{"id":40077,"date":"2019-10-23T00:01:53","date_gmt":"2019-10-23T04:01:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/?p=40077"},"modified":"2020-04-14T16:06:11","modified_gmt":"2020-04-14T20:06:11","slug":"fit-parenting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/fit-parenting\/","title":{"rendered":"Fit Parenting: 3 Simple Solutions for Staying Fit as a Parent (Plus 3 Strength Workouts You Can Do at Home)"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ask any parent interested in staying or getting in shape<\/a> and they will all tell you the same thing: 
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It\u2019s freakin hard<\/em>. 
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And the challenge becomes doubly difficult if you are a stay-at-home parent without extra support. 
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I\u2019ve heard more than a few desperate parent friends tell me through tears (it’s cool, I used to cry a lot too) that it is, in fact, an impossible task, particularly when the kids are very young and require all of you.<\/em>
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But don\u2019t panic. There is hope\u2026 
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As a full-time working parent and athlete who now also stays home with his two very young kids, I’ve been learning that such an endeavor can be both doable and actually pretty fun.
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The secret? 
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In order to be successful, you will need to be willing to get creative, step outside of your comfort zone, and embrace an iterative process that is constantly evolving as your kids grow and change.  
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Below I\u2019ve outlined the three most common struggles I\u2019ve found my fellow parents face when trying to stay fit, and of course, creative, fun solutions for how to handle each of these challenge.
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Let\u2019s start with the most common: Time. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Struggle #1:<\/strong> \u201cAin’t nobody got time for working out!\u201d<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When I first became a parent, I was absolutely shocked at just how much time was required to properly care for a single child. 
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The diapers, feeding, crying, playing\u2026 This tiny little child that couldn’t even move from where you set it was utterly exhausting. Adorable, sure, but exhausting.
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When we had our second, the time commitment was doubled or tripled, and so too was the exhaustion.   
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I realized that in order to maintain my desired level of fitness, I was going to have to get both creative and highly efficient with my use of time.
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The Solution: Reframe Your Time
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I quickly discovered how much time I was actually wasting each day on frivolous activities like surfing social media accounts, checking emails, and other distractions. I was using them as a mental break from keeping a kid alive and fed<\/a>, but in reality, those distractions were draining my time even further.
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Eventually I learned that if you have 20 minutes to look at your phone, you have 20 minutes to do push-ups, pull-ups, squats, and anything else that moves you in the direction of your goals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You may find that you can free up 30 to 60 minutes each day to exercise just by having this awareness and choosing movement over distraction. 
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A 60-minute workout broken into three 20-minute segments throughout the day might not look like your pre-baby workouts, but hey, that\u2019s still 60 minutes of moving your body and building fitness.
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The \u201cWhen You Have a Few Minutes\u201d Workout
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Here\u2019s an example of a basic strength workout you can try at home. If these exercises are unfamiliar to you, look them up on YouTube or consult a fitness professional. If you have any injuries or medical conditions, please consult a healthcare provider before trying any new exercise routine.
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  1. 3 sets of push ups to failure <\/li>
  2. 3 sets of pull ups to failure<\/li>
  3. 3 sets of burpees (1 minute per set) <\/li>
  4. 3 sets of kettlebell goblet squats (10-12 reps) <\/li>
  5. 3 sets of planks to failure <\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    If you were able to free up 30 to 60 minutes in your day, bust this out when you get a chance. If you will need to take the all-day approach, you could attack it like this:
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