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Are you in the trenches of parenting? You know what I am talking about if you’ve ever been responsible for tiny humans. Sacrificing every ounce of your energy for tasks like cooking, cleaning, changing diapers, nursing babies, and making sure everyone else gets enough physical activity in a day. But what if I told you that by prioritizing your own fitness goals, you would be doing your family a favor?
What seems like a backwards concept actually makes a lot of sense when you take a step back and look at this with fresh eyes. Not only will you feel your best whenever you prioritize your fitness needs, but you’ll also be more capable to tackle the physical demands of raising children. In this blog post, we’re going to explore the 5 ways that prioritizing fitness makes you a better parent.
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1. The Dopamine Rush from Exercise Naturally Places Us in a Positive Mood.
Physical activity causes a release of dopamine and serotonin in our brains, which is a huge benefit for lifting our mood. You’ve probably often heard this referred to by runners who call this a “runner’s high.” But this isn’t just an isolated occurrence with running. Strength training, swimming, even yoga can all stimulate this surge of “feel good” hormones.
One of the many reasons I love to run is because for me, this releases more of this rush than other forms of exercise. Going for a nice, long run always leaves me with the surge of positivity to power through the rest of my day.
Research is currently pointing to the fact that low levels of dopamine lead to feelings of depression and apathy. Low dopamine levels greatly impact the entirety of your day and how you approach it. Without it, you will have decreased motivation and increased levels of fatigue, making it difficult to carry out the everyday tasks of caring for family.
Low dopamine levels present as difficulty falling or staying asleep, trouble with focusing and thinking clearly, and an unusual amount of fatigue.
With the rise in our rates of depression and anxiety, there is also a rise in the amount of people needing to take medications to support their mental health. Moreover, research is now showing that exercise increases the amounts of serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine in the brain, just like medications.
Try a dose of exercise for healthy dopamine levels and a boost to your mood. See for yourself the positive mindset shift that can occur from this boost in the reward chemical for your brain.
2. You’ll Have More Energy to Give to Your Family
There is no denying that it takes a tremendous amount of energy to keep up with the energy levels of kids. Just visit any busy park and you’re likely to find children playing quite happily while the parents sit on a bench resting and recovering, probably scrolling on their phones. No judgement because there are so many ways that our energy levels are drained every day.
Processed foods that are hard on digestion and sedentary jobs and lifestyles have left our energy levels depleted. Mix these with the demands of raising a family and keeping a household together and you have a recipe for burnout. Exercise can be the solution to this issue.
Let’s look into this from a scientific point of view. The act of exertion itself sparks the body to begin creating more mitochondria inside of the muscle cells. Do you remember learning back in school that mitochondria are the powerhouse of the cell? They are what converts the foods you eat into glucose and oxygen from the air you breathe. The more mitochondria you have, the more energy you will also have.
From another perspective, exercise also boosts circulation. This sends much needed blood flow to all areas of your body to deliver oxygen and nutrients. This, moreover, helps your cardiovascular system to work more effectively, and in turn will provide your body with more strength and endurance.
Whether it is keeping up with the fast pace of toddlers or trekking everyone to their extracurricular activities, exercise gives you the strength and stamina to last.
3. You Will Have More Confidence
Have you ever caught yourself trying to hide whenever someone brings out the camera at a holiday event? This lack of confidence has literally brought you to a point where you don’t want to be included in holiday photos with family. I’ve been there, and it is rough.
Though it is extremely important to love yourself for all that you are, there is no denying the power behind a positive body image. When we love the person in the mirror we can soar in our confidence. Exercise helps to strengthen and tone your body, boosting your self image and self esteem.
The power of exercise to boost our mood is also powerful in the conversation of confidence. These positive thoughts are likely to aid in a positive self esteem and feelings of accomplishment.
Feeling good about your abilities and accomplishments raises that confidence level tenfold. When you have completed exercise in your day, you’ll feel a great sense of accomplishment that will carry through to other areas. Whether you are new to exercising and are feeling the payoff of getting started, or are an ultra athlete beating your best PR, you are bound to feel a surge of confidence that you took a step in a positive direction.
