Do you have any tips for how a working woman can stay fit while also being responsible for most of the housework?

There are many ways to do it. Prioritize your housework. Some things can wait another day or wait until your day off if necessary. Try to keep things straightened up when you are home instead of letting things pile up. While at work, stand up at your desk, stretch, and walk in place if you can’t leave your desk. During breaks, walk around the parking lot or even the office. Keep a bottle of water and some healthy snacks at your desk for those times when you can’t get away. You can also try to go to the gym before or after work (if that’s your thing). Keep work stuff at work and home stuff at home so that you don’t get mentally exhausted as easily.

You can wear wrist weights while you go about your normal activity. ¼ pound or ½ pound is plenty. See if you can last the whole day. The weights can fit under your long sleeved shirts and can be your secret – like Wonder Woman’s bracelets except these are real. The magic they will perform will be improved posture, more muscle, and you will sleep well at night. .

Hire a house cleaner.

Take charge at your workplace. Get up and move around every so often for a minute or two. Bend, stretch, etc. Have healthy snacks at your desk for keeping up your energy and alertness before lunch, or, if your lunch break is postponed for whatever reasons. If your boss or other co-workers take issue tell them this is what you need to do to feel good. I’d just tell ‘em how it’s gonna be, or, find a new job.
As far as the housework. Hire a housekeeper to come in 2X a month or once a month to do the heavy, deep cleaning, or, delegate some of the work to your kids and partner if you have any.

I just read an article that people with healthy self esteem are NOT work-a-holics. If you are always going above and beyond at your own expense, time to start saying ‘NO!’ more.

Insist on regular breaks and your lunch hour being a non negotiable.

A nice walk in the evening for 15–30 minutes would be a good unwinding also.

Get some help around the house.

I was going to suggest weights like @worriedguy. When I was carrying my 50 lb. pack with me most of the time, I lost a few pounds.

Get the people you live with to do the housework while you go for a run, or if you have to stay in the house, while you do a workout DVD. Everyone that makes a mess should take a share of the housework, if they are over 5 years old

You could be describing my life!

I like @worriedguy‘s suggestion. I also park as far away from my office as possible so I have to walk and I am going to start walking the long way to the coffee shop (not that I get to go there very often :-( ), but the long way includes a killer hill! I also bought this little cycle thing that you can sit under your desk. You can peddle while you work. I don’t remember to do it too often but every now and then I do and sit there peddling while reading or doing something like that.

With the household tasks, do what you would at work. Draw up lists. Delegate tasks to other family members. Put things away as you go so mess doesn’t build up. Have cooking weekends where you make healthy meals in advance so when you get home you can just nuke something and cook a few veggies. Then you will have a little time to do a bit of housework. Or/and… hire someone to do some of the bigger jobs once a week.

Now, if only I would follow my own advice…sighs.