How Can Exercise Help Parents?

Because so many parents struggle to fit exercise into their schedules, many people assume that it’s simply not worth the effort. After all, if you don’t make time for it, it won’t happen! It’s easy to get into the mindset that exercise isn’t essential, or that it’s a luxury you simply don’t have time for. In fact, exercise can be a huge help for parents, whether you’re a stay-at-home or working parent. It can help you manage stress more effectively and improve your sleep quality. It will also help you stay in shape, which means you’re less likely to get injured, get sick, or feel run down – something parents know all too well!

Exercise can also help you to feel less stressed, angry, and depressed – especially if you choose to exercise outdoors, where you can get away from the noise and distractions of your home life. Exercising as a parent also helps you to set a great example to your kids of how to stay healthy, happy and energized. It can also help you to maintain a healthy weight, both now and as you get older.

How To Fit In Exercising As A Parent

When you’re busy, it can be easy to let yourself feel like you don’t have time to exercise. After all, it’s not like you can give up one of your other commitments to fit it in, right? Well, actually, there are lots of ways you can fit exercise into your already busy life. – Make time for yourself. This can sound a bit selfish but it’s essential. When you feel better about yourself, you’ll be able to cope better with everything else in your life. So, fit in some time to chill out and do what you enjoy. Whether that’s reading, going for walks, meditating, or whatever else helps you chill out, make time for it. – Make it a family affair. Take the kids out for a walk, go for a run with your partner, join a sports team with the kids. The more you can make exercise a family affair, the easier it will be to fit it in. – Start small. Even 10 minutes a day can make a big difference. Once you’ve built up a level of fitness and see how good you feel, you’ll be able to increase the amount of exercise you do. – Get outside as much as you can. Go for a walk, go for a run, play a game of football or basketball with the kids, ride your bike. Not only will you get the added health benefits of being outside, but you’ll also get away from your busy life for a while.

1.) Team Up With Another Parent

If you have a friend, partner or neighbour with kids who are a similar age to yours, why not exercise together? Not only is this a great way to get fit, you’ll also be able to spend time with other adults and make new friends. This is a great way to get fit if you’re a parent because you can work out with your friend whenever is best for you. If your friend is also a parent, this could be during the school run or after the kids are in bed. If your friend doesn’t have kids, you can work out with them at a time when your kids aren’t around.

2.) Invest In Some Home Workout Equipment

If you don’t have time or the space to join a regular fitness class, why not invest in some home workout equipment? A good set of dumbbells, resistance bands, a yoga mat and an exercise mat can all help you to get fit at home. If you have young kids, you may not be able to make it to a regular fitness class and working out at home is often a better option if you want to exercise regularly. However, it’s important to make sure you don’t create a messy, cluttered environment at home that makes it harder to fit in your workouts. If you have a small home gym, make sure it’s cleaned regularly and kept tidy. You don’t want to be spending more time cleaning up than you do exercising!

3.) Make The Most of Lunchtime Breaks

If you work full or part-time, you’ll know that lunch breaks are essential. However, many of us don’t make the most of them. If you’re one of these people, why not make the most of the time you have in a busy working day? If your office is quiet and you have no meetings or presentations to attend, you could try walking or jogging outside for a quarter of an hour. This is preferable to sitting still, which isn’t good for your health. If you can’t walk or jog outside due to weather conditions, try using a treadmill at home. Similarly, if you have access to weights or resistance bands, you can spend 15 or 20 minutes working out during your lunch break. This will help you to get fit and it will make you feel better during the rest of your day too.

Conclusion

Exercise can be a real challenge for busy parents. Finding the time to fit it in can be tough, especially if you have young kids. However, there are plenty of ways to make it easier and more effective. In fact, there are a whole host of benefits to exercising regularly that you don’t want to miss out on! Not only will exercising make you feel better, but it will also help you to sleep better, manage stress more effectively, and even help you to lose weight. Furthermore, it will help you to lead a healthier life overall, and set a great example for your kids too. So, there really isn’t any excuse not to find time to exercise.

