Do you sometimes wonder whether it is really worth all of the effort to put in, so you are able to regularly do your chosen activity or your exercise workouts? Are you finding yourself reflecting on whether this activity or exercise is actually what you want to be spending your time on? Possibly, are you feeling a little bit of guilt creeping in and thinking that you should be spending more time with your loved ones instead?
Making a commitment to developing an exercise routine does have an impact on our time and it can feel like it costs you a lot. You may be spending so much time at work leaving you with limited time at home. Plus you need to still try and find time for yourself. It’s sometimes hard to think about how you can also incorporate time for exercise and whether you should prioritise this.
Honestly, if you are reading this and thinking it sounds like you then you should pat yourself on the back. Why? Because you are recognising the impact that this time away has on your loved ones.
Your wife plays a major role in supporting the work that you do, and it is likely that she does this alongside a working role herself. Not forgetting the extremely important role of looking after your kids, a full-time job in itself. No doubt you spend time together to sort the necessities for home and family life. But you have to ask yourself – is this enough?
Total Time Together vs Quality Time Together
If you feel it is not enough time, or that something is lacking, then I encourage you to reflect over the time that you do spend with your family and loved ones.
What I mean by this is, is the time that you are spending with them quality time. Where you are focused and present, giving lots of attention to each other? Or are you just there and going through the necessary motions. Essentially just passing the time together in the same place and doing what needs to be done. Increasing your total time together but not making the most of it?
I feel that quality time together is essential, and that the attention that you give to your loved ones is thoroughly important. It has a major impact on how they feel about the time spent with you and your relationships as a whole.
So Why Would I Then Spend More Time Away Exercising?
It is important that you are putting time aside to develop a healthy routine, whether it is for a chosen activity or an exercise. It has a positive impact on you and this will then reflect on your loved ones.
This impact is not just of a physical nature by obtaining a stronger and fitter body, it also has a positive impact on your mind. It helps with how you socialize with other people, it allows you to fill up your own cup and in turn you pour this positivity back into your family – your wife, your kids and the loved ones around you. If you are still feeling the pinch of juggling time between family, work and “you” time. Then try some different options to support the routine that you are building, trust me in the long term it will pay off.
Essentially by dedicating time to a healthy routine it will help you both physically and mentally. Which in turn positively impacts your relationships with your wife, kids and loved ones.
Okay I Am Sold! But What Activity or Exercise Should I Do?
You need to gain an insight on which activity you think will give you the greatest positive impact on your life at this stage. Choose something that you are likely to enjoy but it is important that you are also able to maintain it. For example, you may decide to take up running and although you feel okay now you know that you are prone to injuries when running – due to this it is highly likely that the routine won’t stick.
So, you should think of alternatives. Say you live or work close to the ocean and you enjoy surfing. Why not throw a board on the car and go for a surf every morning before work. Or if you fondly think back on your time spent playing football – why not join a local team?
Find an exercise or activity that works for you, something that you actually enjoy doing and want to continue to do.
Choosing the Right Time to Fit in with Your Family
It is important that there is communication and an understanding of the time schedules that you and your family have. You have to take into consideration the time spent at school and work, the time spent taking your kids to their activities, plus the activities that you and your wife may do as well. Understanding this is important to feel confident in being able to juggle everything at once and ensure that as a family you support each other.
Choose a time slot to exercise that doesn’t just work for you but is a time that is convenient for your wife and kids too. There is no point arranging to do a workout activity at 6pm. Why? Because at this time, your family is having dinner and then getting the kids ready for bed, this is just going to just disturb the flow of the night time routine. Similarly, if you plan to go out at 7am in the morning whilst the kids are getting ready for school it will be more challenging not just for you but for your wife and kids as well.
It makes more sense that to do your workout earlier, starting at 5:30am or 6am in the morning, before the kids are getting ready for school. If you choose a more convenient time not only is there is a higher chance that you are going to stick with that routine but it also makes for a happier and more considerate family life.
Make Things Easier for Yourself
So, you should now have gained a greater insight into what activity suits you best and will give you the most positive impact. Along with finding a suitable time of when to do it that fits in with your family. The next thing is to think about are other methods you can use to support the activity to become a regular and consistent occurrence in your week.
If we go back to the surfing example, if the beach is by your work then maybe you can leave your surfboard there so you can quickly just grab it each morning, or even just hire one from a local surf shop. Or if you travel 20km further to go to a beach that has some wicked waves ask yourself is this really necessary, would the local beach not suffice? The further you need to travel regularly the harder it will be to stick to your routine. The main aim in this instance is to get out there and be fit and healthy.
Make choices that will have the most positive impact on you but at the same time allow you to have a consistent routine that is easier to stick at. The more factors that can affect you doing the activity increases the likelihood of you failing to keep up the routine. Make life easier for yourself and don’t put obstacles in the way if they don’t need to be there.
Turn Your Exercise / Activity Time into Family Time
What if there was a way to combine a healthy active routine whilst increasing the quality time you spend with your family? This is one of the best methods of being able to be active and not sacrifice any quality family time.
You can choose an activity that will benefit you all. Kick a football in the park, go on a hike, take the dog for a walk, swim at the beach – whatever suits your family. These are all things you can do together which increase your activity levels and at the same time you are spending quality time together as a family.
It also encourages healthy attitudes for your kids and will help them to learn to take care of their bodies, their minds all whilst building better relationships with each other.
Make It Happen!
Equipped with this information it is now time for you to get out there and find a routine that works well for you as well as your loved ones.
Remember, in order to have a healthy and happy relationship with our loved ones we first need to ensure that we have a happy and healthy relationship with ourselves.
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