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No Sitting This Summer
Creative Fitness Tips for Dads
By Mark Stackpole
Let's face it, dads – there are a million reasons why you haven't been to the gym regularly since ... well, since you invested in the membership. Between long work days and family obligations, time and energy are often in limited supply. Even if a few extra minutes do find their way into your packed schedule, it is often far more tempting to spend them sipping a cold beverage than heading off to the gym. Getting your heart rate up for all of the right reasons can slip through the cracks if you've spent all day with it rising due to caffeine and stress. Even if that trip to the gym never materializes, once the weather gets nice and warm, healthy habits and exercise are literally right outside your door.
Roland Benjamin is a business owner in Wakefield, R.I., and the father of two young sons. Despite his busy schedule, Benjamin puts little stock in the stereotype of fathers who come home from work and hit the recliner so they can read the paper and wait for dinner to be served. "My sometimes feeble attempts at getting exercise are literally an 'exercise' in creativity," he says. "I can get up early and get a workout in before work, but for a five-snooze morning guy like me, this is virtually impossible. I can go after the kids' bedtime ritual. This can work given some diligence, but usually only happens once a week or so. This is where the creativity comes in. We all know the rationales and excuses, but the bottom line is you have to make a choice."
Benjamin incorporates his children into the fitness mix when he can. "I use playtime with the kids to get my heart rate up," he says. "Every kid loves chasing and being chased. They can also act as weights. Some nights, I'll lift each kid up and toss him 20 or 30 times. It's not exactly a Bowflex, but it's a lot better than watching a video with them. During the summer, it is so much easier. I have my 2-year-old on my back at least 10 to 15 hours a week and am constantly playing and running with my 5-year-old."