Pushing Your Partner
Filed Under Fitmom Wellness |
I hope you are really enjoying the benefits of exercise and healthy living. Feeling fit and strong adds so much to your life. However, if you have small children, you might be the only one in your house who feels this way.
As you know, finding time to exercise when you have little kids is really hard. You have carved out space, but has your partner? Obviously, you both can’t get up at 5:30 a.m. to go for a run or find time during the kids’ afternoon nap to hit the gym on a weekend. It’s important for your whole household to make sure that both parents are working out regularly.
Partners also feel the effects of stress, anxiety, sleep-deprivation, and sometimes poor nutrition. If your partner is male and not exercising, his risks for a heart attack, stroke, or early death increase dramatically. In the biggest study of its kind on the effect of fitness (released in January), researchers showed that men (both African Americans and Caucasians) who were fit (obtained through a 30-minute brisk walk 5 to 6 times a week) cut their risk of death in half over those who were unfit. Those who were very highly fit—had committed to more vigorous exercise—had a 70 per cent lower risk of death than those who were unfit.
When both parents exercise, it also sends a message to children that healthy living is a part of their own lives. This is a wonderful gift to give your children. Now the question is, How do you fit it in?! Here are some suggestions:
• Have a regular morning alarm set four mornings a week. Trade off who gets up and runs or walks each of these mornings.
• Be active as a family.
• On weekends, run with your baby in a jogging stroller or play a game of vigorous soccer with your older children.
• Take your toddler for a swim and do some running laps in the shallow end.
• Dance as a family to some fun music every Friday night before sitting down to a movie.
• Make a list of ways your family can be active and and ways that both partners can get the time to exercise they need. Stick to your plan and enjoy the benefits of a healthy life together.
Cheers,
Andrea Page
Comments
2 Comments so far
I love these ideas! It’s so important to stay active!
Thanks Michelle…
agreed important and challenging but can be done !!
Cheers
Andrea