Got kids? This usually means that as a parent, you are motivated to prioritize the needs of your little ones, and that can often mean decreased time for yourself… The first things to get pushed on the the back burner are often your own health and fitness, and it’s totally understandable.
Many parents are so concerned with raising the healthiest, happiest kids they possibly can (of course) that they forget to take care of themselves first - it’s totally endearing, but it doesn’t have to be that way.
My favorite suggestion is something I learned from both my own clients and Chris’ family, which is to make exercise a family activity!
For our business, we run outdoor boot camp classes in this fabulous park in Santa Barbara - there are basketball hoops, plenty of trees to climb, sidewalks to run/bike/skate on, an awesome play structure and plenty of greenery to frolic around in. It’s a kid’s paradise!
Many of our clients bring their children to their workout and let them loose to play and enjoy the park - that way, everyone gets their exercise fix for the day all at once! The kids will often double back and join in with their parents for a few reps just for fun before taking off to play again :) Sometimes they’ll even stay and hang out through the whole workout, which we love - more family time all together!
Even when they’re not feeling it, involving the kiddos and keeping them close always helps!
Whenever we go to visit Chris’ family there’s always a lot going on - he has lots of brothers and sisters, and it’s super fun when we all get together for a workout! He has little twin sisters who are quite a bit younger too, and his parents have taught them how to do lots of exercises and modifications so that they can participate and take part in the family workouts in their home gym if they want to, which I love :) We’ve done some super fun partner workouts with them in the past, and it’s so nice that everyone can be included and work together!
Getting sweating as a family doesn’t even necessarily have to take the form of an actual workout though - choosing an active game like touch football, hide and seek, tag, basketball, soccer, or anything else that gets you all moving (and laughing!) together not only keeps you all healthier, but is an amazing way to bond with your loved ones as well.
In my opinion, encouraging your family to engage in fitness and active hobbies together is always a good idea. Emphasizing the importance of physical activity while spending quality time together is a great combination for overall health, wellness, and happiness.
Also, when you get your exercise in together, you don’t have to sacrifice those quality moments or make arrangements to have the kids cared for - you can still have family time while prioritizing your health. Everybody wins!
Remember, all you parents out there, caring for yourself makes you better able to care for others - you are important too!
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