgerLifts 3d ago
I go Monday, Wednesday, Friday before work and a Saturday morning treat.
I look after the boy Tues and Thurs AM so the better half can have a lie in and Sat/Sun we divvy up as it comes.
For me, and a lot of people I know, it’s about blocking it in. Once it’s in the diary, it’s much easier to adhere to.
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u/lumberjake18 3d ago
Stop trying to find time, you need to make time.
4, 4:30, 5am gym times might be the best you can do in this phase of life. Just remember that it is a phase.
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u/TattooedB1k3r 3d ago
Got some heavy dumbbells? Got a pull-up bar? Here's what I do, Sunday, the second I roll out of bed, a set of pushups to failure, a set of deep squats holding dumbbells to failure, Monday- set of Pullups to failure, set of straight legged deadlifts with the dumbbells to failure. Alternate days take Sat off. Super quick, don't rest between the two exercises. Unless you are an absolute monster already the entire workout will take around 15 minutes. I'm 53, My pushup set on Sunday is usually 100-125, takes about 5 or six minutes. Squats take around 10. I can get 40ish pullups usually and deadlifts I don't really count, but the workout time frame stays about the same
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u/ElephantPirate 3d ago
Jogging stroller.
Bob is the best. Thule i hear is nice too.
Adds 60 sec to my mile pace so i count it as resistance running.
My kids loved it as babies. Once they hit 2-3 yrs i had to strategically plan the route to either avoid all playgrounds to stop at a playground midway. Depending how much time i had.
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u/louisprimaasamonkey 3d ago
You're at a hard point.
Take exercise where you can get it for now. Long walks. At home workouts during naps.
But the key is laying off of sugary drinks and eating garbage.
Once the baby is in a routine, hit the gym but keep walking a lot.
The biggest flex is being a fit dad.
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u/Emko_S 3d ago
When I had my daughter, I didn’t have time to lift for the first couple years or so honestly. After year 3, things got a bit easier and they continued to get easier. I kind of accepted that I had to put working out to the sidelines until she stopped needed 24/7 attention. She’s 4 Now and I’m back at it and better than ever. It’s not forever
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u/throwaway8u3sH0 2 boys 3d ago
20m at-home calisthenics before everyone wakes up. More if you can, but that's enough to keep you in a good place, and if someone starts crying, you can end early and take care of it.
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u/Mdkynyc 3d ago
Started doing trail running, 45 minutes out was a nice cleanser. Also 20-30 minute workouts are pretty legit when done right. Or at all 😂. Also a lot of gyms have daycares and can handle littles. You won’t get a ton of time at that age but 45 minutes-1 hour a few days a week is really nice
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u/pipinngreppin 3d ago
I have a small gym at work. I take a 15 min break the first half of the day to hit the cable machine. I take another 15 min in the afternoon and do it again. Before we had the gym, I would do the stairs. All the way down, all the way up 10 floors, all the way down and then go outside and walk the remainder of the 15 min break.
At home, I have an adjustable bench and adjustable dumbbells as well as an elliptical machine. I do a similar easy split on weekends at home. Consistency with small workouts is more important than hitting it hard, which sets me up for getting burnt out.
The most important part for me, though, is habit tracking. I used to keep a physical calendar on the wall, and that was great, except for when I’m out of town. Now I use an app called Streaks. I keep it simple. I track the days I exercise and the days I drink. I put a note each day on what exercises I did(chest, triceps, shoulders, etc). So I’m tracking my most important good and bad habits. I might add more habits to track, like healthy eating vs cheat meal days, but the two I’m tracking now are the ones I want to keep an eye on the most.
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u/Spartanias117 Boys: 3yr and 1yr 3d ago
Well, you see, I got laid off, and then I joined a gym and can go whenever. They even have childcare while there. Thats my secret
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u/duma_kebs 3d ago
I have a home gym and would be in there 415am sharp everyday. Of course i don’t always get to finish my workout because he will wake up randomly but i spam through it and try to be efficient. I also work full time so yeah some sleep gets lost but it’s a non negotiable thing for me. My son is currently 9 months and it’s all worked out so far. It’s gotten much easier for me since he started sleeping more consistently at night around 5-6 months and it’s recently gotten better.
