Family Time and Workouts CAN Go Together!
Could having more children equal less time for you to workout? A recent study by the University of Houston found that parents raising 2 or more children generally engage in 50 to 80 fewer minutes of physical activity a week. This could be due to lack of energy, time, motivation or even workout space (going to the gym). I’m here to tell you, you don’t have to fall into this trap!!
We know that if you’re a parent you serve as the primary role model for your children. They learn by watching YOU! If they see you day in and out scrolling your phone or watching TV, guess what, that’s what they are going to do! I know I want to flip the page, and I want my boys to move and enjoy activities. Recently, my boys have been accompanying me with workouts and actually asking me to do them. They typically perform the movement with no weights just learning the motions. I love this!! I don’t ask them to do these things, but they see me daily doing something so I’m building that habit in their head that it’s a normal process to perform.
Working out and getting in movement will help you improve your functional fitness. It will make it easier for you to care for those children and grandchildren, potentially prevent injuries as you age, and instill some healthy habits in your children as well. Here are some tips to help you get a workout in while maintaining a busy schedule:
1. Make the time! We all have the same 24hrs in a day. I’ve chosen to wake up a little earlier and complete a workout before anyone gets up. This prevents me from pushing things off so it never gets done and my hectic carpool schedule can’t mess this up. Workouts don’t have to be super long or fancy. Our FASTer Way workouts are typically around 30 minutes or less and are great ways to start your day!
2. Get to Sleep Early. I never thought this would be a thing but as I age, getting to bed earlier certainly helps me rise earlier (when I’m not working). When I get to bed early, I know I’m giving my body the proper rest and recovery it needs by getting a good 7 to 8 hrs of sleep. This actually helps me wake up before an alarm to complete a work out. Think of it as resetting your internal clock. This will be challenging in the beginning BUT everything becomes easier with consistency.
3. Create a Workout Space. You don’t have to have a gym to workout effectively. If you don’t have any equipment at home, body weight exercises are perfect or you can use household items such as backpacks of books, old water jugs or cans to start lifting some weights and build strength. Adding resistance is going to increase your bone density and build lean muscle which in turn will increase the fat burn. Another reason I LOVE the FASTer Way to Fat Loss is our workouts can be completed at home with minimal equipment. Check out our strength bands to get you started!
4. Get the Family Involved. If you’re unable to get an early workout in, set it as a family event. Have everyone do it at the end of the day. It’s always helpful to have an accountability partner and what better way to connect with your loved ones than through a family workout. These tend to actually be more fun, in my opinion. You could complete high intensity interval training (HIIT) with body weight only and be done in as little as 20 min. I love using this little timer ( Interval Timer ) to make it easy to keep track of how much you have done and you can set the timer for various intervals. It’s also great for family sprints 😊.
Want to learn more on how get your body moving and create a healthy lifestyle not only for you but for your family, join my next FASTer Way to Fat Loss round starting Monday, July 31st. Select the “Get Started Today” tab or click the link https://www.fasterwaycoach.com/#AnnOConnor to get registered today.
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