Exercise help please!

[zanacal]

So I've decided to try and exercise for an hour 6 or 7 days a week. I have 3 little ones and I work so time is difficult to find and I've been getting up super early in the mornings. This morning I had to give up half way through my exercise DVD as I literally couldn't do it. I'm not really fit (I don't usually do exercise classes or run or anything) but I'm not unfit either. I think morning exercise doesn't suit me - I have to drink water constantly during the routines because my head is always banging (and sometimes for the rest of the day!) but it's the only time I have.

I know the options are no exercise or excessive exercise and I'm worrying I'll end up doing something in the middle which sways boy. However, I was doing no exercise before and I'm quite muscley from looking after the boys and walking around our town with the family at weekends and just because that's the way I'm built! At the moment I'm thinking that the exercise will get easier and hopefully I'll be able to do the whole hour soon - and at least if I exercise I'll lose weight alot quicker but I don't know if that's the right thought process!

Also, is there any benefit in sticking with the exercise and dropping it completely a week or so before our attempt? A few years ago when I was running 3 or 4 times a week and going to a diet club I lost alot of weight when I gave the running up!

[atomic sagebrush]

Oh Zana, with three wee boys and working I think you should consider giving yourself a break and not exercise. I agree, what's going to happen is that life will get in the way and you'll end up not able to finish or having to skip some days, and that will put you right in the boy zone of moderate exercise. But if you choose to do it, I think the best way is to do it right through your attempt because if you don't get pg, you'll be skipping a week which puts you back into moderation-land again.

I totally agree about early morning exercise, I have NEVER been able to stick to it.

[zanacal]

Argh, such a dilemma! I have never been one for exercise - I go through phases but I usually give up after a few weeks. I suppose when I thought about it I felt I should go for it because it would be something out of character, something I hadn't been doing when I conceived the boys. I am quite muscley, but if I lose lots of weight on the girl diet and I don't exercise then I don't imagine I'll look it - if I keep up the exercise I imagine I'll be quite toned.

I can find an hour each day but I can't find an hour where I can leave the house and go for a run, which is why I'm doing DVDs. I'm worried that there's not a good DVD for this purpose though, they all have some toning sections or interval training (this is what my favourite DVD does - squats, lunges etc interspersed with running or star jumps or whatever for a minute at the time). I did get out for an hour with my toddler in his pushchair today and managed to walk/run and completely wear myself out and I can see that it's more of a workout than the DVDs.

I also think I'll lose more weight and quicker by exercising - and possibly get to a lower weight pre conception than I've ever been before. I don't know if I'll do that without the exercise.

I actually feel quite good about the exercise at the moment - it's probably boosting my testosterone lol!