Finding Time for Fitness

I'm often asked how I manage to fit in my workouts during the day as a working parent. Frankly, it's hard. Before kids, I worked out in the morning before work. Once I got into that routine, it was easy for me. Now, with kids, it's a crap shoot what the mornings will be like. It's usually rush rush rush to get everyone dressed, fed and out the door.

Over the past few years, I've had to be flexible with my fitness routine, depending on both the age of my children and my work situation. When the boys were babies and I was a stay-at-home mom, I would sneak in workouts between feedings (I was breastfeeding at the time) or during naps. I was lucky that my husband worked from home and was able to watch the kids while I was gone.

When I returned to work full-time, I worked crazy hours. I barely had time to shower and get myself dressed in the morning. Since pre-work workouts were out of the question, I began to work out at night after the boys were asleep. Now, both of my kids are in preschool and I work from home as a freelance consultant. Because I have a flexible schedule, I choose to hit the gym in the mornings after the kids are at school but before I start working. I find that it helps clear my head and sets the tone for my day.

Through it all, I've realized that there's no one way to fit fitness into your life but I've learned a few lessons about what works for me.

1. Make fitness a priority. Don't get me wrong. I know it's not easy. However, I do know that for me, being active is an integral part of my life. I feel better both physically and mentally, have more energy and make better food choices when I get my sweat on. I've made it a priority to fit in my workouts and I have a supportive husband who helps me make that happen.

2. Schedule your workouts. If it's in my schedule, I will do it. It keeps me accountable. It also lets my husband and others know my plans so that something else isn't scheduled during that time.

3. Put your workout clothes on. OK, so this might go against all the style advice I received from Style for Hire, but as soon as I think I have a chance to workout, I put my workout clothes on. Once I do, I'm much more likely to go to the gym because it seems like a waste of energy to change out of those clothes when I haven't gotten them sweaty.

4. Make use of nap time. My boys (luckily) love to nap. In fact, I think that I have the only 5 year old on the planet who still takes a nap every day. I count on this as one of the times that I can go to the gym or for a run. If your kids nap and you can get to the gym, great. Even if you can't, you can do exercises or workout videos at home during naps.

5. Find 15-30 minutes. I used to think that I needed at least an hour to get a good workout in. That was before I was introduced to High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and tabata workouts. With these, I can squeeze in a good workout within a short period of time. Even if HIIT and tabata workouts aren't your style, getting out for a walk, jog or bike ride or taking the stairs all count.

6. Exercise with kids. Now that my boys are older, we love to take them on walks and hikes when we can. We love to run around the park with them. My niece loves hula-hooping which is one heck of a workout! Exercising with my kids also sets a good example by showing that exercise is an important part of daily life and that it's a priority for our family.

How do you fit in fitness in your busy life whether or not you are a parent? Do you have any other tips or tricks to share?