One common question I get asked is how to handle training when you get a family or have a busy family life.
As I think this is a problem many are facing I wanted to share some insight in how to have time for your health even if you are busy with a family or if you are a busy business owner (I kind of see them in the same way).
I am a father of three girls ages 1,4 and 7. For most people with kids you know these are the busy years.
The older the kids grow the more commitments the kids also get.
Amongst the parents we share kindergarten and school with, most parents are not doing much for their health or fitness.
I don’t blame them. They are constantly tired, have pain in their backs and lack motivation to do anything after long days fo work and nursing at home.
Same thing goes for a business owner. The business is their baby and their family. It requires constant attention and the more you put in the more it will grow.
When flying on a plane they always go through the safety instructions before you fly.
I believe most parents still look at the instructions telling them to put on the oxygen mask first and second on the kid a bit baffling.
But then we realise that if we as parents lose conscious first the kid is out worse.
Same goes in life. If we parents don’t take care of ourselves then guess what, we will be less of parents.
We say you want to get started and make a change there are somethings you need to put into place to make it successful.
You and your partner have to be on the same page. This means you need to talk and support each other.
For me and my wife, we have almost a “don’t question it” rule.
This means when we want to train, we allow each other to train.
To that we also want each other to train. This means we urge each other to be active.
Without that support it will be hard.
I can bring an example. It is late evening and my wife is out training and I am home cooking food for three kids and making them ready for bed.
In my world I never even think of “why is she out training and not helping out?” It does not even cross my mind because thanks to my fitness I am not stressed or tired doing my duties and I love that I can support my wife.
Best is if you can get help from family or friends to maybe look out for your kids two hours so you can spend some quality time for yourself too.
We don’t have any family close by so I know it is not easy, but we have worked hard to get support from others.
One other option is of course to bring your kid to the gym together.
This is how me and my wife did with our first kid.
While one was training the other was baby sitting and then we simply shifted.
What I did not see coming from that was that we also got to know another couple with a kid and suddenly we got very close friends.
A couple of years later I opened up Escapist CrossFit together with Gerardo the father in the other couple. And here we are.
Don’t underestimate what improved health and fitness will bring to you and your family.
Time to put on your oxygen masks.
Have a great week!
Rickard