There is no question that child rearing is time-consuming. A feature on The Relentlessness of Modern Parenting notes how parents today are putting more of their time, effort, and money towards raising their children. This kind of intensive parenting, once the domain of upper-middle-class parents, is transcending classes, with more parents eager to give their kids a head-start in life. It's an admirable style of child rearing, but is one that leaves parents little to no time for themselves. And often, one of the first things that gets sacrificed is exercise — to the detriment of their health.
If you're that kind of hands-on parent, remember this: Physical inactivity increases your risk of acquiring cardiovascular diseases and other adverse medical conditions. Among these conditions are high blood pressure, type-2 diabetes, coronary heart disease, anxiety and depression, and even certain cancers. To avoid these risks, it's imperative that you not only find time for exercise, but actually make time for it! Here are four ideas to help you do just that:
Join in on play time
Our previous article on Creative (and Realistic) Ways to Get a workout in While Spending Time with Your Kids points out how most parents tend to leave their kids to their own devices during playtime so they can do housework and fulfill other obligations. While that's fine, joining in on the fun every now and then can create a positive outcome: There are many playtime activities that can give you physical exercise, such as playing tag or giving them a piggy back ride. You'll bond with your kids doing what they love, and can even sneak in a good workout! And in case keeping up with your kids becomes challenging, tap into your child's boundless energy to help keep you going.
Try cross training
Personal trainer Heidi Powell describes cross training as the use of different training modalities and intensities in one exercise session — for instance, running for 15 minutes followed by a 5-minute yoga session. These combinations are simple and time-efficient, and they offer plenty of benefits. An article on The Physical and Mental Benefits of Yoga for Sprinters highlights how cross training is effective for developing a system that helps you achieve better all-around conditioning. It also works the different muscle groups, in turn increasing strength, power, endurance, agility, and balance. It varies your workouts, too, keeping things interesting. And since sessions don't take long, you'll be able to fit more exercises into a shorter amount of time.
Multitask
Parent and health and fitness writer Catherine Holecko suggests in a Very Well Family blog on exercise that parents should multitask to get some exercise. For instance, you can do crunches or planks while watching TV with the kids, squats while preparing their food, or even stretching while in the bath. Putting them to sleep? Sneak in a set or two of push-ups, or jog quietly in place. It may not be ideal, but it's still a means to be physically active.
Schedule exercise time
Lastly, do block off time in your schedule for structured exercises — whether in the gym or at home. These sessions needn't be long, as 20 to 45 minutes would suffice. Just make sure that you follow your schedule religiously until it becomes part of your weekly routine. Where possible, tell your kids what you're doing, and explain why it's important to exercise. In this way, you get to make time for exercise, all while teaching to your child of its importance.
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