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My kids go to bed by 8:15, but they used to go to bed a little later. I try to be asleep by 10 but it’s usually a little later, and I wake up at 5:10 Monday,Wednesday, and Friday and get to “sleep in” until 6-6:30 (at the latest) Tuesday (my rest day) and Thursday (I get to run with a group in the evening; either my husband or Mom watches the kids). Saturdays I’ve been running at 6 but will need to leave at 5:30 this Saturday to make soccer practice in time. Sunday’s I sometimes run early for a weekend (by 7) and sometimes I run in the afternoon (sometimes with DD,4.5, who doesn’t nap).

Can you do it at work? Either at lunch break or take a break in the morning and one in the afternoon? Our building has a gym and my friend uses her lunch hour to work out. I take two 15 min walks a day so I count that as my 30 min work out (just started it)

I get up at 4 a.m. to workout (everyone is out of the house by 7 a.m.). On the rare occasion that I skip a workout (or am splitting up my workout), I pick it up in the evening immediately after my oldest goes to bed. For me, if it came down to letting my kiddo get some screen time in order to get my workout in, I would pass her the iPad and not bat an eye. Or let your SO handle her wakeups. I feel better, stronger, more capable, and generally more grounded and sane when I am working out. Self care FTW!

Is your husband still sleeping when your daughter wakes up? If working out in the morning between 6 and 645 is what makes sense, I'd ask him to pitch in and figure out what he needs to do to wake up at the same time and take over the care of the kid(s).

My husband and I plan to start running at 4 pm now that the weather is nice. We go in a bit earlier in the morning so we can leave earlier and then we have the night free.

If I prioritized working out the best time would probably be 4:30 am. My husband bought me a Peleton and the workouts can be as short as 20-30 minutes. That would give me time to workout and shower before waking up LO around 5:30 am. It’s hard not to wake up after 5 am though.

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I leave my house by 5am every day to work out at the gym and I'm home by 6:25. I would suggest considering going to a local gym rather than working out at home if morning wake ups are an issue. If my kids happen to be awake when I leave or wake up shortly after I go, they just snuggle in bed with my husband and go back to sleep. But if I were home trying to work out they would be all up in my business.

@buttermilk: 99% of the time my kids don't wake up when I leave the house. And that involves loud beeps as I turn off the alarm system, walking down hard wood stairs, the garage door opening, etc, etc.

Our kids are 3.5 and 2. I get up at 6am and get ready and all their daycare bags and car breakfasts ready. DH gets them up at 645am and out the door by 710am. I am at work by 8am. We are eating dinner at 530pm and the boys are in their rooms by 8pm for DS1 and 730pm for DS2. I usually take DS2 for bedtime and change into my workout clothes when I get home from work and do it as soon as he’s tucked in. I aim for 3 times a week for cardio (30-40 minutes) and squeeze in squats and kettlebells when I can for a few minutes.

When my DH isn't traveling my alarm goes off at 4:45, so I am working out by 5:30. I am at work at 7:30. When he is traveling, my goal is to make it 2-3 days and I take a long lunch. I joined a gym that I can walk too from work. Luckily my work doesn't seem to care when I take a lonnnng lunch. But I 100% prefer the morning. I am not a morning person at all, but I love getting it over with. Plus I have more energy after working out.

I work out at lunch. If that wasn't an option, I would get up at 5 and workout at the gym before work on days when my husband is home in the morning. Otherwise, I guess it would just have to be late night - but I am not motivated late at night.

@buttermilk: I work out before my kids wake up in the morning and it hasn't seemed to wake them up. If you're worried about an alarm waking your daughter up when she's in the room with you, you could consider getting a fitbit which will do a vibrating alarm (plus its great for fitness anyway IMO). I do this so I don't wake up DH. I keep my work out clothes stacked up in the living room where my workout dvds are, so I don't have to turn on the lights or anything in my room. Just slip quietly out of bed and go get ready in another room.

@Truth Bombs: totally, and I have deer in my sub that like to spook runners....SO not cool of them...I already have a questionable bladder post babies...

@buttermilk: I leave before they wake up. I could never leave after—they’d freak out. Put your clothes out the night before so you can minimize noise. Also—coffee! I get up at least 30 minutes before running to have coffee and do some chores.

I'm 37 weeks pregnant now, so not doing much of anything, but even pre-baby this was so hard for me I was 10lbs over my "preferred" weight when I got pregnant, and I've gained almost 40 lbs, so I am really ready to lose the weight after I have this baby.

