1 Minute Fitness Tip: Fitting in Fitness if You Have Kids
Sometimes kids soak up so much time that it’s difficult to find time for fitness – you end up having so little time for yourself that working out can be the last thing on your mind.
But if you are determined enough, there are ways to carve out bits of time here and there so that you can be as fit as your friends who don’t have family responsibilities.
I remember writing about a tip a while ago that I thought was a good idea – and on Saturday I tried it out (yes, I do follow my own advice – well, at least most of the time 
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My 10-year old had an hour-long tennis lesson in the morning and instead of taking him and waiting around with the other parents reading the newspaper and drinking coffee, I dropped him off and then went for a run.
I got my work out done. He had fun. I felt very productive…
You do have to be a bit more creative if you have very small children – there seemed to be years when all I could do was to snatch a few minutes exercise at home or to walk and walk for miles pushing a baby in the stroller.
But it can be done – so don’t give up! And it’s great to be setting your kids a good example.
And remember you can always get my Fitness in No Time program if you only have a few minutes a week to work out 
30 Second Fitness Tip: Boost Your Workout Before You Start
According to a study (Stover, B. et al. 2003. Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, 28 suppl s105) nearly half of all exercisers are at a disadvantage before they begin their workout and most don’t even know it.
How’s that?
Well, they arrive at their workout dehydrated.
Most of us know to drink fluid during and after a workout but did you know having a glass of water an hour or so before your exercise session makes your routine more effective?
How much should you drink?
The recommended amount of fluid to drink an hour before your workout is 17 to 20 ounces according to the National Athletic Trainers association.
There have been a few studies performed by those who sell those sports drinks (it figures) showing we don’t drink enough before, during and after our workouts because we find it hard to stomach plain water.
The thing is, water is the healthiest fluid to drink, and you really don’t need anything more expensive unless you are doing something more strenuous than most of us ever manage.
Not drinking plain water is a bad habit that a lot of us have got into in recent years.
Try drinking water at different temperatures. Some like it ice cold while others find it goes down more easily at room temperature. You can also have a cup of hot water with a slice of lemon if you need a warm drink.
Fitness Tip 6: Don’t Rely Only on Machines
You know fitness is for real bodies which have to do real tasks The machines at the gym are created to help you but they are rarely as effective as doing things under your own steam.
Anyone who has ever run a 5K or 10K distance outside will tell you that it’s a very different experience from going the same distance on a treadmill – even if you use a program designed to add variety.
Outside you have to contend with the weather, uneven road surfaces, hills, pedestrians, dogs and traffic so an indoor run is often more appealing.But the very fact that you are dealing with all those things gives you a better, more natural workout.
Fair enough, don’t run in conditions or areas which are actually dangerous but whenever you can safely do so, take your workout outside the gym and experience the real thing. There’s no workout like it.
And the same goes for weights at the gym.
Don’t always use those machines which are designed to isolate one muscle group – you know the kind that are meant for those of us who can’t be trusted to deal with real weights – the kind with stacked weights and a pin that varies the amount of resistance.
You get much better exercise which will make you fitter for the world we live in by doing real movements such as squats and lunges for your lower body and barbell or dumbbell presses for your upper body. With these kinds of movements you develop better functional strength and stability in your key muscles and that helps prevent injury during sport and everyday life.
Fitness Tip 5 : All Things Equal
Everyone has the exercises they like doing and ones they don’t. And most people have a stronger side and a weaker side.
Whatever you do, don’t neglect to do the exercises you don’t like doing or do more reps on the side that’s stronger or more flexible.
You’ll end up out of balance. (Think Charles Atlas shoulders and Mr Bean legs!)
You have to strengthen and stretch all muscle groups on both sides to get a balanced symmetrical physique.
Working to make all parts of your body in balance will also help prevent the poor posture, tears and muscle strains caused by having some body parts weaker than others.
It will be enough for most of us just to remember not to neglect the areas we don’t like working on.
For those looking to get closer to perfection, get a program which trains for every range and angle of movement in every part of your body and which balances the various movements in equal measure.
Fitness Tip 4 : Every Workout Counts
Creating a great body takes a lot of self discipline. If you have the attitude that it doesn’t matter if you can’t be bothered to do your scheduled workout one day, you’ll quickly find that another time a day becomes a week and a week a month.
You see, you’re either disciplined and determined or you’re not.
Every missed workout feeds your self image with the idea that you’re someone who can’t stick to a simple program, even a program that will benefit you so much.
On the other hand, every time you keep to your workout schedule your self image and esteem gets a boost – you are someone who can be relied on.
Sticking to your program helps reinforce all those good feelings you get from working out. It becomes a positive cycle of reinforcement leading to more discipline and more of the results you are seeking from exercise – all of which will continue to keep you motivated for the long haul.
