FTWM who workout

I need some opinions/feedback from FTWMs who make exercise a priority.

Before I got pregnant I was an avid gym go-er. I'd be there every morning before work and get in a good hour of cardio, lifting, HIIT, etc. Since getting pregnant, I've scaled down a lot. My main source of exercise is walking.

I'm due in November and with my dr's okay I plan on getting back into a routine. I'm trying to figure out how I'm going to do that while working full time and having a newborn.

DH has to be at work at 6AM so I can't go to the gym in the A.M. I work 9-5 with a 45 min. commute. When I get home I'd like to spend time with DH and the baby. I could do the gym at night, but I'm a little worried I'll be so tired (I've never been a night owl) that after I clean and cook I'll just want to go to relax.

I'm trying to figure out if I should keep my gym membership or cancel it. If I cancel it we would get an elliptical for the house (I already have free weights) and I'd probably do either P90x or insanity. I'm just worried because I've never been w/o a gym membership!!

So I was just wondering what other FTWMs do for exercise?

FTWM who workout

i was just like you before babies. i no longer have a gym membership. at first, i did because there was a gym very close to me. i woould sometimes go at night or on the weekends, but not enough. then i hurt my back and couldn't work out anyway, so i cancelled. i've moved and made a home gym. elliptical, bike, free weights and some other stuff. i don't use it often enough because I already get up at 5:30, don't get home until 7 on a good day, my kids go to bed late, and after that i either have to work, clean or am just wiped out. i use it on the weekends, and try to squeeze in toning stuff throughout the day while doing other stuff.

FTWM who workout

You may find out that you NEED to get out of the house for at least an hour each day and away from work to keep your sanity.

I don't have a gym membership, but have a yoga membership, and I find that the reason I don't go as much has nothing to do with work, DS, DH but because of complete LAZINESS.

It's so easy for me to get home at night and say "Oh I don't feel like going back out" or on the weekend to say "Oh it's so nice out today, I just want to lounge in the backyard".

When my yoga membership runs out I am actually considering getting a gym membership instead because I think it would also be a more productive use of my time.

The yoga is at least 90 minutes, not factoring in driving time and getting there a little early to secure a good spot.

The gym is like a 2 minute drive from my house and has later hours.

In the past when I had a gym membership, I could get a decent work out in within an hour's time frame.

FTWM who workout

I don't belong to a gym. I have a treadmill which was perfect for the running when my youngest was born. I'd put her in her swing and watch her from the treadmill. I also did a lot of walking in the first few weeks after she was born. I have Jillian DVDs for cross training days.

Now that they are older, I run before work or when my husband gets home.

Re: FTWM who workout

Id keep the membership if possible if you ever have chance to get out and want a reason LOL I like to go late at night after the kids are in bed but with a newborn no matter what it will be tough. Maybe can you buy something for the house and keep the membership?

Re: FTWM who workout

I wake up at 4:30am to run outside. I leave for work at 6:15. My husband works afternoons, so I cant workout when I come home at 4pm because I relieve the babysitter.
It took some getting used, but for now, there is no alternative. Besides, it really helps me focus on the day and gives me energy.

Re: FTWM who workout

FTWM who workout

Thanks for the input ladies. Lately I've been leaning towards keeping the membership and fitting in it when I can.

Re: FTWM who workout

When I work out depends on time of year/DH's schedule.

Sometimes I get up at 4:45 so I can run on the treadmill at 5:00, before work.

Sometimes I run after work, while DH plays with DD.

I don't run after DD goes to bed because I am just out of energy at that point.

For me, I know I would never use a gym membership because I don't want to take the extra time to drive there and back. So if it were me, I would forgo the gym membership in favor of a piece of exercise equipment for the house.

Re: FTWM who workout

From my experience, you have to make things available to you at home. I have a home gym with a treadmill, elliptical, bench and weights. (had a recumbent bike but recently got rid of it). Also get DVDs... yoga, pilates, insanity, jillian michaels,... those are the ones i do most.

When I worked f/t it was either super early, right after work and had DH pick the baby up, or at night after the baby went to sleep. Make use of the weekends wen DH is around.
Do HIIT, tabata, onthe days you know you wont have time.
Save longer workouts for when DH can help out.

