Fitness - My Favorite Parenting Resource(Part 1)
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May 6th, 2008
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It was early Sunday morning and the kids were still asleep as I finished my 10 K run. As I was admiring the view from the ski-hill I had just sprinted up, it occurred to me I never hear any parents talk about my most valued asset as a parent. The one that makes parenting so much less stressful, intense, and demanding. The one I can't live without for a single day. Extreme fitness, a parental gold mine. If parents got to somehow try parenting for a single day while being very fit, life would never be the same again. This revelation would be dramatic and life changing.
People got all this fitness and health talk completely wrong. I only hear people talking about losing weight to look better. To get in shape for the beach, a wedding, fit into a dress, or a bet with friends. It's always about looking better, less flab around the stomach, and firmer ass. Everyone got it wrong. Looking great and having a washboard stomach shouldn't be a goal, it's a side effect. People should approach fitness with a goal of feeling better, looking better is an unavoidable positive side effect.
An easy way to explain parenting while being extremely fit would be Teflon, that surface layer in your frying pan that makes everything non-sticky. Tantrums, nagging, little sleep, annoyances, poop on hands, spilled cups of juice, refusal to shower, terrible two's, extreme stress, stomach flu, and horrible screaming are things that aren't that annoying any longer. Everything works out without tons of frustration and desperation. Seemingly terrible situations aren't even a challenge any longer. When the kids are going nuts there is plenty of patience for a calm chat to resolve the situation. After being up half the night holding a puking daughter, sleeping three hours, and having a cold, there is still plenty of energy left to get through the day without even getting near the limit. Spending a whole night in the emergency room with a sick child or two is a nice adventure instead of a nightmare.
Having children is damn hard work. You know how you feel after a tough day? After waking up a 6 am with a screaming child, having a busy and stressful day, and then finally putting the little ones to sleep? Most parents I know are dead at 8 pm. No energy for anything else but the couch or maybe gulp down a drink before crashing at 9 pm. Now imagine going through that same day but cruising at 50% of capacity instead. Going through that same exact day feeling in control, experiencing little stress, no frustration, and with plenty of energy left over. Instead of being exhausted and dead tired in the evening, feel energized and ready for some wild sex with your spouse, a trip to the gym, a couple of bottle of wine, or some other fun activity. How about feeling this horrible day was actually a walk in the park? That's life while being extremely fit. It's an amazing parenting resource which benefit both parents and kids tremendously.
Problem is, most parents have never come close to being fit. People simply don't know what they are missing. One can talk a lot about the awesome feeling but no one will understand until they experience that same feeling. How would one explain it? I have no idea. I'm not into drugs but I can imagine being extremely fit is like being high on coke all day long. One has great confidence, lots of extra energy, more patience than ever imagined, and life feels like a million bucks. Image walking around like that every day. Makes parenting a lot less challenging.
Our now 21 month old daugher has been extremely demanding Annika has more energy than any other child I've ever met. She just doesn't sit still. Without beign very fit, I don't think me and Foxy Wife would have made it. We would have collapsed of exhaustion and frustration.
People are forgetting that feeling this great also means looking great. It means feeling much younger and running cirles around people 20 years younger without even trying. That washboard stomach and firm ass that wasn't even a goal is now there. There are so many positive attributes of being super fit it's obvious why most people today are less fit than ever before. People don't have the wildest idea of what they're missing.
Coming up next, how to find time for workouts without sacrificing family time and how to build a habit.
How do you find the time to workout? I can barely find 30-45mins most days to do my workout! I do agree that the mood levels are so much better when i workout. Being a SAHM can get very tiring and lonely at times and to stay in the right state of mind a good workout helps tremendously!!
That sounds great! I’d like to be in shape but I’m not sure where to start. I’ve already lost a lot of weight from cutting out most junk food, but I hate the gym. All that complicated machinery is intimidating. I’ve been thinking of asking my husband if he wants to start some light hiking (as in we could bring the baby). Someone also recommended yoga. I am definitely guilty of trying to get in shape for appearance’s sake! Mostly though, I’d like to set a good example for my daughter.
Aaahh, you are like my conscience of reminding me to workout regularly. I agree with you that hitting the gym and doing excercise just sends me to a great mindset. My mood is better. My body is better. However, with my current project at work for the past few months I have not hit the gym on a regular basis and am paying the price so dearly! Guess I’ll hit it tomorrow at lunch :o) to get this old machine going again.
Wow ! You are absolutely right , I am sure . It all sounds very true. Alas ! I am one of those who know the benefits but just can’t seem to fit a workout in . In my world, goofing around with the toddler or trundling down the slope after his bike is the only exercise I can get. Would be great if time spent goofing off with the kids could actually result in burning calories ( and the love handles , on the side ) !
Goodness, I better start getting into shape quick. My little one will be 1 in June!!! I think I’ll need to read your next post, though, as I can never seem to find time.
Have a good weekend!
I agree completely. But… how do you build a habit?
Here’s my fitness sob story: Ski season was coming up and for Christmas, my wife’s family and I were all going to go to Austria for skiing (we live in southern Poland, so it’s not nearly as exclusive as it sounds). I got really really really motivated to get in shape. I was going to the pool once a week, using my training bike, etc. This is quite a feat during winter time where all you really want to do is hibernate :-/
Alas, on the first day of the ski trip, I got sick. I got 1.5 days of skiing (optimistically looking at it) from a three day trip. What an upset. All my motivation vanished after that and I can’t get back in the rhythm of it.
Well, spring is here… time to try again.