How to balance exercise with a busy family life

Full disclosure everyone: this post is written by Ryan. I figure I would let him write in the blog and share his thoughts and ideas as well 🙂

Everyone is extremely busy and we are no exception.  Between work, family events, and household chores, it can be difficult to find time to get in that daily workout.  However, exercise is incredibly important not just for your health but also your own sanity.  It’s been shown through many studies that exercising is a great way to reduce stress.  That being said, here are 5 tips we use to find that little extra time to exercise:

1. Prioritize exercise: In order to keep a consistent exercise routine it is important to make exercise a priority.  Instead of thinking about exercise as an option, assume that it is required, just like showering or eating.  Don’t think of exercise as something you have to “add in” to your busy schedule but rather a part of it.  You can make time for anything that is a high enough priority.
2. Communicate your plans: When I am training for a marathon or triathlon, I often need to exercise for multiple hours on weekend days as well as most days during the week.  Prior to having kids, this was fairly easy to manage.  But now that we have kids and they are getting into activities communication is more important than ever.  Every week (usually Sunday nights), we map out the upcoming week’s schedule and where there are potential conflicts in our workout plans.  Then we work to resolve those conflicts before the week begins as much as possible.
3. Exercise early (or late): I am not much of a morning person so exercising before work is very difficult for me.  I find it much easier to exercise after the kids are in bed.  During the week, nearly all of our exercising is done either before the kids wake up (oftentimes this is Lindsay) or after they are in bed (mostly me).
4. Work out at home if possible: Even 10-15 minutes per day of exercise is helpful.  Many workouts you can do from home don’t require much time or money.  An app called “Sworkit” can plan a short core or stretching workout that you can follow in your own house (believe me when I say these are difficult) which is a great way to get your heart rate up in relatively little time.
5. Kill two birds with one stone: If possible, try to combine exercise with your other daily obligations.  For example, if we are heading to a family event I will try to run or bike there if possible.  Or you can walk to a restaurant, outdoor concert, or grocery store.  I’ve even completed a swim workout at the local public pool while the rest of the family is enjoying the sun. Even a daily family walk for 15-30 minutes will provide a least some exercise (if you’re feeling ambitious you could get a running stroller and make it a family run). Another way to tackle this is to watch your favorite TV or Netflix show while working out, at the gym or at home.  I will oftentimes watch a show while on my indoor bike and very often listen to my favorite podcasts while running.  This provides the enjoyment of watching or listening while still getting the benefits of exercising (plus you won’t be out of the loop at the water cooler the next day when discussing last night’s episode).

Finding time to exercise is more of a mental hurdle than anything.  We all find time to complete life’s daily tasks.  If you think of exercise as just another daily task, you will find the time and make it work.  Humans are very adaptable to change.  Adding in an exercise routine may seem difficult at first but over time will become part of your daily routine.

What other exercise tips do you use if time is at a premium?