Working out during the workweek

How do you have time to work out? Especially during the work week? A very common question I get when talking to others. It's usually not a hard question to answer, but by the time I explain it...it can take a while. As you can guess...well, it's complicated. Working out for me is not a chore. It's something I LOVE to do. It is MY time and I love the way it makes me feel during and after the workout. If I hated it, well, I wouldn't do it. For me, it's hard to understand how people DON'T work out. When I hear excuses like, "I don't have time," "I am too tired after work,""I'm too busy with my kids," "I can't miss my favorite ____ fill in the blank (show/sports game/Netflix series)" it just informs me with the obvious--it's not a priority in their life. It's amazing what people WILL find the time in their lives to do, but provide every reason why working out is not one of them. Just silly. So, if those are your excuses, then of course you are always going to see the same results.

So, back to the question--how do I have time to work out. Well, I don't. But, I always find the time. It means I must sacrifice something else to do so. Eventually, it just becomes routine. As above, I can't imagine my life without working out because it's just part of my day. Like waking up and going to bed, working out always falls somewhere in the middle. I work full time--5 days a week. As my job is over an hour away, this means I get up at 5:30 AM and out the door by 6:30 AM to drive 15 minutes to the train station. From there, I ride an "Express" train to Philadelphia, which is about 35 minutes. I get to work at 7:30 AM and start from there.

I respond to emails, finish up on charting from the day before. My first patient comes at 8AM and I work until 4 PM. Some days I get a lunch, others, I "inhale" my lunch in between patients, barely getting time to pee. I go from room to room, back to back patients. I leave work by 4PM to rush back two blocks to the train station to catch the 4:23PM train to get home. I arrive back at the parking lot at 5PM and drive back home. Sitting on the train in the afternoons my eyes get heavy and I wish I could fall asleep, but I don't. Because I feel like missing my stop would be even worse, so I just keep going. After hopping in my car once at the train station, I might have to pick up the boys. But, usually Kris is able to get them and start supper. Where would I be without a man who knew and actually enjoyed cooking! I am lucky to say the least. Once "mom" enters the door, it seems my next shift starts. The shift I want to start begins in moving into homework, making lunches, baths, prayers, wrapping up the night with the family. The boys get to bed by 7:30-8PM. Some nights I still have work to finish, but that usually has to wait. I can do that before bed, right. Because I choose to work out next at home or our local gym. It's either a weight lifting or a cardio day. I know what I will be doing before the time comes as I plan this out on my train ride home. I keep a running log of my max weights and work off of them using my lifting schedule. Some nights I am exhausted by this point. I would rather just go right to bed when the kids go to bed. But, I don't. I make myself either use our garage weightlifting gym (yes, even when freezing outside, I turn a heater on) or go down to our basement and run on the treadmill. Once I get going in either activity, I am usually fine and awake again. I usually work out for an hour 5-6 days per week. (And have to coordinate who is working out where and when with Kris since he works out just as much as I do :)

Now, if I plan on going to a Crossfit class (for those not familiar, it's a combination of weightlifting, gymnastics, high intensity interval training and cardio), I have to adjust my schedule even more and plan accordingly. Sometimes I will go to a 6AM weekday class, which means I must get up at 5AM and have everything packed and ready the night before. Because after class, I then drive an hour to Philadelphia. No, this is not a smooth, relaxing drive. This is white knuckle driving for 60 minutes straight stopping/going, driving down narrow, old roads and being cut off. AGGRESSIVE driving is the only way to describe it. A sea of cars, accidents, it is nuts. So, thanking God I make it to work this way, I start work and go- go-go until I'm done and pray I escape rush hour traffic on the way home. If I feel like I just can't muster enough energy to do one of these crazy days, I will then decide just to workout on my own at home early in the morning getting up at 5AM to get a quick run in. Whatever is needed based on the workweek. Now, if I want to attend a Crossfit class in the evening, I will drive straight from the train station to the gym to catch the 5 or 6PM class depending on my workday. This means I miss supper with my family. Kris will have to do supper alone and get the boys ready for bed and have homework done. It is definitely clear communication with how this will be done and a family sacrifice. We try to eat family dinners together as it is important to us. I never do this more than once or twice during the week.

On the weekends, working out is easy as we generally go to the gym as a family on Saturday and Sundays. Kris and I will work out together first, then we will pick the boys up and play basketball, run on the track, or go swimming.

So, this probably sounds crazy to some, but this is how I make it work. It never gets any easier to wake at 5AM to work out, but I do it. I push through it, drink my coffee and go to bed early at night. I have to constantly work at a healthy lifestyle. It may seem crazy, but this actually keeps my sanity.  Cheaper than any therapy and something we as a family can do together.  If you really want something you will go after it. If you don't, well then you won't. You are stuck with the same results.