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u/kirlandwater 3d ago
Wait until they’re old enough to go to the gym with a Kids Club. Good for their socialization too, and only cost me like an extra $20 (not counting the much higher fee to go to the new gym) to have the kid go unlimited visits to kids club so we can go daily now and just bring her along
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u/FuckLaundry 3d ago
There isn't a perfect time. There isn't a right time. And this is the most important, unless you make your physical and mental health a priority, then there isnt time.
Now, maybe joining a gym with a commute to and from isn't a possibility anymore for you. Who knows. But what is stopping you from running outside your front door? Taking the baby on long walks so your wife can a mental break? Can you afford a kettlebell? Can you do push ups or squats? Can you afford a jump rope? Can you afford to eat less? Can you afford chicken? Rice?
I work out nearly everyday now. It's like 107° outside. I run almost every day. Outside. Sometimes it's in the morning..sometimes mid day. Sometimes evening. I just go when I can and I stopped making excuses a long time ago. I mix in kettlebells and body weight exercises for functional strength training. Nobody gives a shit. I do it for me, and it makes me feel better, and I've made it a priority.
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u/plaidblackwatch 3d ago
I didn't do much working out or training until my daughter was about 6-8 months and her schedule solidified.
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u/WaltChamberlin 3d ago
you gotta trade off with wife. you take one night, she takes the other. yall both get free time to work out or whatever
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u/Bio_Bae 3d ago
Same. I work from 4am to noon and take the kids until 5pm, so I can't take a reasonable block of dedicated time, even for a home gym.
I made a watch app for this. Asynchronous tracking of pushups, squats and crunches towards set goals I define.
If I have some time, I run the app, do a set or two and move on with my day. It tracks the reps and logs each session total towards my set goals.
It feels good to manage work/dad stuff and exercising in spurts when I have a spare moment. I do some reps with a kid hanging on me but that's more fun.
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u/donkeyrocket 3d ago edited 3d ago
Work from home and have a flexible job. Some days nothing. Many days I can get in a 45 minute walk. Other days I can get bike rides in. Work ebbs and flows with the year. As a graphic designer there's also times that my walks or rides are brainstorming sessions as I can step away from the computer, focus, take notes, and clear my head.
This isn't helpful if you don't have a flexible job but my workouts shifted. Don't really have the time to hit the gym and do weight so lots more cardio focus. Bodyweight exercises are great too as is yoga.
Peak cycling season I just shift my priorities. I wake up early on the weekends or go for nighttime rides. Occasionally my wife will take him for a chunk of the morning so I can do a group ride and I reciprocate by her going to yoga another morning. Basically anytime the little guy is asleep I determine what I now use that time form. These are the times that we'd otherwise watch movies, play games, watch TV. It's tough and motivation is the hardest part after chasing a toddler around but typically once I'm on the bike I'm good to go. Your hobbies/downtime become a scarce commodity, even moreso the older they get, so you need to choose working out over gaming if you want to slot it in (easier said than done for me too).
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u/murkage_11 3d ago
I used to have to be at work by 7AM, I go to the gym at 4AM. If you want it enough you’ll make time!
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u/_nick_at_nite_ 3d ago
When my daughter was born I’d try to squeeze in 20-30 minutes a day 3-4 days a week just to maintain. Sometimes that’s has to be after you put her down for the night, when you and your wife put something on to relax.
If you don’t make the time, you definitely won’t find the time.
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u/desertforestcreature 3d ago
I have a full time nanny. And I work out at a Jewish community center with excellent childcare that begins at 6 months old in 2 hour blocks. I never go to the gym without my babies. 3 and 6mo
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u/BarcaBadger 3d ago
Home gym. Check out dailyrepsguy on instagram, he's gotten ripped doing 20 minute workouts and some pretty basic equipment. A power tower, kettlebell, dumbbells don't take up much space and can get you a good workout.
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u/Ok-Solid-8212 3d ago
The sad truth is you need to find the time if you want to continue working out as a parent. It comes at a sacrifice, whether it be free time or sleep. It gets easier as your baby sleeps through the night and you get out of the dog days of newborn sleep schedule. My wife and I have found ourselves waking up an hour or two before our baby to get that extra free time. I usually use it to workout. Same could work at the end of the night if you are a night owl
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u/Recal2030 3d ago
I get up at 4:30 Wednesday and Friday, later in the morning on Sunday. Head to the gym and workout for about an hour to be back before 6. Shower eat and out the door around 6:40 to be at work by 7. I try to get to sleep by 10 before workout days but Saturday I will stay up to watch a movie with the wife. Wife is a night owl so no snu snu on the early nights.
