Working out is a breeze. Said no parent ever! When you're juggling work and children, exercise is the last thing on your mind (especially when you can't even find time to eat your lunch in peace!). But hey, squeezing in some fitness is crucial for your mind, body and health, as well as a fantastic opportunity, to destress and unwind.
So, to help you out, we quizzed two leading British athletes – one who is a parent – on their top tips on how parents can keep fit…
Fitness tips for mums
1 of 51) Set an attainable goal
British athlete Martyn Rooney is also a parent of two young children. His top tip for parents wanting to get back into exercising? “Set an attainable goal, but one that’s actually going challenge them. If you’ve got a goal you can aim for then it’ll keep you motivated.”
2 of 52) Workout when the kids are sleeping
“Me and my wife have worked out that you just have to take opportunities [to exercise] when the children are sleeping. If there’s someone else in the house, go out and do 20 minutes of exercise. It doesn’t have to be a long run - on our road we have a little hill and my wife will run up and down it to exercise. She gets a lot out of that 20 minutes – it’s all about making sure that when you have the opportunity to workout, you take it. Don’t sit and have a coffee instead!” Noted, thanks Martyn!
3 of 53) Have healthy snacks at home
“My diet is pretty straightforward, I’m not that fancy in the kitchen. I think with families it’s snacking all the time [that can catch you out].” We totally agree.
Martyn’s favourite family snack is the Müller yoghurt. “Everyone can have a Müller Corner yoghurt pretty easy, it’s a good part of your lunch, it’s a good snack for the whole family.”
4 of 54) Try an at-home circuit workout
British hurdling athlete Andre Pozzi told us that there’s lots of easy stuff parents can do to keep fit. “There’s loads of body weights and circuits you can do, and you can buy weights like kettle bells relatively inexpensively. Do stuff like squats, lunges, side lunges with them.” Remember that when you’re doing exercises with weights, take it easy and build up the weights gradually.
“There’s loads of circuit exercises you can do around the house, too,” Andrew added. We recommend doing things like jumping jacks, tuck jumps, squats and burpees. You can even do simple things like jogging on the spot and skipping for a minute long. “It doesn’t take very long to get fit, when the intensity is higher you often burn a lot more - you don’t need to do an hour on a treadmill,” said Andrew.
5 of 55) Most importantly – have fun!
“I feel like enjoying yourself is at the route of everything. If you don’t enjoy something, you won’t do it. So, if [your workouts are] really fun or you have an end goal in mind, you’re going to be way better at it and be able to do it for longer.” This is very true – if you enjoy your workouts you’re more likely to regularly do them. So, put on some uplifting music and have fun whilst you’re exercising!
Written by Arianna Chatzidakis
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