Back to School!

This is always a time of year when family’s have a big mix of emotions. Those with younger kids are usually super excited for this time of year! Kids get to go back to school and see their friends, while parents can get back into their routines of dropping the kids at school and heading to work; the worry of “who will watch my kid this week” or “what camp will I enroll them in next” is no longer an issue! For the older kiddo’s, the start of another school year isn’t as exciting. Sure they’re ready to hangout with their friends again, but let’s be honest, they’re not too pumped for the school work! 

BUT I’m not here to chat your ear off about how the kids are feeling, I want to help you figure out how you’ll stay active as the busy school year gets underway! 

With a new school year comes new enrollments in clubs, teams and other after school extracurriculars. This often results in more driving for parents. With the increase in commitments, it can be difficult to keep up your level of activity and help you feel strong and healthy. So we figured, why not make some suggested in hopes that we can keep some activity in the lives of our parents!

OPTION 1. If you’re a morning person or someone who is disciplined enough to get up early 3-4 mornings a week, you could schedule a morning workout before the kids get out of bed. Your workouts don’t need to be 60-minutes in length! Committing to a 20 minute high-intensity workout 3-4 times a week is a FANTASTIC way to keep up your physical activity level when you’re a busy parent with a hectic schedule. You can even go one step further and take the thinking out of it! Sounds amazing right!? Find a fitness based YouTube channel that you like, with workouts that are within the timeframe that suits your needs (20-minutes, 30-minutes, 45-minutes) and follow along. Roll out of bed, complete your workout and then get ready for your day!

Alternatively, maybe you’re a night person and the above recommendation would work for you, but at night after the kiddo’s go to bed! Either way, give it a try! 

OPTION 2. Join a league. Take one night a week to yourself and join in on the fun! A number of leagues have started up again and are getting underway this time of year. Barrie offers some great leagues including volleyball, hockey, running clubs, skiing/snowboarding, cycling, tennis, and curling to name a few. Check out this link to see what other leagues and clubs Barrie has to offer. Perhaps you might like to start your own club. Meet up with some neighbours or friends the same night every week for a workout, walk or run. You can alternate who plans the workout each week. 

OPTION 3. Get in your moves throughout the day. Making lunches for the day? Do 30 squats. Walking from the laundry room to the bedroom? Do walking lunges. Waiting for the bus? Get everyone to do a jumping jack competition and see who can do the most. There are TONS of body weight exercises that you could build in throughout the day. Waiting for the coffee to brew at work? Practice your deadlift. Lunch time? Go for a 15 minute walk. Is everyone going crazy before bed and you all need to get the wiggles out? Turn up the music and have a good old fashioned dance party! 

Remember that the goal is to move! Adding little bits of movement into your day will add up over time and make a big difference. 

OPTION 4. Exercise while your kids exercise. If your schedule is super busy between work and carting the kids around for their commitments, try to schedule a workout while the kids are being active. If the kids are at practice or have a game, take 20 minutes and go do a workout while they play. Do it at intermission so you don’t miss anything. Or communicate to your kids that they’re doing something fun and healthy for their body, so you’re going to do the same for yours. If you’re uncomfortable working out wherever you are, do a few laps of the building, or some reps of the stairs. Every little bit counts! 

OPTION 5. Join a gym. Having a place to escape to where you can focus on your workout might be just what you need. Look for a gym that meets your needs and that makes you excited to go to! 

If you need more suggestions of how to get more activity into your daily routine, send us an email to info@delfit.ca, we’re happy to help!