The post How To Keep Fit As A Busy Parent: 3 Quick Tips appeared first on The Unit Saddleworth.

Here are 10 simple ways to do just that…

1.) Change Up Your Routine

If you’ve been following the same routine for weeks or months, you might find yourself getting bored and losing interest in your workouts. If this is the case, it might be time to change your routine. You can do this by switching from cardio to weight training or vice versa. You can also try a new form of cardio, such as swimming or cycling. You may also want to try cross-training or combining different types of exercise in one session.

2.) Find An Exercise You Love

If you love the exercise you’re doing, you’re much more likely to keep doing it. So find something that you love to do and you’ll be far more likely to keep it up. Weights, cycling, yoga, and walking are great forms of exercise that just about everyone can do. Squats, push-ups, and pull-ups are also fantastic exercises that are very beneficial to your body. Alternatively, you can look into weight training or even Personal Training (PT).

3.) Make It A Social Event

If you have some friends that you can regularly work out with, you’ll find that you’re much more likely to go to the gym on a regular basis – as well as helping with accountability as you’ll know others rely on you to go. Exercising with friends not only makes it more enjoyable, but it can also help you to push yourself that little bit harder and see results in a shorter amount of time. You can also look for a local fitness class that you enjoy, such as a dance or yoga class.

4.) Commit To A Schedule

If you commit to exercising at certain times during the week, you’ll find that you’re much more likely to actually follow through on this plan. You can also make it a rule to yourself that if you miss one of these workouts, you have to make it up by doing two workouts at once the next time you go to the gym.

5.) Track Your Progress

If you keep track of how many workouts you do each week and how long each workout lasts, you’ll find that you’re much more likely to keep exercising on a regular basis. This way, you’ll also be able to tell when you’re making progress and see how your workouts are helping you. You’ll notice a massive difference in the effort you put in during your workout if you track your progress – as well as helping you spot any mistakes or diet slip-ups and how they affect your workout.

6.) Reward Yourself

If you’re having trouble coming up with a way to reward yourself for exercising, try using sports equipment, clothing, and/or supplements. Every time you go to the gym and finish a workout, give yourself a reward. You can also give yourself a reward for reaching a certain goal, like losing 5 pounds or completing a certain number of workouts in a week. You can also reward yourself with something unrelated to exercising, like a new book or a nice meal out with friends.

7.) Create Accountability

Find someone to hold you accountable for your workouts. You can do this by joining a gym with a friend or finding a fitness group that you can interact with online. Alternatively, you can even go as far as hiring a personal trainer or coach, who will hold you accountable for your progress. This way, you’ll find that you’re much more likely to keep going to the gym and following through on your workout plan.

8.) Don’t Expect Too Much At First

Exercise is good for you, nobody denies that, but it can take a while for your body to get used to exercising regularly and consistently. So don’t expect to wake up one day, go to the gym, and feel like a pro. It will probably take a few weeks before you really start to get the hang of it. During this time, try to stay positive and patient with yourself, and don’t get discouraged by how hard this new journey might be.

Conclusion

Exercising regularly is an important part of a healthy lifestyle. However, getting motivated to go to the gym can be tough. The best way to get motivated is by changing up your routine, finding an exercise you love, and making it a social event. You can also try committing to a schedule and tracking your progress to stay motivated to exercise. Additionally, you can reward yourself, create accountability, and don’t expect too much at first.

The post Fall In Love With The Gym Again: 8 Simple Ways to Get Motivated! appeared first on The Unit Saddleworth.

Now, we know that late night snacking can result in weight gain. This is because the metabolism slows way down in times of being sedentary. So it’s not a good idea to go to the kitchen for a splurge meal when the clock is well past dinnertime. But, why do we want to even if we know we shouldn’t? What about this forbidden snack time makes us want it so badly?

Let’s take a look at why late night ‘cheating’ is such a common problem, and how we can work to curb it.

Why We Get Hungry at Night

There are a number of reasons why we get hungry at night, as opposed to during the day. Most of them depend on your work life, and how you spend your days. For the vast majority of us, we spend our days going to the gym, going to work, going to school, etc,. During this time we are in a state where our focus and attention is on accomplishing tasks throughout the day. This can contribute to a reduced feeling of hunger.

