How do you maintain an exercise regimen with kids underfoot? Finding the time and energy for fitness with a demanding job and an active family can be a major challenge. However, staying active and making exercise work for you is hugely beneficial for busy fathers.
Research shows that regular exercise lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Getting more active reduces stress, improves sleep, and boosts self-esteem as well. Being in better shape not only benefits dads themselves, but also sets a great example for kids. Consider these fitness ideas for time-crunched fathers.
Walk More in Your Daily Routine
One easy way to squeeze in more activity is to walk more throughout the day. Take walking breaks instead of coffee breaks at the office. Park farther from entrances whenever you’re out and about. Choose the stairs rather than elevators and escalators as often as possible.
Aim for 10,000 steps per day if you can, logging them with a fitness tracker. Having step goals to hit makes this form of active lifestyle exercise more concrete and motivating.
Do Quick Tabata or HIIT Sessions
High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) and Tabata Training offer maximum calorie burn in super short workouts. Alternating intense bursts of cardio exercise with recovery periods provides tremendous physical benefits in as little as 4 minutes at a time.
For example, sprint all-out for 20 seconds, then walk briskly for 10 seconds. Repeat 8 times for a total workout of just 4 minutes. You can do similar 20-10 intervals with fast push-ups, crunches, jumping jacks, air squats, and other bodyweight moves.
Schedule Exercise Dates with Your Kids
Time with your kids checking items off their summer bucket lists can provide double-duty as fitness for you. Plan active bonding adventures like hiking, bike riding, skating, paddle boarding, kayaking, playing sports at the park, going for a run together, or doing online exercise videos as a family. Playing with your kids helps you log exercise minutes while spending quality time together.
Try Functional Strength Training
Instead of traditional lifting with machines at the gym, functional strength training uses resistance from free weights, medicine balls, resistance bands, or even your kids themselves. The aim is to build full-body muscle mass by doing multi-joint exercises that mimic or enhance everyday movement.
For example, do squats or lunges while holding your toddler. Do pushups with a resistance band around your back. Use water bottles as dumbbell weights. This style of training tones the body while directly improving balance, mobility, and core stability that busy dads rely upon.
Join a Recreational Sports League
One of the most enjoyable ways to increase cardio exercise and have fun while bonding with friends, coworkers or your spouse is to join a recreational sports league. Options may include basketball, volleyball, softball, soccer, ultimate frisbee, bowling, kickball, dodgeball, curling, or even less competitively oriented alternatives like walking groups or casual ping pong meetups.
Most leagues don’t require great athletic abilities or prior experience. You get a regular weekly fitness boost plus have a built-in social activity with teammates. It feels less like exercise when you’re catching up with friends while getting your heart rate up.
Consider Targeted Supplements
In addition to the lifestyle tips above, taking certain supplements can provide an extra boost to your fitness plan. Testosterone levels naturally decline with age, while estrogen levels rise comparatively. This hormonal shift contributes to increased body fat and reduced muscle mass.
Supplements like this estrogen blocker for men, or testosterone boosters, aim to reverse this trend, enhancing lean muscle gains, speeding recovery after workouts, igniting sex drive, and improving mood.
The key for busy fathers is choosing efficient exercise options that fit their lifestyle realistically and taking advantage of every opportunity for activity that arises naturally. Small amounts of exercise truly do add up, leading to significant long-term health and wellness payoffs for time-strapped dads.
