Between packing lunches, homework, hockey practices and work, training is often the first thing we sacrifice when we become parents. Yet it is often what gives us the energy and patience for everything else.
Good news: you don't need to spend 90 minutes a day at the gym. Here are 7 realistic strategies to keep a routine, even with a family schedule.
How much exercise, exactly?
The Canadian 24-Hour Movement Guidelines recommend that adults accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity per week, and do muscle-strengthening activities at least twice a week.
In practice, that can look like 3 sessions of 50 minutes, or 5 sessions of 30 minutes. It is more achievable than you think.
1. Aim for consistency, not perfection
A 30-minute session you actually do beats a one-hour session pushed to next week. Set yourself a non-negotiable minimum, for example two sessions a week, and treat everything else as a bonus. During stomach-bug weeks or tournament weeks, the minimum is plenty.
2. Block training time in the family calendar
Treat your session like an appointment: put it in the family's shared calendar. If you have a partner, negotiate your time slots: Tuesday and Thursday evenings for one, Wednesday lunch and Saturday morning for the other. When it's written down, it happens.
3. Use the "gaps" in your day
Lunchtime at the office, during your oldest's swimming lesson, early in the morning before the house wakes up: the best windows are often short and unexpected.
That's where a gym network makes all the difference. With a single Movaxion membership, you can train near the office at lunch, near the arena on Saturday and near home in the evening. See the list of partner gyms.
4. Choose a family-friendly gym
Some facilities offer a kids' room where little ones can play during your session. That's the case at GYM45 in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, a member of the Movaxion network. Always check the rules on site: in most cases, the parent remains responsible for their child at all times.
Look at opening hours too. A gym that opens at 5 a.m. lets you train before everyone else's day begins.
5. Focus on short, effective sessions
When time is short, movements that work several muscle groups at once are your best allies. Here is a sample 30-minute session:
- Warm-up: 5 minutes of light cardio
- Circuit, 3 rounds:
- Goblet squat: 10 to 12 reps
- Dumbbell bench press: 10 to 12 reps
- One-arm row: 10 to 12 reps per side
- Walking lunges: 10 per leg
- Plank: 30 to 45 seconds
- Rest: little or none between exercises, 1 to 2 minutes between rounds
- Cool-down: 5 minutes of light stretching
Choose weights that let you keep good form from start to finish. If needed, ask a trainer at your gym to check your technique.
6. Move with your kids, on top of the gym
Biking, sledding, hiking, soccer in the backyard: it doesn't replace strength training, but it counts toward your 150 minutes. As a bonus, you set an example. Kids learn far more from what we do than from what we say.
7. Give yourself permission to start again
A new baby, going back to work, back to school: there will be breaks, and that's normal. Rather than thinking all-or-nothing, restart with your minimum version and rebuild from there.
After a pregnancy, check with your health professional before resuming intense training.
In summary
Being a parent doesn't mean putting your health on hold. With a realistic minimum, short sessions and a gym you can reach at the right time, training becomes possible again, and even becomes a moment just for you.
Find a Movaxion network gym near your home, office or arena. To learn how to get access, see the Become a member page.
