Making Time For Exercise: Turn it Into a Family Priority!

Are you making time for exercise? And not just for you, but for your spouse and kids as well?

We all know how important fitness is to our personal health, and the health of our entire family.

But being a parent means that your schedule can get pretty hectic.

Between your job, kids’ activities, school, and numerous other responsibilities, it can be hard to find time for exercise.

And it can be even tougher to find a time where the whole family can get together for a workout. 

However, fitness shouldn’t just be an afterthought at the end of a busy day.

The health of your family needs to be a priority.

Once you make fitness a family goal, you will realize there are plenty of ways to fit it into your schedule. 

Your family workouts should be just as important as your meetings or errands.

So try some of these helpful tips on making time for exercise!

Should your kids lift weights? Here’s what you need to know.

Exercise Before School and Work

A lot of times after a hard day of work all you want to do is go home and relax with your family.

Other times, your kids have after-school activities.

This leaves little, if any, time for workouts at the end of the day. 

However, if you get in a quick workout before the day starts this is one less thing to worry about later in the day.

Plus, by getting in your exercise early you will probably actually have more energy than after a long day at work or school.

Early morning exercise will do more than just help keep you accountable for your workouts.

Starting out the day with physical activity will get your metabolism ramped up for the rest of the day. 

Research also shows that consistent morning exercise encourages longstanding exercise habits, improves exercise adherence, and can even enhance weight loss.

Walk or Ride to School

If you live close to your kids’ school, the commute can be another way to work exercise into the day. 

Starting out the day with a brisk walk will benefit your family’s health in a number of ways.

Plus, this is extra time you get to spend with your children one on one.

Biking is another way to turn your commute into a workout, especially if you live a little farther away.

Just be sure you have a safe route to follow and obey all of the same driving laws as any other vehicle. 

Not everyone has the opportunity to bike to work, either due to proximity or because of unsafe biking roads.

However, there are still ways to add some cardio to your commute. 

For example, you could park farther away from your workplace and walk the rest of the way to work.

This could mean parking in the back of the parking lot, or even parking a few blocks away.

All the little extra activity adds up to big fitness gains in the end. 

This goes for your commute to work as well. If you live close by to your place of employment, walking or biking will get you even more added cardio.

Schedule Gym Time

As a fit parent you probably already set aside time to get to the gym or even workout from home a few times a week.

Luckily, you can combine exercise and family time by getting your spouse and children involved in fitness.

Sure, it can be hard sometimes when everyone in the family is on a different schedule with their own commitments.

However, you have to remember that your workouts need to be considered important commitments as well. 

So pick two to three days a week where everyone sets aside 30-60 minutes to dedicate to exercise.

You can even write this down on a calendar so that it becomes just like any other appointment or engagement that you have planned for the week.

By working out with your kids, you can teach them the importance of maintaining their health through physical activity.

Plus, it’s recommended that children and adolescents engage in 60 minutes of physical activity daily.

When your kids see how much you enjoy exercise, they will be motivated to work out on a regular basis.

It’s a win-win situation for everyone!

Set A Goal

Working out together as a family is an excellent way to keep you and your kids accountable for living a fit lifestyle.

Another way to keep everyone motivated is to set some goals to meet along the way.

This could take on a number of forms.

If your family is really into cardio and running, you could set a date for everyone to do a 5K together.

Or you could plan a vacation to an area with tough hiking or biking trails, where you know everyone will need to be in their best shape to participate in the great outdoors. 

Setting fitness goals will keep you and your kids engaged in the workouts, especially when there is a reward at the end.

Plus, it’s fun to see how much progress you have made in your fitness along the way. 

And it doesn’t just have to be so-called “outcome” goals.

Setting “in-workout” or progress goals have also been found to be strong motivators for continued exercise.

This includes things like pushing harder at the end of a tough cardio workout or doing one last rep at the end of a strength training session.

Finding the time to work out together as a family gives you the opportunity to challenge one another.

Making Time For Exercise

Schedules are hectic and we all lead busy lives.

Even if you have the best intentions of finding time for exercise, the day can often fly by before you know it!

Between work, school, errands, and activities, fitness too often gets put on the back burner.

But this is truly the time when you need to make fitness a priority for you and your family.

Regular exercise is important for both kids and adults.

Leading a healthy lifestyle will reduce your risk for chronic diseases, help you perform daily activities more easily, and improve your family’s mental and emotional health as well.

This all equals up to a higher quality of life to spend with the people you love-during and after your workouts! 

So mark down family fitness on your calendar just like any other appointment or engagement you have during the week.

Once you make working out and being active part of your regular routine you will see how easy it is to make time for exercise.

*Please know that weight loss results and health changes/improvements vary from individual to individual; you may not achieve similar results. Always consult with your doctor before making health decisions. This is not medical advice – simply very well-researched info on making time for exercise.