Balancing Fatherhood and Fitness: 4 Tips for Busy Dads

As a dad it’s difficult to balance it all.

You’re taking kids to school, a dentist appointment here, a dance class there. You want to show up to all their events: plays, concerts, games, everything! You volunteer as a den leader, coach, anything  you can.

Providing for your family usually means spending lots of time meeting other people's needs for 40+ hours a week.

Somehow, in all that, you’re supposed to make nutritious home cooked meals and get 8 hours of sleep.

There’s not a whole lot of “me” time.

And now I’m telling you to also make time for exercise!?

I am.

You already know the benefits of exercise. I don’t need to sell you on that. But if you’re not making time for yourself to get moving, it’s worth some sacrifice.

So, how do you get exercise as a dad without compromising your relationship with your children?

Here are four techniques that have worked for me.

1. Get it done early

Early morning is a magic time.  Cool morning air is the ideal running temperature.  The predawn dark streets are quiet.  The whole world seems unhurried and calm.  

But the best part?

No one is asking anything of you for at least a couple hours.

They’re not even awake.
This is your time!

Decide what you’re going to do at least one day before.  Have everything ready to go to maximize your time.  Set running shoes by your bed, your kettlebell in the garage, your yoga mat in the living room. Whatever it is you need to be ready, get it out the night before then wake up and seize the day.

Words to the wise here though, don’t sacrifice sleep to make this happen.  If you can’t do that for some reason, try…

2. Maximizing school hours.

If you're blessed with a flexible work schedule and have readily accessible fitness equipment, you can use the time your kids are at school to easily get a 30 minute session in during your lunch break.

Like morning workouts, the more forethought and planning that goes into this the more likely you will succeed.

3. Get active with your kids.

If you don’t have the luxury of getting an hour free to jog or move some weight in the middle of the work day, make it a point to do physical activities with or around your kids.

I recently took my daughter to an outing for Scouts at a local swimming pool.  While my daughter and the other Scouts and adult leaders were playing around in the pool, I got in laps, practicing my freestyle technique for the upcoming Half Ironman.  When I finished, I still had plenty of time to play and make memories with my daughter.

At home, get a couple of small kettlebells and have them join you doing squats or swings.  Get them out on a bike to ride around while you go for a run.  Or even just workout on your bike trainer or treadmill while they hangout.  If you don’t have a lot of indoor equipment, start doing some push-ups.  Don’t be shocked when they join in (or jump on your back to give you an added challenge).

And last but not least:

4. Just get out and do it. 

Don’t beat yourself up over not spending every waking minute possible with your family.  The stress relief and increased energy you’ll experience from regular exercise will help you be a more present and engaged father.  If you can, work out a plan with your wife or someone else to watch the kids while you get your sweat on.  Then do the same for them.

It’s easy to feel a sense of guilt for wanting to get away and take care of yourself.  But it’s worth it in the long run, both for yourself and for the rest of your family.

It’s not selfish to take care of yourself.

So, take a look at your daily and weekly routines and figure out where you can fit more movement into your life.  You’ll thank yourself when you do.