Home Fitness or the Gym?

I used to be a regular at my gym. I faithfully showed up three or four mornings a week at 6:45 am. For almost a year I even took James along with me in his carseat. He would happily coo at all the ladies as we sweated it out on the treadmills and ran through reps on the weight machines.

Now that James is a bit too big for the carseat and Daniel has joined the party, a trek to the gym is no longer so easy. So I am dutifully trying to find an exercise routine that works at home. I thought for sure that I'd never work out as hard at home as I do at the gym. Now I'm not so sure... Here's a sample of my home fitness program.

Get on the exercise bike and pedal for 4 minutes. Hear Daniel awake in his crib. Run up the stairs to get him. Haul Daniel downstairs. Pedal on the bike for 3 minutes. Daniel needs a toy. Run upstairs for the toy basket. Back downstairs. Pedal on the bike for 5 minutes 27 seconds. Hear James wake up. Run upstairs to get him. Haul James downstairs. Give up on the bike. Jump on the mini tramp for 2 minutes. James and Daniel are fighting. Wrestle them apart and find them each identical matchbox cars. Jump on the tramp for 1 minute. Phone rings. Sprint to find the cordless. Too late. Sprint back. Give up on the tramp. Begin sit-ups on the exercise ball. James kicks ball out from under me. Flat on my back. Exhausted.

Total time = 1 hour. Workout level = INTENSE!