Finding Time for Fitness

It's hard to find the time to do anything for yourself as a parent, you always want to be there and support your kids in all the activities and events. Because of that, it is hard to find the 1 to 2 hours to go to the gym or a class. Now, several of the points I will list will depend on what kind of work you have and what training you are after, but even if you can only get a couple of push-ups in during the soccer practice, that is better than sitting on the camping chair and not doing anything.

It is important to remember that just because you have kids, you don't have to stop being yourself, and also remember that your kids learn from everything you do. Do not give up your health and hobbies because you want the best for your kids.

Here I will list a couple of ways that I make more time or include the kids.

Get the kids involved

The simplest way is to combine family time and workout time by involving the kids in the training, most kids have a lot of energy and love to move, so modifying the training to be able to include the kids is a great way to get the best of both worlds.

Find a gym with a kids area

I don't have this option myself in this town, but I have seen it in other places, where the gym has a dedicated area for the kids to stay while you are doing your workout. This is an excellent option in my opinion and something that I hope more gyms adopt.

Compress the time at work

If you can reduce the time you are at the office, that could provide you some more time. Just remember that you still need to eat. Some examples of this are:

Start work earlier to get away from the office earlier.

Reduce the lunchtime or if possible, eat at the desk (works for me now during the COVID-19 pandemic when I'm working from home).

Work out during lunch and eat at your desk.

Compress the workout to a short period

In my opinion, several people at the gym are losing a lot of time during the workout with talking or taking a long rest between sets/exercises. If this time can be reduced, you can sometimes fit the workout in some of the slots that exist in a day.

Create a home gym

By creating a gym at the home, it is easier to find the time to train and still look in on the kids during rest time. This is what I would do if I had some extra room in the apartment.

Make a workout that can be done during kids activities

Instead of standing on the grass and watching your kids play soccer or football, have a workout in the grass. this is not only good for you, it sometimes inspires other parents to follow your example and join you.

Don't exclude weekends from training

If it is impossible to find the time to train during the week, don't forget that you also have the weekend, I always have a session on Saturday or Sunday, training helps me relax and relieve stress from a heavy week of work.

I have been lucky with a wonderful family that understands that training is important to me and usually supports me by helping me find the time to train during the week.

Do you have any other examples of how to the time to train?

Share it in the comments below.