Confidence in one area will naturally pour into others. You may begin to notice that you become more confident in your parenting. This shift is beneficial because a confident parent is more likely to be sensitive to the needs of their children and are in the best shape to deal with concerns.
When you can see a positive shift in your body composition, know that you made an impact on your health, feel stronger, and shift to a more positive outlook, you will radiate with confidence.
4. You Become a Role Model for Your Kids
Most parents know that nutritious foods and physical activity are wonderful for their kids. They strongly encourage their kids to eat their vegetables and go outside to play. But what about the parents?
All too often I have noticed parents buying the top notch organic snacks for their children. Incorporating all of the good stuff like fruits and vegetables onto their kids’ plates. When they sit down to eat, however, it is laden with junk and unhealthy snacks. Your kids are watching you and will learn from your habits and routines.
Kids learn from seeing what you do, and it imprints a message to them. Make sure to promote the message you want. If you want your kids to grow up to be healthy and strong adults, then they need to grow up watching the adults around them eat the foods and complete the exercise to get them there.
Health is not a “do as I say, not as I do” type of learning engagement. To inspire real healthy habits and lifelong health, we must become the role model for our children. We must inspire them to eat nutritious foods and to move their bodies in a way that is enjoyable.
Active parents make for active kids and sedentary parents make for sedentary kids. Try incorporating your kids into your exercise. Go for a bicycle ride together. Try running or doing yoga with your child. My family particularly enjoys hiking together. We also enjoy bicycling, swimming, and just playing actively together.
Every time you choose to exercise, you are doing not only yourself a favor, but also your child. By incorporating them, you are also building a stronger bond and instilling healthy habits into them that will last a lifetime.
5. Being Fit Now Will Serve You As a Grandparent
Maybe I am looking a little further down the line, but I feel this is just as important as a component of exercise making you a better parent. The role of a grandparent is usually very helpful for parents. To know that your fitness not only benefited your child as they grew up, but also benefits them as an adult is mind blowing.
As we age, we naturally lose bone density and muscle mass. This can be prevented or slowed down by regular exercise. When you build and maintain muscle mass, you are preserving the bone that is beneath the muscle. This also decreases your risk of falling as you age.
Staying fit allows you to keep up with the demands of being a grandparent. It is often during this phase of life that you are more free with your time to do things you might not have had the chance when younger and working full time.
This can include physically demanding activities such as long hikes, bicycle rides, and traveling. Maybe you want to spend a couple days at a theme park or exploring new cities. These things are difficult to accomplish if you aren’t already in shape.
The inability to do these things has a stronger correlation with the fact that as we age, we begin to reduce our amount of exercise, than it does with genetics alone. A body in motion, stays in motion. Genes do play a role, but not as strong as lifestyle and exercise.
By incorporating exercises that you love now, you are setting yourself up for the long haul. You will have the energy and physical ability to take on more roles as a grandparent to help your children when the time comes.
In Conclusion
It is too easy to let your self care slip by the wayside as a parent. This is an unfortunately common occurrence. As the saying goes, “fill up your own cup, so that you can fill others.” This is true, too, with exercise. From boosting your mental and emotional well being, having more energy, being a good role model, and looking forward into the future to set you up as a grandparent, exercise can have a tremendous role to play.
When you feel good you are more likely to be a positive influence on the lives of your family. A nurtured mind and body is more capable of nurturing others. Though it may seem a bit backwards, prioritizing your fitness as a parent is a sure fire way to make a positive impact on your parenting overall.
Don’t wait for next week to begin your journey into fitness! If you are a beginner looking to get started in the fitness world, you may find inspiration in my journey where I tell the story of how running transformed my life and was my gateway into fitness. If you have an interest in toning your body and being stronger than ever before but don’t think you will have the time, then I give the best tips and advice in my Ultimate Guide to Strength Training for Busy Women.
Not quite yet convinced to jump into your fitness journey? You can find more inspiration and information into how fitness is a gateway into a better life. Learn more about revolutionizing your life for better health and happiness.
As parents, we are often looking into ways to promote health and happiness in our families. Prioritize fitness today for yourself and for your family.
