Trying to fit in time for a workout between getting your kids to all their extracurriculars can feel impossible. Your family’s jam-packed fall schedule means you have less time to fit in a workout. Fear not. You can get a workout while your kids are at practice.
Make Your Health a Priority
When it comes to things we can’t put off, such as paying bills, we make time to get them done. They’re non-negotiable priorities. One of the most important parts of living a fit, healthy lifestyle is making exercise a non-negotiable priority. Your overall health is extremely important, both to you and to your family.
Make it a priority by scheduling time every week for a few good workouts. This may mean you’ll have to juggle responsibilities, such as having the family clean up after dinner while you workout. On days when you just don’t have the time, you can get creative to fit in workouts during other commitments. A great time to workout is while your kids are at practice.
Take a Lap
Depending on where your kid’s team practices, you can probably find a place to walk or run. Whether the school has a track nearby you can use or you run around the field where the kids practice, it’s an excellent place to get in a workout. Consider enlisting a group of other team parents to walk or run with you, too. It’ll add fun and accountability to your workout. Plus, you’ll be showing your kids how parents can have healthy habits, even with a busy lifestyle.
Want to take your workouts up a notch?
Hit the Bleachers
Use bleachers, school steps, or a even a hill to add a level of difficulty to your walk or run. Combine a few moves to create a full interval training routine that can be done completely on the bleachers. Something like the Ultimate Staircase Workout can be adjusted to suit different fitness levels and still give you a killer workout. It involves performing a five minute warm-up, running the steps, high knees, jumps, and lunges, depending on the level of difficulty you choose. You’ll just need a stopwatch or a smartphone with a timer to keep track of the intervals.
Add Some Calisthenics
Using just the weight of your body for resistance to build strength and muscle is easy to do on-the-fly. You only need to learn a few basic moves for a full body workout. Those steps or bleachers will come in handy for adding intensity to some calisthenic exercises, too. Which moves should you practice? The basics include: push-ups, tricep dips, sit-ups, squats, lunges, and plank. Use the steps to elevate your feet for a tougher push-up and to assist in doing dips.
Up Your Game
Plyometrics will add even more intensity to these moves when you’re ready for it. Also known as jump training, these moves add an explosive burst of power to basic moves, such as squats and lunges. To perform a plyometric squat, stand with feet hip width apart and squat down. Rather than rising slowly to a standing position, you should burst upward in a jump, then land gently on your feet with soft knees. If you’re prone to joint pain or have injuries, plyo might be too high impact for you.
Before you start workouts during practice, you have a few things to think about. You may need to get the okay from the school to workout on their property due to insurance liability, so check with the coach or the principal to be sure it’s okay. Carefully consider your fitness ability and any health issues you may have when choosing a workout regimen. Of course, if you’ve started a group, be sure the routine is safe for everyone. Lastly, before starting any workout, such as the ones mentioned here, be sure to check with your doctor.