Muscle movement by muscle movement, step by step, workout by workout you will be reaching your goals.
So try not to miss even one workout unless you have no choice whatsoever. It’s those “Can’t be bothered” “Too busy” “Don’t have time” excuses which will eat up your motivation and self-esteem not the “I had to take my sick child to hospital so I couldn’t get to the gym” type real reasons for missing a session.
For all this to make any difference at all you actually have to have a fitness program to follow (see Fitness Tip 1 : Have a Plan) – otherwise you’re just drifting and then it really doesn’t matter whether you turn up or not.
Fitness Success Tip 2 : Challenge Yourself
Has your workout become just a tad boring? Are you finding your 20 minute daily run easier than you used to?
Surely that’s a good thing?
Well, actually, it isn’t.
The thing is, to improve any aspect of your fitness you need to exercise consistently and regularly on an ongoing basis – that means you need to show up regularly (3 or more times a week) and do the work.
But it’s not enough to carry out the same old routine day after day or week after week because you will not get any fitter (or stronger) from that.
Bodies need to be challenged to make any kind of improvement – a workout which you do repeatedly will get easier over time but your body won’t bother to take you to the next level because it knows it can cope with the work it is having to do just as it is.
So when a workout gets too familiar then you don’t get the full benefit from the time you spend exercising.
Stamina and strength increase when you make new demands on your body – your body is designed to respond so that it can handle the new level of work you are asking of it.
Best results are obtained not by switching exercises excessively but by doing the same types of exercise for a period of time while constantly increasing the effort required.
Not in a big way, you understand, but in tiny increments. This means things like running a little faster, adding a minute on the treadmill or a steeper incline, adding one more rep, a little more weight and so on.
This is called progressive overload and it will bring continuous improvement in its wake rather than the stagnation you can expect if you just do the same old, same old routine.
So don’t let yourself get bored. Make sure you challenge your body every workout, every day, every week for maximum benefit in minimum time.
Fitness Success Tip 1 : Have a Plan
A lot of people turn up at the gym regularly and just do whatever they feel like that day. One day they’ll work on their arms and “have a go” on the elliptical. Another they’ll “do a bit of leg work” and see if the treadmill is free. Others go for a run when the weather’s fine but “can’t be bothered” when rain sets in. Then there are the weekend exercisers who are just never going to get anywhere fast.
I have to say that some action is better than none but if you are winging it like this you could be doing so much better for yourself and making a good deal more of the precious time you spend exercising.
Besides, without a plan you stand to get demotivated fast because you are unlikely to see the kind of results you might be hoping for even after a considerable time.
So follow a chosen fitness and/or strength program consistently
Or create a program for yourself taking into account
- Where you are now on your fitness path – you may want to get a fitness assessment with a personal trainer or gym to get a true picture of your current fitness levels
- What you really want to achieve - Are you going for stamina, strength, weight-loss, flexibility or a balance of different forms of fitness? Are you training for a particular sport or event? What do you need for that? What level of fitness or strength training are you going for - competition level or a general improvement to improve your everyday quality of life?
- What will best fit into your lifestyle – What can you commit to on a consistent basis? What facilities and equipment do you have access to? (Don’t discount buying equipment if it makes life easier – a treadmill at home may be cheaper than a gym membership never used).
Once you have your program, ALWAYS, ALWAYS, ALWAYS log your sessions and measure results so that you can see progress along the way This is a huge motivation factor in any successful exercise program.
So Fitness Tip 1 in a nutshell : Failing to plan, is planning to fail as they say so make sure you have a water-tight plan for your fitness goals and follow that plan!
About Simply Fitness
Hi and welcome!
As the name of this blog implies, it’s simply about getting fit and also about getting fit in simple ways.
While the main site at SimplyFitnessGear.com provides independent detailed reviews and information about fitness equipment, the blog is for everything to do with Fitness and is designed to inspire you to get that on top of the world feeling which only comes when you are at your peak.
The focus is not on any one type of fitness but on every aspect that leads to total well-being : Cardio, Strength Building, Toning and Firming, Flexibility and more.
You won’t find too much information on muscle building for the sake of competition or on achieving Olympic records – there are plenty of other sites for that – instead, you’ll find lots of info to help you feel and look better through taking good care of yourself – achievable by everyone no matter where you are beginning and how busy you are.
As I’m a health and fitness coach, you’ll find lots of tips designed to keep you on track and motivated to achieve your fitness goals. And as many of my clients start out on the fitness path because they want to lose weight, you’ll find plenty of tips on that too.
I hope you enjoy the blog and if you like what you see why not get regular updates by subscribing to our RSS feed or to our Simply Fitness newsletter (you’ll also receive an ebook of 101 great tips when you get your free newsletter subscription).
Have fun getting fitter than ever
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