Now I work p/t and still schedule workouts the same way, but I also have nap time on the days i'm home.

you can also do little things throughout the day. Like do a few squats while blowdrying your hair. Drop down for 10 pushups in your office at work.

Re: FTWM who workout

My DS is 3 so it's a little different then when I had a newborn, but I will say that what works for me is planning around DH's schedule for the week the nights that I want to go to the gym. Then, when I get home from work on those nights, I change right into my workout clothes. That way, I feel like I am ready to go as soon as I can get away. It also makes me feel guilty if I don't go but I'm already wearing the clothes! I like the feeling I get when I'm working out at the gym. I feel happy because I'm doing something just for me and that makes me feel so good. I need that not as a mom but as a woman! It helps me keep my sanity lol

Re: FTWM who workout

Colleen I like you would spend at least 5 days at the gym and am due in October. I plan to still go like i used to which will be at 5:30 am but DH does not leave for work till 8-9 am so that works for me. Also i get home around 6pm and if i needed to i have my mom who cld help me watch baby for a bit if I wanted to go take a class or run etc... I would not cancel your membership yet I would first see if you cld fit it in and then take it from there. Even if you only make it there one day during the week and on weekends.

Re: FTWM who workout

Before kids i went to the gym religiously. After kids, we bought a treadmill. I know you can't run anymore so I would suggest an elliptical

FTWM who workout

There is a fitness center for employees onsite (you have to pay monthly for membership - comes out of my paycheck) at my job. I joined just because they started offering (for a fee) yoga & Zumba during lunch hours. I know I wouldn't be able to do anything (or be motivated - LOL) before or after work based on my schedule.

FTWM who workout

I started to go running during my lunch hour. Its much better for me bec I come home and I know I excercised already.

Re: FTWM who workout

Will keeping your membership motivate you to go?

After DS was born, it took me quite a while to get back into a true routine. I couldn't really do it until he was STTN which wasn't until 6 months (3 months after going back). Between working, being up at night, nursing/pumping I was exahausted.

I was running here and there and slowly getting back into shape. I signed up for crossfit once he started sleeping and it was the best thing I could've done. I was forced in the middle of the winter to put on my workout clothes and leave the house after I nursed DS to sleep at night. In the freezing cold I would go to the crossfit (which was in a freezing cold garage at that point - they hadn't officially leased a space yet).

Now with 2 kids it is much, much harder. There is even less time in the day. I am not back at work yet, but when I do start up again DH will take the kids to daycare and I will go workout right before work (most days I don't have to go in until late). I forced myself to sign up for a gym membership and it is the only thing that forces me to plan enough time to get out of the house. Otherwise, I would much rather stay in my PJs and sleep after the kids are in bed for the night.

So bottom line is you will have to find what works for you. What will motivate you to work out. You will find the time if you really want to, it will just take some time to get back into a routine. Go easy on yourself until then! You will find your groove soon enough

Re: FTWM who workout

My kids are 5 yrs and 3 yrs old now so it's a little bit easier for me to schedule but that wasn't always the case. I get up early to run before they're even awake, something I did even when they were babies. I'll also do yoga, pilates or any of the Jillian Michael's DVDs at home. I do tabata, push ups, planks, lunges, etc.

When both boys were newborns, I would walk up and down the hall doing deep knee lunges with them after their middle-of-the-night feedings to get them back to sleep. It always worked and I got a brief workout.

During the colder months, I take early morning spin classes (out of the house by 5:30AM and home by 7:15AM). Now that the weather is nice and we have longer hours of daylight, I run with them in the jogger when we get home (usually around 6PM or so).

When I'm at work, I go for a walk down the block and back (as long as it's not snowing or raining). We have free weights and a weight bench at home so I do strength training there. I also now have their baby sitter coming one evening during the week to watch them so I can take a class or go for a long run by myself. Weekends, I fit it in when my husband can watch them.

Just like anything else, it takes some getting used to but you can make it happen. I would not cancel the gym membership.

Message edited 7/10/2012 1:40:27 PM.

