I received this message the other week, and it felt so. Freaking. Recognizable.
‘… The biggest challenge At the moment is that I am a full -time working mother of two young boys and I am just so extremely exhausted.
I am now on a hamster wheel of life and give myself everything and everyone around me.
It is not only that it is difficult to find the time to train … It is difficult to find the energy.
It is also difficult to create a routine that I can stay with, one that I can do without thinking, given all the variables in my life. “
Educating young children is a particularly challenging period. There is a lot of variability in your routine, high demand for your time and attention, and not much energy left.
Whether you are a parent, a caretaker or just go through an incredibly busy season of life, a fitness routine on top can add everything else if the Jim Gaffigan jokes joke: “Do you know what it’s like to have five children? Imagine you drown. And then someone gives you a baby.”
We always hear this sentiment with customers in our coaching program.
So today I want to go through how I help them to navigate through this intense period, while I still find time to work on their health and fitness in ways that feel sustainable for them.
And continuing with the “Matt stands for a white plate in his office and recorded a video”, I have a corresponding video with notes, so that you can digest this in any format the best for you. ❤️ (Bonus points to everyone who recognizes where my t-shirt comes from!))
And if you are someone who has trouble finding consistency with your training, answer this e -mail! I would like to see how I can help. 💪
The most important challenges
If you tell me that you are a parent, I can immediately predict a few things:
- Very variable schedule
- High demands on time and attention
- Lack of predictable routine.
- (Periods of) low energy
I still remember that I had spoken with Mike (host from The chasing of the KraSpodcast), and how he kept saying: “This week is crazy, but next week things will finally get normal again.”
After a few weeks of this I stopped him and said something like: “I think unpredictability is the only predictable.”
Our mantra became: “There is none normal“, And that is the key to his success to get 148 training sessions this year (and count!)
The strategies
Dial
If we know that every day is very variable, our plan must take this into account.
Start making a short and simple body weight training that you can do in 5-15 minutes. ((Such as doing 1 round of this training.) It will be an important puzzle piece that you can fit in a crazy day.
When I worked at Force Fitness, I remember that after a long night with the children I came in and I absolutely felt dead to the world. On these days, my boss And I would look at each other and say: “Turkish steps And Farmer’s wear? “Two movements to just go up and move for us for a few minutes, and then cash in for the day.
Accumulation
Training does not have to happen in one go. You can break the training during the day or even week in mini sessions!
The most important factor is to get the work done, not in the timing. 💪
This is precisely the strategy that I use with new parents. We write a list of exercises and a target number of repetitions to take off all week. Then they squeeze them if they can. If you want an example of what this looks like, shoot me and e -mail and I would like to share something!
I have time
Sometimes it is really important to try to generate the time in your schedule to concentrate on only you. This may mean that a partner is asked for help or to make a number of difficult decisions about considerations. It is not always possible, but it is still worth considering.
That is what we did with my customer Michelle. She had a hard time fit during training, so we walked through a number of considerations she could make. She asked her partner for support and was able to cut out 20 minutes after work. She would park outside and do a training in the garage. She was not ‘at home’ until she walked through the garage door.
I’m going, you go
If you can’t beat them, connect! Invite the children to participate with you.
Switch your focus on more skills -based or play -based training that may be more attractive to them. Instead of optimizing “results”, optimize for pleasure and connection.
This is the option that has been the most meaningful in my own life. Part of mine Great why Connects with others and models healthy behavior for my own children. Although I still like to train alone, finding more ways to involve my family has made the journey all the more worthwhile. ❤️
Watch out for more ideas about games that you can introduce to your children this article And this article.
Do you want to try Parkour (in a safe and effective way?) I have you! 🙌
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And there you have it! If you were my customer, I would lead you through these comparable steps
- We would prepare your current schedule and the very real challenges.
- We would find out which strategy suits you best.
- Then I would write training and offer accountability to take the thinking off your plate and to help you stay on course. 💪
Whether you are a busy parent, or just someone who is going through a hectic period in life, try these strategies and let me know how things are going!
– Coach Matt
Ps interested in Nerd Fitness Coaching? Book a phone call this week And mention “rebellion” for $ 50 discount on your first month of coaching. We have no contracts, no hidden costs and you can cancel at any time. We only want you to stay if it actually works for you!