Working out with babies requires sacrifice from the entire family

@kostas I live in a 2 bedroom city condo. No building gym either. I have a pair of dumbells and kettlebells to get in a session in the living room but it's not nearly the same as the gym.
 
@redeemedsinner For me part of it is accepting that unless I want fitness to be my only hobby, accepting the 30 minute suboptimal workout is good enough most days. If you aren't a professional athlete, walking around with a sandbag and swinging kettlebells will probably keep you happy

The guy who started this specific thread can be followed on IG though, dude is a beast. His Simple Jack'd program is also great and time efficient (if you don't run marathons a couple times a week)
 
@tapionmajin2 I've noticed that fitness has basically become my only hobby. I workout 3-5 times a week and have a weekly board game night with friends on Wednesday (when we can) and I'm lucky to have that much.

I'm hoping once my five month old gets older I can start doing different things with her but for now, I spend most of my free time walking in circles with her.
 
@megan89 Oh it definitely gets better imo. During that timeframe I think it's important to accept that the minimum is good enough though

Once we sleep trained our gremlin things got a lot better. I'm scared what #2 is gonna bring

Fitness for me at this stage is just a supplement to make the rest of my life better. I know some people really love fitness, but it's pretty low on my hobby list and it's more about allowing me to do the things I do enjoy nowadays. My training is down to 2x a week most weeks, with an optional third day on the weekend if I can't get to an open mat

Which I guess for some BJJ would be a form of fitness so maybe I'm full of shit lol
 
@megan89 I have a seven year old and neither of us gets extensive time for several hobbies still. That's just being a parent if you're doing your share. Then they have their own interests and activities and don't always want to share yours.
 
@redeemedsinner You should still be able to get a decent workout in with just the basics. May need to get creative a bit. I would say the first 6-8 months will be tough but then you will be able to get into a better routine with the kid and they should be able to sleep the night.

I have a 3.5 and 1.5 YO and they wake up at various times during the night and it comes in waves so some days are better than others. If I have a few back to back bad sleep nights I would change the workout to a mobility sesh or deload day. On the normal days I would continue to follow the program
 
@kostas My child often wakes up just by me getting up to go to the bathroom. I can't think of any way I could exercise quietly enough. Our house just isn't set up so it's possible, the sound travels too much.
 
@called4christ These are the kinds of things that feel good to say, but aren't actually true in reality unless taken to the extremes.

Like, if you have to choose between 8 hours of sleep with no exercise, or 7 hours & exercise, 7 plus exercise is going to be better for most people. But if you are choosing between 3 hours of sleep, or 2 with exercise.... Well at that point you are so screwed it probably doesn't make a difference anyway, so get some sleep.

In my experience, this kind of advice usually comes from people who aren't very fit, or if they are fit, they don't have real life obligations holding them back, so it doesn't apply to them anyway.
 
@bettie I looked up where that medical info came from and it’s actually aimed at postpartum women (which I have been and will be again, hence the specific advice) so you’re absolutely right!

Different advice obviously applies to different situations, so if you’re postpartum, sleep! If you’re choosing between two adequate amounts of sleep and are otherwise fairly healthy, get up an hour earlier!
 
@called4christ Oh yea, absolutely when you are pregnant or postpartum recovery is already extremely difficult, without even factoring in exercise or sleep deprivation.

When my wife was postpartum she would definitely not be waking up at 4-5am to lift or run, but now, a few years later, she can do that without having problems!
 
@saintscruiser If you’ll read some more comments then this advice actually applies to postpartum women, which I was a couple of years ago and will be again the end of this year, so that’s why it’s stuck with me!
 
@called4christ Oh sorry to hear. My wife went through that. I think mental health should always be prioritized, but easier said than done for the mother of a newborn. Hope you have good supports in place. ❤️
 
@saintscruiser Oh no, postpartum just refers to the first 12 months after giving birth and your body is returning to normal after the ordeal. It’s not a diagnosis. I think you’re confusing it with postpartum depression, which is depression due to postpartum hormones. I never experienced that and hope it stays that way!

I hope your wife recovered well. Thanks for your kind words anyway, it’s nice to know there’s compassion out there for those suffering from what is a debilitating illness.
 
@bettie Agree with this. I was breastfeeding (pumping exclusively) and got back to the gym 3mo PP. It's an absolute juggling act but I commited to going regardless of sleep being a disaster. It was the only thing keeping me sane in that time. You gotta go even when all ideals aren't fulfilled. Some days I do a quick 30 min run while my husband does bedtime routine or whatever
 
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