A Simple Routine To Stay Fit With Children And A 9-5
How we get organized so that we can sneak some workouts in
Staying fit as Professional Parents. Created with Adobe Express
I think we can all agree that parenting isn’t easy. Especially if you have to do it while working a 9-5.
However, as I have said before, life isn’t (or shouldn’t) be just Kids and work. At least not if you care about your mental health and general well-being.
I have also talked about how my husband and I met rock climbing. We also bonded over a love for staying active and (ideally) being outdoors.
Soon after we met, once we knew we were headed to staying together in the long term, we talked about how and whether we’d keep our active lifestyle after children were in the picture.
We pinky promised that, at least, we’d do our best. We were knowledgeable about other couple’s struggles.
And then the kids arrived.
To my surprise, I found myself wanting to get back in shape quickly. Not so much for the looks as for being able to do the activities we loved.
But with little ones, finding time can be VERY complicated, so we had to design a strategy.
This is what has worked for us so far:
We try to sneak our workouts in the morning first thing.
This way it’s already done, and less likely to fall through the cracks of last-minute issues.
Unfortunately, it means having to wake up at stupid o’clock some days, but it’s generally worth the effort.
We swap mornings so that we both get our time while the other takes care of the kids before childcare takes over.
This is what it looks like for us:
Monday: Hubs goes to the Gym in the a.m.
Tuesday: I go to the office and do a workout at the office’s gym
Wednesday: Hubs goes to the office
Thursdays: I go to the gym in the a.m.
Fridays: Hubs goes to the gym in the a.m.
Saturdays: If we have childcare arranged, hubs and I go to the climbing gym together
(yup, this is our usual date plan)
Sunday: We try to walk or hike with the kids
We accept flexibility.
For example, my toddler has been sleeping terribly recently, so I don’t have the energy to wake up at 5 a.m. and get to the gym.
We try to be realistic and understand that resting is, sometimes, the priority
The schedule may change as kids grow and our needs change.
This is what’s working for us right now: prioritizing finding some time for workouts, and having each other’s back when the other is exercising.
