It’s not hard for self-care to be a practice that you neglect during the early years of parenthood. After all, you’re having to raise a brand new human being from scratch, and that’s tough. Yet it’s also tougher if you’re not caring for yourself and making sure you’re as healthy as you can reasonably be, which in the long term, can really have an effect on how well you parent. This isn’t to say those who may be unhealthy cannot be great parents, not at all, only that it’s easier to be more active, positive, and nourishing when you’re all of those things and more.
Yet fitting in workouts and eating perfectly can be tough when trying to be a parent, especially when you might have a career or other responsibilities to tackle, and there are almost always other responsibilities to consider in this light. For that reason, taking care of your fitness as a parent should be considered an integral part of your life, not just a side activity. But how can you find the time and energy to achieve that? In this post, we’ll discuss those options and more.
Home Workout Potential
Packing your equipment and athletic wear, getting in the car, driving to the gym, getting changed and prepared, working out, getting changed again and maybe taking a shower, and driving home all takes time and energy. While it’s good to use the gym equipment if you can’t quite fit it all in your home, it’s true to say that home workouts, if done well, can save you plenty of time, energy, and worry.
It might be that just considering what kind of home workout potential you have can help you avoid feeling that this isn’t a possibility at all. With home gym equipment, from purchasing a spin bike to a mini treadmill to a set of weights and a skipping rope at your side, you can make sure that you can at least elevate your heart rate and train some cardio from time to time, and perhaps do so without worrying about how you look.
Putting down your infant for a nap which is likely to last around thirty minutes to an hour? That could be the best time to get a mini workout in, as can performing yoga when you wake up, or doing your best to stretch before bed. Don’t feel guilty about working out from home – saved time is almost always a fantastic idea.
Childcare When Necessary
Sometimes, we might need to fit in a self-care morning from time to time, or perhaps make sure that our fitness isn’t harmed by having to juggle five things at once and ultimately losing out on sleep.
This is why taking the time to find nearby guardian childcare can help you more easily care for your family without feeling burnt out, or more likely to fall back into bad habits thanks to how intensive your responsibilities each day are.
Shop For Healthy Foods & Meal Prep Each Week
Of course, a good portion of healthy living is defined by just how healthy you eat, and what kind of foods you put into your body. It’s a great idea to make sure that you have healthy foods in your cupboards, refrigerator and freezer, just so you can avoid unwarranted snacking, or eating quick and simple foods that ultimately leave you less healthy than you may have been.
A good way to get around this is to keep up on your meal prep each week. Sundays are often the most popular day to get this done, as around two to three hours of cooking can help you pre-portion and plan what you’ll have for dinner each week and freeze it in perfectly packaged Tupperware boxes. That can make a massive difference and save you plenty of time each week, as well as helping you enjoy perfect macros for getting all your nutrients in as necessary.
Prioritize Sleep & Stretching
As a parent, sleep comes at a premium. That said, it’s a great idea to make sure that you catch up on it when you can, even if that means a twenty minute nap after lunch, or going without an extra Netflix episode each night.
Then, when waking up in the morning thanks to your well-set routine, you might fit in a round of stretches before work. It’s the little things that can make the most difference going forward.
With this advice, you’re sure to take care of your fitness as a parent going forward.
