Based on your survey results, here are my recommendations:
Our focus for you is going to be building a healthy, happy environment for your entire family!
Depending on your starting point, this can take at least a few months to build a routine, and create a lifestyle, but this is always the goal. You want to in still healthy habits that can be maintain for the rest of all of your lives! That’s why I created Fit & FabuLAUS for busy moms who want a house full of healthy, active people.
Below are a my tips for getting started to building your healthy family! Your overall goal is called: Family Fit in a Bit. Here are a few tips from my Fit & FabuLAUS program that I created just for your busy family:
Prioritize – Find Time:
Before we can even begin discussing how to eat and workout as a family, it is so important to realize that finding (or making) time to take be active is so important. One of my favourite quotes is that you can’t pour from an empty glass: you need to take care of yourself. As a busy mom of 4, I have always tried to instil this in each of my boys so they continue to prioritize their healthy habits.
To begin co-ordinating with your family, make it a routine, something that you do every few days. Just like they may have soccer practice on Tuesdays, or piano on Thursdays, co-ordinate your workout schedule too. From now on, you all workout after school, on Wednesdays!
Figuring out what task is most important will leave you less stressed, less overwhelmed, and happier. Family and fitness should be at the top of that list! You will be more productive if you are healthy and your family is happy.
Setting a routine and sticking to it has done wonders for my household. Focus on the main goals that need to get done for that particular day, and fit the smaller obligations and tasks in if there is time. Sooner than later, anything other than your new routine will be unacceptable! Create this habit by repetition.
Workouts – Quality Over Quantity:
When you’re being active as a family, your daily movement needs to be carefully selected to get the best results, while maintaining interest. Of course any sort of movement is better than nothing, but in order to keep everyone invested and to see your own results, you need to have clear intention and work according to your goals.
When I’m in a working out with my boys, prioritizing compound movements with minimal rest period will get you the best bang for your buck.
Compound movements are fantastic because you are using more muscles and training key movement patterns that are functional for your daily life.
Here are a few of my favourite family-friendly compound exercises:
The Pushup
Pushups are one of my favourite compound exercises because they are so versatile. You don’t need equipment, and you don’t need a lot of time or space. And they can be scaled up for down depending on your progress. Is the standard pushup too hard? No problem! Drop your knees to the floor or raise your hands to a counter or table. Is the standard pushup too easy? Raise your feet to do decline pushups or add weight on your back for extra weight.
When your kids are performing the pushup, make sure to keep an eye out for an engaged core (no dropping hips), elbows not overly flaring out, and keep it slow and controlled!
The Squat
Another one of my favourites is the squat. Similar to the pushup, it is sooo versatile, and can be done anywhere! Watching tv? Do some squats. Waiting for the microwave? Do some squats. You don’t need equipment, and you don’t need a lot of time or space. There are a few options that I prefer with my squats. When working out with my kids, I like to have them start with the body weight squat or jump squats, while I go for the goblet squat. It allows you to perfect the squat movement, while adding weight without putting you in an uncomfortable or unsafe position.
With any squat, keep your core (which includes your lower back!) engaged, slowly decent by pushing your hips back and go only as low as you comfortably can before losing back tightness, once you reach that point, push through your entire foot to stand back up.
If you don’t have enough weight, or it feels too easy, do the reps reaaalllly slowly. 5 seconds down, 5 second pause, and 5 seconds back up (with no pause at the top). You’ll be feeling it then!
Dips
Dips aren’t as compound as some other exercises, but it is one of my favourites when it comes to at home workouts. You can use so many prices of furniture to do this movement, and it remains effective.
Ensure that everyone keeps a tight core (are you recognizing a theme?) and only go as low as it takes to feel a slight stretch. Make sure to keep this one slow and controlled!
Check out some of my Family Fit in a Bit Workouts!
Healthy Meals
Eating healthy with a family can be a pain. Just because you’re ready to start a change. Doesn’t mean they are! Majority of the time, I can get my kids to eat what I’m having, but sometimes they just want their pasta. So, what i do is compromise.
If i know I should be eating chicken and potatoes, but the kids want pasta all I do is focus on the protein and swap out the carbs. We both get pasta, but instead of having pasta with my kids I will prepare my potatoes separately. It saves us time and at least they kids are getting their protein in.
Be Prepared
Along the same lines, you need to meal prep! I don’t mean you need to have all your meals perfectly portioned out well in advance, but you need to at least have your protein sources ready to go. Once or twice a week (I like Sunday and Wednesday) make a whole lot of protein. Cook up some chicken, fish, beef, whatever you want for the next few days and either freeze it or toss it in the fridge. Now when you go to pack everyone’s lunch, you don’t have to worry about stressing in the morning or grabbing fast food for lunch.