Re: FTWM who workout

I am in the same boat, due in August. Ran/worked out a lot before getting pregnant. Was actually in the best shape (well, since 18-20 years of age) of my life. I feel like I will not want to leave my child to work out or getting to the gym will be too hard- I have to find ways to be motivated inside the house. I would personally much rather have the elliptical or treadmill inside of my house rather than having to leave to go use it. Schedules with a baby can be chaotic and it's good that you would have something to go to at your own schedule and ease. Also the baby can be doing something with DH or in the pack and play while you work out and still visually see the baby where as the gym you are far away. I will be sticking to a lot of workout dvds and hopefully when the weather is nice going out on the weekends to do exercise while family or dh take LO in the stroller and i can jog or whatever else.

Re: FTWM who workout

Keep the membership if you can. and when your child is old enough get a jogging stroller. I go to the gym in the mornings or in the afternoons when my husband is off. but if i don't go in the mornings and my husband has work i run in the park with my double jogger.

Re: FTWM who workout

Re: FTWM who workout

I am just getting back into working out and my kids are 3.5 and 16 months. I cancelled my gym membership when my twins were a few months old, I just couldn't do it.
I am a WAHM, I typically work at night after all the kids are asleep. During the day I am by myself and cannot go to the gym or anything.
I am considering joining a gym again now, fitting in an hour or so either early in the morning or in the evening after kids go to sleep and before I start work, and also on the weekends.
Do you have an xbox in the house? I have done some workouts using the kinect. We have no room for a treadmill or elliptical.

Re: FTWM who workout

I have a teachers schedule with fridays/summer off so not quite a FTWM

When the babies were younger I didn't have a gym membership. I didn't want to take time away from them and I was never motivated after dinner/bedtime. So at that time I would either do dvds or go running with them.

When they were older (maybe 14 months or so) I joined a gym with babysitting. I usually go 3-4 times per week depending on the week. I use the babysitting sometimes and sometimes I leave them home with DH depending on the day/time. I usually go sat am- I get up with the kids...dh sleeps in till 9 then I go to the gym and he hangs with them. I was up until recently running alot but can't anymore so now I will do insanity during naptimes or get up before the kids. The hardest thing is finding time to take a shower on the days I am home alone with the kids.

everyone finds what works for them and if you are motivated you find a way! Congrats!

Re: FTWM who workout

Based on what you wrote your options are:

workout at 5am (run or videos at home), but I'm not clear on when your DH actually leaves to be at work at 6 am

you really have to find the time after work/at night somehow: run for 30 min, do a 30 min video at home

can you go for a 30 min walk at lunch time?

The 2nd two are what I do. I am a Single FTWM with a 6 and 9 yo with a short commute. I go for 30 min walks at work. I slip in the videos when my kids are around, I have no other choice but I have to take care of myself. I go jogging if I get out of work early or when they are with their dad. And, I slip in a kickboxing class here and there on a weekend when they are with their dad.

Re: FTWM who workout

I had dd 3 months ago and I was a gym nut before pregnancy too. During pregnancy not so much

Couldn't wait to work out and did the treadmill 6 days PP. in the beginning it was easy because newborns nap a lot and I'd watch her on the video monitor. while I was on maternity leave I would do the treadmill during naps orrr go to the gym for an hour at night after DH came home from work.

I've recently gone back to work FT and I have an hour commute both ways (now add on 20 mins to drop off/pick up lo!) I pay 90 bucks fgr nysc...my plan is to go during lunchtime since there is a nysc right around my office.

not ideal because i can only do 45 mins to account for changing/walking to from etc. still, it's better than nothing and I have the nights to spend with DD and DH. I realllly hate to go to the gym at night now since I want to spend some time with dd before bed.

my plan is to do the harder work outs on weekends...

Re: FTWM who workout

I would wait and see.

I was not able to work out until 8 weeks due to the csection.

Since then I really want to get back tto the gym but I get up at 530 as it is for work so morning won't work. I don't get home until 630ish and want to spend as much time with DS as possible.

I find that by 9 when DS is finally asleep I am too tired or have to get his bag ready for daycare or do laundry or clean.

You might have more energy or a better schedule and can work it out. FOr now I am just not exercising.