My dream is to inspire droves of parents to start working out while their kids are at practice. This notion that you need to watch your kids practice the entire time after the age of 5 is nonsense.
“Did you see that goal I scored!?” No buddy I was in the middle of a set of burpees. Tell me about it in great detail, how did it start, why did you pass there, what did that feel like scoring a goal? What did you learn from that?
Years ago there was a study mentioned on the Ben Greenfield Fitness podcast that totally changed how I looked at raising fit kids. The University of Essex study showed a high correlation between children’s fitness, and their perceived fitness of their parents. Here’s the original article – http://www.quickanddirtytips.com/health-fitness/exercise/how-to-get-your-kids-fit
What does that mean?
‘If my parents are fit and workout, then I should be fit too.’!
The best thing you can be is a shining example to your kids of how to eat health and stay in shape. They should be involved in your workouts, and you should be involved in theirs. Kids don’t listen, but they do imitate.
Make sure your kids know that you workout.
One of the issues that came up in the study was that the kids didn’t realize their parents workout. Do your kids know you’re going to the gym? Do they see you going out for and coming back from a run? Have you challenged your kids recently to do 20 burpees, or see how can hold a squat or a wall sit the longest lately? Make it blatantly apparent to your kids that you still play and workout. Discuss with them what you did, and most importantly how, even when there were parts you didn’t like, you kept going!
Better yet, play with your kids, no really play. Stop the madness that when we grow up we’re too old to play. This is why most parents think working out is miserable, because it went from ‘play’ to going to the gym and going on an elliptical for 45 minutes… UGH!
When is the last time you jumped? Or moved like a kid would move?
Really think about that…. When is the last time you jumped in the air for a ball, to grab a tree limb, catch a frisbee? What about shot a basketball or kicked a soccer ball like you were 12? Do you think you’re too old for that? Doesn’t that sound ridiculous? Instead of getting a boring workout, or just running a race, grab the kids and go play something. What sport did you play growing up? Soccer? With or without the kids, grab a ball, and some cones and do some ball work, kick a ball up and down the field until you’ve gotten a great workout. Basketball? Shoot layups and make sure you grab any rebounds and finish with a basket. Baseball/Softball? Find a wall and throw yourself grounders.
Better yet, have your kids teach you what they are learning. What kind of soccer or basketball drills are they working on? Let them teach you the moves, it will be a great bonding experience, and will help them relearn what they are doing!
The question that is most likely popping into your head right now is what if someone sees me? How embarrassing! Seriously? Seriously? Who cares, if someone makes a comment ask them if we’re in 5th grade again and get back to playing.
Practice while your kids practice.
The excuse of the generation is that there’s no time. But I regularly see parents wasting an hour or more while their kids are at practice!
The other day, while my two oldest boys had soccer practice for 1:30, in an indoor fitness facility, I was able to get an insane workout about 50 feet from my kids, while keeping tabs on them the whole time. Even saw them score the goal they asked about afterwards!
Yes, you’ll get some looks as the other parents glance up from their phones, but deep I’m guessing deep down those parents are jealous.
For the better part of 45 minutes I worked out, no plan going into it at all, just doing whatever seemed fun with what was there. Pushups, squats, burpees, jumping jacks, sprints you can do these virtually anywhere.
Act the age you want to feel
In the soccer complex there is a steep indoor carpeted ramp that goes up about 20 feet, it’s steep enough to sprint up and down several times and be completely gassed. If you were to find cinder blocks laying around and carry them up and down you’d be exhausted as well…
Naturally the small kids who were there while their siblings were practicing came over and started running up and down the ramp, playing and having fun. Eventually some parents came over and started going up and down with the smaller kids to get them to do it. But it was that reserved, ‘I’m a parent, this is silly, just here to help you go up and down, type run’
At what point did most adults stop moving like kids? It’s odd to see a 35 or 50 year old moving with the freedom that a child can. Is it because they can’t? No, it’s most likely because they don’t, it’s foreign to them. Is that you??
STOP! Let yourself have fun! Seriously, even if you’re out of shape, running up a steep indoor hill, or on the field next to your kids’ practice is fun! Have a younger sibling with you, get them involved! Don’t let your 4-year-old beat you, they shouldn’t be able to. Run up and down until they want to stop, then do a few more while they are winded standing at the top! Throw one or two of them over your shoulders and run up a hill, or 50 yards and let them run down/back!
Or better yet, keep going until you want to stop.. tell them you ‘really want to stop, but you’re going to keep going anyway.’
What message do you think that is sending to your kids?
Maybe that’s why kids don’t want to grow up- because we’re making growing up look boring! Live so that kids say I can’t wait until I’m older so I can do fun stuff like you dad/mom!
Many of us endure great discomfort on a daily basis in work and life, we push through to get the job done. Show your kids how to do this through fitness, show them that you do this on a daily basis. It’s hard to explain the rigors of daily life to a child, but fitness is one thing that everyone can relate to.
Show them that they are stronger then they think they are, and can go further than they think they can.
Maybe, just maybe, you’ll remember that that is true for you too.
Do any of you actively workout while your kids are practicing? Have you tried any of the above and noticed a difference?
Workout ideas- (I’m not a trainer/doctor, this is just the advice I’d give my mom if she asked..)
First thing in the AM-
- Do something with your kids- even if it’s 5 or 10 minutes of jumping jacks, pushups or squats. It’s great to start the day with some movement, and is an opportunity to talk about goals and objectives for the day.
At Practice-
- Run a certain distance at the field say 10-minute run and try to run it faster next time.
- Run a lap, do 5 burpees/squats/pushups ect. And repeat until exhausted.
- Pushups, sit-ups, squats, or even bring a kettle bell or small weights. Put 20 minutes on the clock and keep moving the whole time. It does not need to be as sophisticated as we make it out to be!