How to find time to exercise with a toddler
An uninterrupted hour to work out simply does not exist on most days when managing a toddler, work, and changing partner schedules. This makes standard exercise routines impossible to maintain, leaving parents with no time left for themselves.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
- 1working out late at night after the toddler is asleepDid this help you?
- 2Waking up early before the kids wake up (e.g., 4:00 AM to 5:30 AM) to exercise, read, or drink coffeeDid this help you?
- 3Scheduling specific weekly 'nights off' or workout blocks with a partnerDid this help you?
- 4Using gyms with drop-in childcare or memberships that include childcareDid this help you?
- 5Exercising at home while setting boundaries with childrenDid this help you?
- 6Hiring house cleaners and meal prepping to save timeDid this help you?
- 7Going to bed immediately after the kids go to sleep to prioritize restDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I have three kids, 7, 5 and 3, and between work, dinner, baths, school stuff and the general chaos, finding time for myself can feel ridiculous.”source ↗
“I've stopped trying to find an uninterrupted hour to exercise or do anything productive. Most days, that hour simply doesn't exist.”source ↗
“with my husband traveling and my toddler lately waking up earlier the only realistic time is in the evening when my toddler is guaranteed sleeping.”source ↗
“I have a feeling that the reason no one has commented yet is because none of us have found anything that gives us any time back 🤷🏾♀️”source ↗
“It’s so rough being a working parent!”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
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