7 Hacks for being a Fit Parent

I wasn’t always able to juggle being a mom of 5 and manage to work on myself, both mentally and physically, but like you, my energy was low, my stress was high and I made excuses. 

All the excuses.

“I don’t have time.”

“The kids have (insert your child’s activity here).”

“I have to eat what I cook for them.”

…The list of excuses goes on and on. 

I want to show you 7 life hacks for making it work for you while making it work as a parent. 

I can’t promise you that this will be easy, but I can promise you that a little bit goes a long way, and doing something is better than doing nothing.

I did not go from playing uber driver for my kiddos to fully investing my health overnight. 

I understood that little by little, I could gain confidence in the newness. 

This confidence would allow me to invest more into those that matter the most, my kids.

I’m sure you want to know how we do it, but first! Here's why we do it.

They are my REASON.

Not my EXCUSE.

I do what I do to be better for them, to leave a legacy for them to be proud of.

I keep it simple and I want you to do the same thing. 

Take a second and think about why your health is worth investing in. You’ll fight the change every step of the way, but if you keep trying I promise you that you will thank yourself for going all in on you.

I know these hacks will not always be perfect… but then again, nothing is going to be perfect, and nowadays I know that that is OK. 

Here’s some of my favorite “how-to be a fit parent hacks”:

1. BE PROACTIVE, NOT REACTIVE.

Life can get “crazy” right? Well we’re just going to call that normal moving forward. Because..tell me the last time life as not crazy?!

I already see you and I see your morning because I’ve lived your morning routine. You’re rushing around to get everyone ready, and be out the door off to whatever the plans are for the day. You're feeding one child, while another complains that the iPad won’t work.. The dog is barking because they need to go outside. The TV is on full blast, and it’s a mad dash to the door just to take this circus into the car before school, practice or a trip to church.

Consider planning ahead.

Pack what you need for the next day the night before:

• meals, water, lunches, supplements, shoes, etc.
• Have these ready to go so you have some time to manage the chaos versus drown in it.

This will allow you to simply get up and start your day. You’ll have a few more minutes each morning to have your “you time,” and if nothing else you’ll be able to manage the tardiness of your children with less stress, get out the door and enjoy the day.

2. SET YOUR ALARM(S)

Every so often, sleeping in is nice, but I promise you that gradually becoming an early riser has allowed me to get my head on straight before the chaos ensues. 

Try getting up 1-2 hours before your kids. If that’s a stretch, start with 15 minutes and add another 15 minutes each week until you have the time to go through whatever morning activities you need to start the day on the right foot.

Use the time to drink your coffee, read, catch up on socials, even get a quick workout in! 

3. SCHEDULE YOUR WORKOUTS

You schedule your hair appointment, your kid’s practice, social events with friends, but never anything that has to do with your health. It’s time to put 30-60minutes on the calendar everyday for you and your workout. 

Have your gym or workout time on your calendar like it’s a non negotiable appointment

You will not be motivated to go to the gym everyday. I know this because I am not motivated to go to the gym everyday. 

However, I have learned to look at my gym or workout time as if it were a doctor's appointment. 

You may not want to go get a check up, but you do because if there is anything wrong you’ll want to know about it. 

With the gym we can prevent anything being wrong by consistently taking action on our health. 

Set your calendars. It’s a non negotiable. 

4. STEP-BY-STEP

I’m going to keep this one simple. The kiddos will not mind if you walk while they practice. Use sports practices and activity drop offs for an hour of walking. 

An hour of walking could add up to an additional 200+ calories burned every time you do this. 

Start slow and keep it casual and eventually game-ify the walk by seeing how far you can go in a certain amount of time, or how quickly you can walk a certain distance. 

5. A POWER NAP

While I would love to say that we get to nap here, and you may really want to, that is not what I am going to suggest. 

For parents of littles, use nap time to get some intentional movement. 

15-20 minutes of movement can go a long way when you’re having a tough day. 

From feeling more clear headed, to just getting the blood flowing, a small amount of movement can help you make progress on the busiest of days. 

I love using Hidden Summit’s @home workout programming which is available on the Hidden Summit Tracks App. This program, and 3 additional programs with at home optimization are available for only $1 a day. Find out more here.

6. TECH SAVVY PARENTING

It’s time to get with tit. Time to download and utilize grocery pickups and delivery services to save hours of your life

It’s available and you need it, like I needed it. 

It comes down to this. You cannot be in 2 places at once and also take care of your health on top of it. 

I like to use apps like instacart or amazon prime to order things I need in a timely manner. 

Remember, once you get your time back , you can get your life back.

7. WE ARE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER

Start them early and often. This next piece has been the biggest game changer for our family. 

We love getting our kids involved in our healthy lifestyle. 

Let your kiddos pick healthy foods, try new meal ideas, and even cook with you.

Encourage them to drink water, take after dinner walks or bike rides, or join you for a quick workout. 

When it’s age appropriate, have them set goals as you do. 

Have fun with all of this, because remember…you don’t have to do any of it… You get to do all of it.

Last thing! Remember those eyes are always watching you and you are your children’s first and best teacher. 

Cool parents raise cool kids!

Thanks for reading through. If you have any questions or want me to touch on anything else that has to do with parenting and maintaining a healthy lifestyle, please feel free to email me at morgan@hiddensummitgroup.com