Three Ways to Fit Workouts into a Busy Father's Schedule
June 11, 2010, By Kurt Simonsen 0 comments
Dads can be busy. Really busy. Running off to work after helping out with breakfast and rushing a week's worth of garbage to the curb. Working through lunch to make the early train home for his son's first little league game. Staying up late to finish the bills after his daughter's soccer game and a long walk with the family's golden retriever.
Yet, you must ask yourself if you use all of your time wisely. Do you really have no time for a short run or a quick bike ride? Do you really have no opportunity to pump out 100 push-ups and sit-ups? Is your life really that inundated with other "stuff" that you can't pay any legitimate attention to your body?
Unless you are an extreme example, you probably do have the time to spend on yourself. It just takes a little better organization to make it all work. The toughest part is getting started, so try these suggestions to make fitness a part of your daily life.
The morning hours. Get up and moving before the family responsibilities start. Give yourself the early time to throw on some comfy running sneakers and head out for a jog. Roll down to your TV room and follow a yoga video. Do a strength workout of pull-ups, push-ups and core work. The peacefulness that morning brings is the perfect time to spend on you. Sure, it may be tough at first to crack the rack that early, but be patient and it will soon become a refreshing habit you struggle to live without.
Lunch breaks. No matter what profession you work in, you need to have lunch. Some days will obviously be a little too busy to steal the time to be active, but not all. Use those days during the week where your lunch hour can truly be had to take a 20-minute run or to do a quick full-body circuit at the gym. You do not need 60 minutes to eat; you can do that in 15. Plan well and utilize the remaining time to make fitness a part of life. Like being an early riser, this, too, will take some getting used to. However, the payoff is well worth it. Once you start to see and feel the results, you'll never view this as a sacrifice again.
After dinner. Too many families collapse on the couch after a meal, only to find themselves there an hour later with nothing to show for it. Instead of watching television, take a long walk, play some basketball in the driveway, challenge your kids to a push-up contest, jog with the dog, play backyard soccer -- do anything that is active and fun.
These three ideas are simple and almost too obvious, yet most overlook them, believing that they just aren't doable. Well, time to look again. You can squeeze in fitness virtually anywhere if you are creative and dedicated enough.
No matter what, always remember that there exists a direct and critical connection between the body and the mind. If the body feels healthy, the mind will follow. And if the mind feels good, so do you, which enhances your entire life, especially in regards to those closest to you. So give yourself the chance to be something great to the people you love.
