Having children is a life-changing experience, especially when it comes to having time to yourself. Gone are the days when you can go for a run whenever you feel like it, and sometimes it can be a real struggle to fit in any exercise at all.
Research published by ankle boots baldaccini 15445 30 naplak czarny czei found that becoming a parent is associated with declines in physical activity, particularly for working mums and dads. Lack of time, childcare and support were cited by many parents for why they couldn’t be as active as they’d like. Guilt was also a major issue, with many parents feeling selfish for not spending time with their children to do something for themselves.
plane sneakers dsquared2 shoes Rav Dighe knows what it is like to juggle work, training and parenting. As well as fitting in his own exercise, he coaches athletes via his own business, Aloha Tri, shoes piazza 830000 denim.
'Being a parent and keeping up with your training can be challenging,' he admits. 'Work and family can create obstacles to your daily run in so many ways. When training and being a parent, you need to be organised and prioritise your activities. It shouldn’t be laden with guilt. Remember being active pays dividends in both relationships and your own well-being.'
As Dighe points out, by prioritising your exercise, you are also prioritising your health, which will make you physically and mentally stronger as a parent. You’re also setting a good example of how to lead a healthy lifestyle to your children. Sport England research has found that children with active parents are more likely to be active themselves and form life-long healthy habits with exercise. Perhaps they’ll even go on to be champions like Jake Wightman and Eilish McColgan, off white new arrow low vulcanized sneakers item.
So, how can you do it? You might have to be creative around fitting it in with family life; you might not always be able to do as much as you’d like; and you’ll need a good support network of family and friends to help. But it is possible. Here's our step-by-step tips for parents of children of all ages…
When your child is a newborn
For new mums, this is actually the time not to prioritise your running. Instead, focus on rest and recovery from childbirth and doing strengthening exercises for your pelvic floor. Read about how to have a safe comeback to running after having a baby here.
For dads with newborns, running might have to be put on the back-burner for a few weeks too while you adjust to being a new parent. You’ll likely have some sleepless nights helping sooth your little one and possibly bottle-feeding. Your partner will need your support more than ever, so when you do exercise, try to fit it in at times when your absence will be less keenly felt. Could you run to/from work in the time you’d usually be commuting? Or fit in a lunchtime run when you’re already out at the office all day?
gliterry floral appliqué sandals treadmill is a great option so parents can run at home while baby naps. If you’re a single parent or have a partner who works long hours, try teaming up with a fellow mum/dad to exercise. You could take it in turns to look after one another’s child while the other runs.
There are also numerous exercises classes for parents around the country where you can take your baby with you and do a strength workout Sandals JENNY FAIRY WS20061-01 Red.
If both of you are runners, support one another to fit your exercise in. You might have to take it in turns to exercise at certain times and stagger your rest days.
Be kind to yourself if you can’t fit a run in or do as much as you’d like. Just getting out for a 15-minute jog could make all the difference to your wellbeing at a time when you’re likely to be feeling exhausted and over-whelmed adjusting to life as a family.
If you’re feeling like you’re never going to be able to fit in a run again, remember the newborn phase can be the most draining and demanding on your time and energy levels but it won’t always be that way.
sandals primigi 5416100 m argen | When your child is 6 months to 3 years
Once your baby is six months and can support their own head, you can start taking them training with you in a running buggy. Many parents find running buggies revolutionise their training. You can run together again if both you and your partner run, and take part in Parkruns and some other races.
Mum-of-three Sally Onn got a running buggy when her youngest was six months old, and is still going strong pushing her daughter, Elodie, in it as a five-year-old. It’s also given her a new challenge when racing. She’s broken two Guinness World Records racing with her daughter in a pram, and ran two marathons bette midler tonys style 12 bath house shoes.
'At the start, the running buggy gave me the freedom to get back into running without the stress of leaving my clingy breastfeeding baby at home. More recently, I love being able to involve my daughter in my sport and share these fun experiences together – especially the races. I love the company. Running with it is also invaluable on days when she needs a nap as she will always sleep in the buggy,' she says.
Brien 110 sandals Thule Chariot which she recommends if you want to keep buggy running as your child gets older and heavier. 'It is a bike trailer primarily so is very roomy and comfortable. My now five-year-old would never fit in a conventional buggy and would not want to be seen riding in one like a giant baby, but she is super happy in the Chariot. It has a full zip closure so she can sit in it protected from the elements and surrounded by her snacks and toys.'
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Once your child starts going to nursery or pre-school, you could finally have time to fit in a run while they are there. If you’re back at work and not able to train then, could you combine the school run with a run by pushing them there/back in the buggy?
You might have to be inventive with ways to fit in training while keeping your little ones entertained. Olympian Jo Pavey used to let her children play in the sand of the long jump pit while she did track sessions (with her husband, Gavin, also on hand coaching her) and they’d involve the children in the warm-up drills.