Another factor of reduced hunger is likely stress. For a lot of us, our studies or work day can be filled with increased levels of stress. This results in a reduced appetite, and thus less urge to eat a larger lunch or even dinner occasionally.

Now these are just basic examples. There are other cases where lack of hunger can be associated with other conditions, but these are more rare and not the norm for most of us. The fact is, for the overwhelming majority, we simply don’t have the time, energy, or thought capacity to eat properly during the day while we are going about the hustle and bustle of our lives.

So, how does this end up for us? Well, it results in the body craving a stockpile of energy stores because it isn’t sure when it will get another proper meal again. When you calm down and prepare for the evening, your body wants to take that time to horde as many calories as possible. Thus, the urge to hit the fridge and go wild.

So, now that we have a basic understanding of the why, we should look at how to curb this.

How To Avoid ‘Night Cheating’ On Meals

The simplest way to avoid binge eating at night, is to simply focus on having a more balanced lunch and dinner. This helps to get your body in a sense of rhythm where it doesn’t have to concern itself over caloric intake, and won’t be as hungry in the evening. However, a good portion of this habit is… Well… A habit.

Habits can be very tough to break once they are formed. Once you get into a set daily routine it can be almost mindless to continue doing it. So, it isn’t a bad idea to try and build new habits. This doesn’t mean you have to starve yourself at night. However, you can replace the massive evening snack with something more manageable.

Try switching the cheat foods to something more healthy. Fruits and veggies can be a nice evening snack that won’t blow your diet out of proportion. You can also snack on some nuts or dried fruits to give yourself that sensation of an unhealthy snack, without being unhealthy.

Ultimately it’s all about focusing on your daily eating habits, and how you can get yourself into something where your body doesn’t feel the need to go overboard as soon as the day winds down.

Final Thoughts

At Unit Fitness in Saddleworth, we have a team of excellent PTs who know all about nutrition and proper dietary habit development. We can help you kick the night cheating desires, and replace them with a more healthy way to manage your caloric intake. Reach out today to learn more about what we can offer you!

The post Why We Cheat on Diets at Night appeared first on The Unit Saddleworth.

PTs Are Perfect For Learning New Workouts

The main reason why anyone signs on with a PT at first is usually to learn new workouts and techniques. This is because for most people, they can admit that they only know the very basics of working out. Your push-ups, sit-ups, bench press, etc,. PTs can help you to learn new workouts that will target certain areas of your body more directly, and help to generate better results overall.

PTs Keep You Company

A lot of people will admit that they don’t enjoy the feeling of going to the gym all alone. Even with some headphones and a good podcast it can get boring after a while. PTs can be that person who helps keep you company and breaks up the boring feeling of wandering a weight room by yourself. They can talk you through the workout, provide encouragement and feedback, and just be a general friend during that time!

Promote Gym Safety

The gym can actually be a rather dangerous place if you don’t know what you’re doing. In the UK alone nearly 50% of those who actively workout or do sport have admitted to having been injured during their workouts. PTs can help reduce this risk by ensuring you have proper form, a spotter, and are using the equipment safely.

They Push You To Work Harder

A significant portion of working out is mental. It’s difficult to push past the mental barriers from what you think you can do, into what you actually can do. PTs are able to help push you psychologically to get the most out of your workout, and bring you to new limits daily.

They Can Help You Adjust To Fit Your Body Needs

Not everyone has the same physical limitations. Some are stronger in areas that others may be weak. This is important to know when developing a workout routine. PTs can help work with your strengths, weaknesses, injuries, and more to get a workout that is tailored to you and what you can accomplish safely. You don’t need to rely on generic online workouts that may not work for your body type!

PTs Help You Train To Meet Your Goals

Whether it be losing 5kg or training for a marathon, PTs can help you to achieve your goals. They can come up with a workout and nutrition routine that will be suited to get the results you are looking for within the timeframe you are looking to achieve them. If you have a target to hit in fitness, a PT is going to help guarantee that you do.