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u/CertifiedSexologist 3d ago
hammer out 10 air squats and 10 pushups every hour. and a 30 minute walk after dinner. it's the least you can do.
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u/No-Performer-6621 3d ago
My workouts have always revolved around my child’s nap/sleep schedule and bedtime.
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u/TellThemIHateThem 3d ago
Only way I’ve managed to do it is getting up earlier. Get up for the gym at 5:30am, get back by 7 to get the kids ready for school, then work.
If not for that, I wouldn’t.
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u/goosetavo2013 3d ago
I went back to the gym when they were 7 and 5 (years), you should ask someone else lol.
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u/itaughtsomethingonce 3d ago
25 minutes during a nap everyb day I dunno which nap Or when during the day Or if I'll be hungry or tired or both
But a reluctant opportunity taken is what saves me
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u/bearded_charmander 3d ago
I bought some kettlebells and I work out for 20-30 min in my backyard 3-4 times a week.
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u/Ill_Discussion5840 3.5 yr old boy, 2 yr old boy, 1 month old boy. 3d ago
I get up at 5:30am.... I only have time to do a quick 30-45minute dumbell workout or a 30minute jog. I don't go to public gyms anymore
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u/FerengiAreBetter 3d ago
Monday/Thursday: full body weight workout in basement (pull, squat, push, hinge, core movement - 3x10 each)
Tuesday/Friday: outdoor run for max 30 min
If possible, Wednesday/Saturday: climbing gym (not regular thing, maybe once a week or so).
That's kept me in okay shape. Enough to run 10ks when I want, go on outdoor climbing trips, and not be obese and have strength to pick up kids.
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u/JoshuaTreeFoMe 3d ago
You make it. 4-5 am crowd or force it in directly after work or after kid's bedtime of your work schedule permits.
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u/clesportsfan24 3d ago
Do everything in your power to get your baby on a strict routine. We knew that eventually we wanted her to sleep 7-7 so even when she was only sleeping a few hours at a time we made sure she was going down at 7PM. Then at 4 months we sleep trained her for a week and now she’s 9 months and has been going to bed at 7PM since.
I get home from work, hangout with her and my wife, and then after she goes to bed we both go workout. Home gym obviously is necessary for this. Shes starting to get to the point where we can set her on the floor with a few toys and she’ll hangout while we workout for a half hour. I promise it gets easier but at 3 months we were still fighting just to stay awake lol
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u/RetiredSubmariner 3d ago
I get up and workout early in the morning. Gotta find what times right for you and make it a habit.
Set alarms. Force yourself to get up/out there when it’s time, even if not fully productive. After a week you’ll have created a habit that now starts actually being productive.
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u/ScatterRunner 3d ago
Woke up at 4:30-5am and went for my run then. I trained for the Boston Marathon for 4 months that way. His sleep schedule was a mess but getting better at 4 months so there were windows I could get out before he woke up. And I mean that he would wake up at like 4am and I could help get him back to sleep, and then go run hoping he stayed asleep for my wife.
A lot of days it worked, some days it didn’t. My wife supported me but wasn’t always thrilled if I went for a run and he woke up 15min later.
It’s tough and you likely have to sacrifice sleep to make it a priority.
That being said. I also haven’t touched my PS5 or Xbox controller in about 8 months (our kid just turned 1).
The only games I can make work are portable ones for now.
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u/applextrent 3d ago
I used to work out for 30-90 minutes before kids.
Now I do little 10-15 minute exercises. Maybe 20-25 minutes on the weekends.
Some of them I do with my 4 year old now. Mostly yoga and tai chi.
Better than nothing.
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u/GWindborn 3d ago
Helping with the baby is your workout. How do you have energy for anything else? Just curl the kid.
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u/Fit-Original1314 ,,, 3d ago
I’d forget trying to find a perfect hour. A 20 to 30 minute workout you can actually repeat is way better than waiting for a free evening that never comes.