WELL BALANCED BODY
  • Services
  • Contact Us
  • About the Doc
  • Wellness Blog
  • Testimonals
  • Sign Up: Wellness Blog

The Single Parent’s Guide to Fitness

9/30/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
How to Find the Time, Money and Energy to Stay In Shape
They say that being a parent is hard, but sometimes if a partner is involved, at least someone is present to share the brunt of the work. Single parenting is even more difficult because you are doing it all alone. However, there are some upsides because any available downtime that you do get is yours for the taking. 
 
Though you could probably use a few more hours added to your day, on top of all the chores, drop-offs and meal planning, this is also a great time for self-improvement. Getting that much-needed exercise is possible with careful thought and without compromising time with your kids.
 
Practice Self-Care
 
Putting on your own oxygen mask prior to helping your children is a sure way to becoming a better parent. It may sound selfish, however, studies provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate that taking time for yourself lowers stress levels.
 
Self-care is identifying your own needs and taking the necessary steps to meet them. As far as fitness is concerned, you may choose to exercise as a family or while your children are at school.  When our basic needs are met in terms of getting adequate amounts of sleep, healthy diet and exercise, we are much better able to cope with life’s stressors.
 
If you’re a stressed out, tired parent, then exercise can do wonders for you, physically and mentally. Not only does it boost your mood, but your level of fitness, increases your overall well-being. Therefore you are a happier parent, able to focus on the needs of
your offspring.
 
Types of Workouts
 
If your children are infants and toddlers who are not currently in school, gentle activities such as walking, swimming or biking make a bigger impact than being sedentary all day. Walking or riding your bike for as little as 30 minutes per day helps improve your mood, burns calories and builds muscle tone. Walking can even lead to you become an avid runner, by implementing some interval jogging within your workout.
 
Other forms of exercise may include fitness groups for parents, a gym, or within the comforts of your own home, with a DVD. An in-home gym is another option in which you can stock your basement or an available room with home exercise equipment such as dumbbells, kettlebells, adaptable resistance bands, door frame pull-up bars and suspension trainers, all tools for toning and strengthening the body. You may even choose to take a yoga mat with you for asanas training within a studio, at home or at the park.
 
Schedule your Day
 
According to Northwestern University, getting lots of sleep correlates with longer exercise sessions, which also leads to more weight loss, while too little sleep leads to higher fat content. There are small tweaks one can implement throughout each day, which all boils down to taking the time to exercise no matter what. Most importantly, be creative don’t forget to add a little fun to your routine.
 
Adults only need about 150 minutes of exercise per week (30 minutes per day) and there is no best time of day to do so. You can either choose to fit in a quick workout while children are at home, at school or right before bedtime, just as long as you do so at least 2 hours after dinner, a suggestion by the University of Maryland Medical Center.
 
Other creative ways to get in some laps is to walk around when you’re on the phone, around your child’s school or at a park with a fitness tracker so that you get the recommended 10,000 steps per day. If you are seriously swamped for time, you may even try the 10X3 plan, 10-minute intervals, throughout the day, that adds up to 30 minutes.
 
Just because you’re a parent doesn’t mean you should neglect yourself. If you’re craving a fitness plan that matches your lifestyle, then these helpful tips will get your body in tip-top shape for keeping up with the kids and gaining more energy. 
Book Now
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    February 2023
    January 2023
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2021
    June 2021
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    November 2018
    March 2018
    January 2018
    November 2017
    October 2017
    May 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    July 2016
    August 2015
    July 2015
    November 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    RSS Feed

Photo used under Creative Commons from The National Guard
  • Services
  • Contact Us
  • About the Doc
  • Wellness Blog
  • Testimonals
  • Sign Up: Wellness Blog