It might seem like having a family isn’t a great investment in your health. Without even going into the toll pregnancy can take, the added stress, responsibility, and sleepless nights, as you care for your baby, not to mention how little free time you have, can seem like a big effort. It is. But of course, having a family is wonderful for your soul and sense of purpose, and can provide you with some of the most amazing memories anyone could dream to have. So, it’s all worth it in the end.
This might not be apparent when you’re trying to stick to a gym schedule, however. With only passing moments in the day to dedicate to this, and dealing with a lack of sleep can seem a bit too much of an ask. But don’t worry, it’s possible to balance this out and succeed where you haven’t been able to before.
In this post, we’ll discuss where to start:
Make Workouts Short But Still Effective
You don’t need to spend hours in the gym to stay fit, nor do you have to work out for an hour even Short, high-intensity workouts can be just as effective if you plan them right according to your goals. For example, if you only have 20–30 minutes, try bodyweight exercises, resistance band workouts, or quick HIIT sessions which allow you to put effort down without necessarily taking a huge amount from your schedule. Even a good walk with your child’s pushchair counts! If you only have enough for a ten-minute walk with your dog today, that’s fine. Perhaps you’ll just do some resistance band stretches before bed. You don’t have to be a bodybuilder, just raise your heart rate when you can.
Focus On Great Nutrition
Most parents run on little sleep, and for that reason, it’s tempting to rely on caffeine and convenience foods. However, fueling your body properly will help you stay energized and feel your best, and it’s worth making some preparations for that. If you focus on balanced meals with protein, healthy fats, and complex carbs, you tend to feel so much better and whatever efforts you go to will be healed more easily. If you’re doing some dumbbell exercises at home when you can, vegan protein from EatProtein can be a great option for shakes to help you hit your macros without necessarily cooking more meals a day, for instance. Do this, hydrate well, and you’ll feel much better than you had.
Get the Whole Family Involved
One of the best ways to stay active is to make it more of a family experience than something you try to pierce out of your own schedule. You might go on bike rides together, explore nature trails go hiking (age-appropriate for kids of course) or have dance parties in the living room on a Friday when school is done. Not only does this help you stay fit, but it also sets a great example for your kids about disconnecting from screens and getting out there! Even household chores can double as exercise, and it’s a good way to sell that which has to be done.
With this advice, we hope you can feel more confident in exercise despite having vanishingly little time for it.
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