For me, I know I can't do working out in the mornings - just cannot fit it in unless I get up at 4am, which is not happening when I am already exhausted. I'm not able to exercise at work. Evenings are basically it, and M goes to bed early enough (7pm) I *should* be able to do it. The problem is by that point, I am shattered from the day and still have to pack lunches, wash dishes, do laundry, etc. etc. and 90% of the time don't have the energy or motivation to work out. I have to figure out something, though.

Pre-kids I did ballroom and swing dancing, hiking with my husband, etc. and I enjoy that so much more than "working out", so I would like to try to get back into those things, although.... hard with 2 little kids. We'll see.

I am NOT a morning workout person, I just can't do it. I can't motivate myself to get out of bed to workout, I need a good amount of time to cool off after working out, etc. So working out at night or during the kids naps on the weekends is when it happens.

BUT I have found waking up a little earlier than my family in the morning has been gamechanging for my evening workouts. If I start the day a little more collected and calm, have the car packed and ready to go, and get a head start on dinner prep in the AM, the rest of my day goes so much better. I don't feel frazzled walking into work and I have a game plan for when I get home.

I usually don't eat dinner at the same time as my family. With my kids being 3.5 and 2, I am constantly refilling plates and cups, picking up forks, wiping stuff up, etc, so I found I was always really frazzled when I tried to eat too. I now I will sit with them and I'll be present, but I usually don't eat. Instead, I'm packing lunches, helping them eat, clearing plates, and chatting with everyone about their day while getting some of my evening chores knocked out. I'll usually eat something after my workout and eat a snack in the car on the way home from work.

Can your husband help more in the evenings at all? Once dinner is over, DH handles the kids baths and PJs and between that and a little Peppa Pig, that usually buys me about 30 minutes. I don't usually workout during that time, but I've done like a 20 minute sprint in a pinch when I knew I wouldn't have time.

Being okay with breaking up workouts has also helped me mentally to feel like I'm getting SOME movement in every day. I can do a set or two of squats in my office. If all I have is 20 minutes, I can do some interval sprints on my treadmill. If all I have is 10 minutes before my kids are done with their show, I can do a plank or lift some kettlebells. Its okay that I'm not doing an hourlong intense workout where I'm drenched in sweat and feeling dead every single day. The 5-10 minute bursts of stuff here and there still count and they are still good for your body and honestly probably more accurate to how our bodies are meant to work. I know a mom who always has resistance bands and a kettlebell in her trunk and whenever she takes her kids outside to a park or wherever, she gets in her reps and sets and doesn't care if she looks weird. I had a coworker once who listened to podcasts and spent half her lunch break walking stairwells for 15 minutes every day.

I don't exercise with any regularity, but when I *do* I have to trade nights with my husband. I am up at 5:30 to leave for work at 6:45 as it is, and I'm not a morning person so I'm not willing to go earlier to work out. So instead, I start the kids on their dinner a little earlier, and try to have them in their PJs by the time DH gets home from work at 7ish.
Then I leave immediately when he gets home and he does a little playtime, brushes teeth, reads stories. Sometimes I get back at 8 in time to tell them goodnight,
but otherwise he just puts them down. And then the next night is his night and he goes at 7pm right when he gets home from work.

I have 2 autoimmune diseases and I always feel exhausted, so I can only accomplish this by having coffee around 4:30 pm. =(

eta: we live in a condo and the gym is on our floor. Otherwise, I'd just do a video or walk around the park near our house or something. The few times I've signed up for fitness classes, we had the same routine. I'd sign up for a 7pm class and he'd try to get home by at least 6:50 so I could walk there. Then I'd be home a little after 8. The next night is his turn.

Oh man this has been a major struggle for me for YEARS. I WOHM full time, with an hour + commute each way. Now that my children are 5.5 and 2.5, I'm FINALLY just getting into a groove.

My husband leaves EARLY for work, so i've got the mornings with the kids, so no chance to do a workout then unless I wanted to get up at 5am. NOPE.... But he gets home to get the kids so I have the evenings. I usually do 1-2 classes on the later side. I do barre at 7 one night, and then one other floating class during the week at 7:30.

I also do a Saturday morning class.

If I have time during the week, I sneak out of my office for a lunchtime spinning class. But I can usually only make that happen once a month or so.

Classes work best for me since I feel like I get the best workout in the shortest amount of time. If i'm at the gym I wander and slack off.