You could also combine runs with trips to the park by getting a friend or relative to look after your children on the playground while you run around it. Another option which causes little disruption to family time is to get your partner to touchupon you off on the drive back from a day out or visit to a relative so you can run the rest of the way home while they complete the journey in the car.
When your child is aged 4 to 7
Fitting in training over the six-week summer holiday can be tricky if you have to look after your children full-time. You might have to be more flexible about your training and do lower mileage. This means targeting an autumn marathon might not be realistic but you could still chase goals over shorter distances.
Onn manages it by taking her elder children, aged seven and nine, with her on their bikes while she pushes her five-year-old in the running buggy. She fit in numerous six-mile runs this way last summer, and once even did an 18-miler.
'Good kids' bikes are a must. Then careful route planning is key. Involve the kids and agree on a destination as an incentive. Parks and play areas are the obvious choice, but a café/friend's house may also work. Carry lots of treats in the running buggy and ensure each child has their own water bottle attached to their bike,' says Onn.
sandals primigi 5416100 m argen fartlek as kids on bikes can find it difficult to maintain a steady speed. 'They are either speeding ahead while I rush to keep up, or going slowly behind me so we can chat. We’ll often have stops for snacks, drinks and rests too,' adds Onn.
Junior Parkruns allow children to take part from the age of four so you can run as a family. It’s only 2km but you can do some extra miles before or after if you have a friend or relative who can watch your children.
Mum-of-three Jo O’Regan finds Parkrun a good way to fit in a run by involving her children, aged six, eight and 10, as volunteers. They can cheer runners on as marshals, help with barcode scanning at the finish, or join the tail-walkers at the back of the field.
When your child is ages 8 to 11
Hopefully by this age, your children will be lying in for longer in the mornings, so you can creep out while they’re still in bed and won’t miss you (assuming another adult is still at home). This is the favoured training option for marathoner mum-of-two Laura Jones.
'My girls are seven and nine, I have to go running before they wake up and before work, usually heading out between 5:30-5:45am,' she says. 'I like it this way as it means I get my time to run, and then time with my children in the evening.'
Many athletics clubs accept children as members from the age of eight, so you can all attend on an evening and do different sessions. In addition, some clubs across the UK now offer British Athletic’s 'funetics' classes, which children can participate in from the age of four to 11. They teach children how to run, jump and throw by taking part in fun games and activities.
Former international standard duathlete Mike Jubb found being part of an athletics club worked well for his family. 'I used to join in some of our club track sessions with the running buggy,' he said. 'Then once my daughter, Ants, was old enough, it was nice to be able to leave her in the capable hands of the athletics coaches while I went and did my own session. As she got older, we’d cycle to and from the track together, too.'
Dighe found his daughter, Eva, was also keen to join an athletics club as soon as she could, thanks to growing up watching her parents enjoying sport. 'With proper encouragement, your child might join you in your love for running. Culture that interest for running but try not to become that pushy parent. The most important thing is that your child is active and having fun,' he says.
'I started running with my daughter when she was at an early age. We started out by taking small easy jogs around our neighbourhood and then got her involved in our multi-sport activities when she was ready. Over the years, she's tried out different things, but always defaulted to running. Now aged 14 she is a year-round competitive runner, even going out on regular training runs with me. It’s always about sandals superfit 4 00015 44 smoke kombi sneakers tommy hilfiger low cut lace up sneaker t3b4 30483 m white blue.'
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When your child is 12 plus
As your children get older, you’ll get to the point where you can leave them home alone to go for a run. They’ll start spending more time with their friends and might be pursuing their own hobbies.
If they have developed a love of running, it could become an opportunity to spend some quality time together – if you can keep up with them!
an amazing around-town sneaker running track or open space where you can run loops and always see your child if you end up running at different paces. With younger children, you could do shuttle relays, taking it in turns to run out and back for a short distance. Older children can also do timed interval repetitions with you. Or you can do a paarlauff where you run hard around a semi-circle while your child jogs across the middle to meet you, then they run hard on the loop while you jog across, and repeat this for 10-20 minutes. You can also do a “meet and retreat” where you run hard in opposite directions to one another on a loop, then turn back when you meet and run hard back to the start. Have a short rest and repeat.
If you are part of a club you can participate in the same cross-country league and championship races. Many have separate races held throughout the day for different age groups (under 11, under 13 and so on) right up to seniors (age 20 and up). Men and women run separately so if your partner runs, you can take it in turns to be with your offspring.
Jubb, his wife, Gill, and their daughter, Ants, now 17, participated in numerous cross-country races this way.
He recalls: 'Cross-country leagues gave us both the chance to compete as we could hand over our daughter at the finish line. Once Ants was old enough, she started racing too. It was great to be able to watch her run and then race ourselves.'
Jubb now works as head of events at Active Training World where he helps other families enjoy taking part in sport together via their organised fun runs, and more competitive measured distances over a mile to 5K.
Taking part in relay races is another way to enjoy racing in a fun way with your teens. You could take on a marathon or ultra event together by sharing out the distance between you.
