It has been said that you will find the time for the things that are important to you. When you have a job and a family it can be an incredibly tricky task to find time to work out even if it is a top priority. Of course it can be done, but you will sacrifice something in exchange such as family time or sleep and this is not always the best option for you, your family, your marriage, your job…. A new study published in January of this year on JAMA Internal Medicine has shown that people who are busy during the week can still reap huge benefits from getting physical activity on the weekends. This is exceptional news for those people who are constantly feeling defeated or guilty about not finding the time or being too tired to work out during the week. YAY!
If you are on a mission to lose weight or build muscle, the truth is that you are going to have to go to the gym at least 5 times a week and put in a lot of dedication and time to exercise and eating. If you want to stay healthy and extend your life, weekends will do the job just fine! The conclusion of the study shows that fun physical activities performed 1 or 2 times per week may be sufficient to reduce significant risk of death from cardiovascular disease and cancer.
Of course we are all still busy on the weekends with chores and activities, but we can absolutely find time to exercise along with spending quality time with our families. It will save your life!!
Biking is my favorite way to exercise as a family! It is fun and pretty easy for everyone. You can increase or lower the intensity quickly and easily to get your heart rate up. You can explore the area where you live, travel with your bikes to parks and trails, or even go into a city and rent bikes! Even the youngest kids in the family can come along with baby seats and trailers.
One way that we get extra family time and exercise in is when we want to go out to dinner or a treat, we have to walk there! We go through our neighborhoods and parks to get there and back. It gives us things to talk about in a positive environment, promotes togetherness and wellness too! (You can also play Pokemon go or do some geocaching together along the way!)
Going to rock climbing gyms, hiking trails, canoeing or paddle boat riding, indoor trampoline centers and swimming pools are all fun places to go as well. Do an indoor roller rink or outdoor rollerblading at a skate park. Visit local playgrounds and climb on the equipment, play some games of tag, kick or catch a ball and run some races against each other. You do have a lot of ways to get together and exercise!
Don’t feel bad about not making it to the gym if you are at a time in your life where it is too high a sacrifice due to being busy. We all have those times in our lives whether they are a few weeks or a few months. Do what you can, make the best of your family time and stay healthy for a long time!