PTs Reduce Your Chance of Quitting

Let’s face it, all of us have quit on our workout goals at one point or another. Hitting your targets is more about discipline and determination than it is about motivation. PTs are there to make sure you make it to the gym when you are supposed to be–without the excuses. Plus, if you are hiring a PT for their services, you are far less likely to miss out on what you already paid for.

They Are Flexible

Most PTs make their living working around their client’s schedules. They work flexible hours so they can provide their services to a wider range of clientele. It’s almost guaranteed that if you work odd hours or days, you can find a PT who will be willing to accommodate you. This means you can have access to their expertise when you need it.

They Get Results Faster

PTs know what it takes to get results in the most efficient manner possible. They can help to target your problem areas, and cut out all the added fluff that isn’t really helping. With a PT you can expedite your fitness journey and get to the results you are looking for faster, and more accurately.

They Develop Fitness Independence

After a while of working with a PT, you will start to notice that you have learned and developed far more than you ever expected. They have taught you so much that you feel confident going to the gym on your own, and maybe even spreading some of that knowledge to others! PTs help build independence in the gym, so eventually you can go out on your own with all your newfound confidence and expertise!

Final Thoughts

Unit Fitness in Saddleworth is designed to provide you with a new kind of workout environment. We offer state of the art equipment, and an environment that is tailored for success–no matter your walk of life or personal background. Our PTs are experts in their field, and are ready to take your body and health to the next level. So what are you waiting for? Contact us today to begin the journey to a new you!

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At Unit Fitness Saddleworth we believe fitness is a lifelong journey that all of us must choose to embark on. Over time, that journey will evolve and look completely new. What was once intense gym sessions might become a much more calm and meditative process. But, in the end, fitness is still fitness. So, let’s talk about how senior adults can continue their path to a healthy lifestyle, no matter their circumstances. 

Find Exercises That Ease The Mind 

Exercising doesn’t need to be all about pumping iron and going as hard as you can. It can be a much more relaxing process if you choose the right exercises. If you find yourself feeling averse to the rigors of the gym, find exercises that are more calming and that can put you into a mindset where you look forward to it daily. These can include:

• Taking a daily walk on the treadmills for half an hour to an hour
• Going to beginner yoga classes
• Work with light dumbbells and resistance bands
• Ask a Personal Trainer (PT)

Find Exercise/Gym Partners

Getting out and staying active regularaly can be quite boring at times, even we can admit that. So it can be a chore to feel like you need to drag yourself out to work out when you don’t want to be by yourself for that long. That’s why it can help to find exercise and fitness friends to workout with!

Even if you just find a friend to go to The Unit with, you can still get the enjoyment of their company. Having a friend to take workout with, go to fitness classes with, etc,. Can help relieve the feelings of boredom or anxiety about working out. Plus, the conversation will make the time pass quicker! 

Try To Work Exercise Into Your Daily Routine

You don’t always need to block out a set time for exercise at the gym. Oftentimes that can feel more daunting or tedious to do, even. If you get clever enough, you can actually find ways to work exercise into your daily routine without having to change much of anything about how you go about your daily errands or tasks. 

Some good examples of daily exercises could be:

• Walking to the shop, instead of driving (so long as the distance is reasonable)
• Finding ways to walk in general, whether it be parking the car a bit further away
• Taking the stairs instead of the lift, if possible
• Doing chores around the house to get your body moving

These are just a few ways that you can work body movement and exercise into what you are already going to do that day. But, even if these don’t work for you, you can simply try to add in small 10 minute workouts during the day without needing to commit to 30 minutes to 1 hour. Even a daily 10-15 minute workout will do wonders for your long-term fitness!

Final Thoughts

Staying fit is much easier than getting fit once you’ve lost it. So, with that in mind, it’s crucial that we try to keep our bodies active rather than allow them to grow stagnant over time. This can be a trap that leads to deteriorating motivation to keep ourselves in a routine. Even as we get older, we can find ways to move around and get ourselves out of the house, or off the couch in order to get our blood flowing! 

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