Time is a premium for single parents, and while we all know that we are supposed to exercise—that it is good for us, helps us de-stress, etc. exercise can be the first thing to go when our schedules get pinched. Single parents need to really put special focus on and carve out time to exercise. It is a habit, however, with multiple benefits.
If you really can’t find time for yourself to get some movement into your day—include your kids. I recall when my own kids were 4, 5, and 6—we used to go to the YMCA 4-5 nights a week after dinner to swim. It was a way I could exercise, and spend time with all three of my kids at once—all after a busy day of work, and school (for all of us). We could then take a group shower and I would put the kids in their pajamas before we left for home. Once we got home, we’d have snack and stories and off to bed. Multiple stones were taken care of and we all got plenty of exercise too. Taking walks, kicking a soccer ball back and forth, and building in some extra movement by walking to other activities are all ways that the single parent can find time to exercise. When my kids got a little older and all played sports (when I wasn’t coaching –and coaching is a great way to get exercise too), I would walk or jog the track or around the outside of the practice field while they had practices.
With a little creativity, and a determination to find ways to exercise even if you are a busy, stretched, and strained single parent—you can find ways to keep healthy movement in your life. After all, staying healthy is doubly important for a single parent since we don’t have anyone waiting in the wings to take over should we get ill or injured!
Also: Exhaustion Impairs Clarity
Finding Me Time as a Single Parent