Once we start making waves in our careers and our lives progress past college, a popular next step is to hunker down and start a family. The times we had to take fitness classes, join a recreational volleyball league, or hit the gym three times per week can quickly fade away due to the obligations of family logistics. After coming home from a long day of work, the kids are fresh out of school chomping at the bit to be escorted to their baseball or gymnastics practice. Immediately after practice, it’s time to come home and cook dinner. So much for taking time out to exercise.
Some of our personal training clients, just entering parenthood, endure similar issues. Time constraints devoted toward our youngsters’ activities overwhelm the availability to perform the normal fitness routines we were once accustomed to. Joining a yoga class a few times a week or getting a resistance training session in at the gym right after work can be flooded by parenthood duties.
A solution to this issue is usually directly in front of our eyes when our obligations toward our children supersede our bandwidth to focus on our own fitness goals. Don’t forget these energetic youngsters will interact and play with any human in front of them. I can recall when my son was 6 years old. He longed to venture to the park and perform his best howler monkey impression on the monkey bars at a moment’s notice. Reluctantly, I ventured to the park, bitter I had to miss my normal workout routine I cherished so deeply. Little did I know, interacting with this supercharged chimpanzee was equally, if not more effective, of an exercise session than my coveted gym workouts.
The visit to the park included repeated climbing up and down stairs of the playground structure as my heart raced and sweat poured from my brow. Trudging through the park chasing this crazed child fatigued my ankles, knees, and hips far more than that of an inclined treadmill machine. I also used the same muscles involved in performing pull ups, pushups, and the rowing machines at the gym attempting to reproduce my son’s agile movements across the monkey bars. After an hour of raucous laughter and chasing each other mindlessly through the labyrinth playground structure, we decided to brandish our baseball mitts and play catch for 10 to 15 minutes. In playing catch with my son, I got to relieve my days playing outfield on my high school baseball team. I discovered I had an invigorating cardiovascular reincarnation of my physically active teen years right before me, motivating me to accomplish about as much needed physical activity.
Our normal routines can be disrupted by our obligations as parents. However, some of the most motivating exercise partners are sitting right next to us as we drive our kids to the park for a session on the monkey bars. Our kids are bright and energetic beings of brilliant exuberance. Be resourceful and thrash around with them to maintain your fitness when you feel like you don’t have time to exercise.
Sean McCawley, the founder and owner of Napa Tenacious Fitness in Napa, CA, welcomes questions and comments. Reach him at 707-287-2727, napatenacious@gmail.com or visit the website napatenaciousfitness.com.
