One of the most common excuses people use for not exercising is lack of time. When I posed this as a Hot Topic discussion on my blog last week I noticed no one was jumping in to offer their own advice on how they fit working out into their daily routine. I’m sure some of you, myself included, try to fit in a workout several times a week, but others wonder how can they really fit it in if it’s not the top priority?

I am actually one of those crazy people who actually enjoys exercise. I was a tomboy for many years and I’ve always enjoyed playing sports. I love to work up a good sweat and feel sore the next day from pushing myself. However, my time and freedom are no longer what they used to be, so I’ve had to be creative to keep exercise on my list of daily to-dos over the years.

I felt miserable during the stretches where I didn’t or couldn’t exercise for various reasons. I felt slow, tired, cranky, stressed-out, and flabby. This is true for all of us—even if we don’t gain a pound we still feel awful if we’re not using our bodies to its full potential.

Another barrier to exercising as a busy woman is that your routine changes when you finally find your groove. Kids come home from school for the summer, you get a new work schedule, your workout buddy moves, or something else alters your ability to fit it all in.

Here are a few things I’ve done over the years that have worked for me at different times in my life.

1. Get up early. It used to be that I could fit in an hour of exercise before my husband left for work and before my kids were up for the day. If I were to try this now I’d have to get up at an absurdly early hour that no human creature should be awake. Besides, I’ve tried and I turn into Godzilla by the “swing shift” (i.e. afterschool/dinner hour). But for some people this can work amazingly well.
2. Take off before dinner. When the girls were toddlers I used to strap on my running shoes minutes before my husband would walk in the door. I usually had dinner in the oven and ready to eat for he and the girls. I’d enjoy a few miles of peace and solitude while he got to spend some Daddy-daughter time with the girls. After a long day of toilet-training and tantrums, I needed an escape. Instead of junkfood or lounging in front of the TV, I chose to take my stress out on an evening run.
3. Be a member. When my husband went back to school full time to earn a master’s degree (while still working full time), I found myself bored, lonely, and trapped at home with two youngsters far too often. So, I got a gym membership (that included daycare) and hit the gym faithfully every afternoon. It was just the break we needed in the mid-afternoon to endure to bedtime. I got to de-stress and they enjoyed the giant kids play area (imagine McDonald’s Playland without the French fries). They have fun classes you can take, groups to join, and you meet and talk to other adults.
4. Take it where you can get it. After having baby No. 3 I found myself trying to juggle a lot of schedules and stress, and found I had even less time to work out. I really had to get creative. Mornings were dedicated to getting everyone out the door. (This shockingly takes hours!) Some kids were in school but others weren’t, and the taxi cab was always on the road. During the few times I found myself not carting my kids around in the car, it seemed to be naptime. I also had two other children always at my heels that couldn’t ride a bike yet, so I found myself deeply frustrated. I found that sleep was overriding a workout, and somedays it was 5 p.m. or later before I even showered. (Gross confessional, but still the sad truth.) I found that as things leveled out I’d grab a workout just like I’d grab a nap – whenever I could.
5. Walk it out. Walking is a great form of exercise and stress relief, and if you invite a friend or two along it can also serve as a great way to socialize. Babies and toddlers enjoy getting out and seeing the sites, and you can really work up a sweat in a short amount of time. Double strollers are an amazing tool that helps get you out and moving. I remember my double stroller weighed 28 pounds, my toddler weighed 30 pounds, and my baby weighed another 10 pounds. So, in addition to a good walk I was also pushing an extra 70 pounds. If that’s not a workout I don’t know what is.

Question: What do you do to squeeze in a workout?