Force of Habits
Daily exercise with your kids not only
keeps you fit, it can create a culture of
movement that sets them up for life[ BY A NDRE W McU T CHEN ]
ONE OF THE HAPPIEST accidents of my life before
kids was having a group of mates who liked
exercise. Men like “doing” things rather than
talking face-to-face and in my 20s and early 30s,
my mates and I would exercise together.
It could have been a morning run before work,
kicking the footy on weekends, or a lunchtime
session spotting each other at the gym. Whatever it
happened to be, I can assure you it was the forum
for much discussion: sharing tales from the dating
trenches, complaining about bosses, formulating
new strategies to meet women...
The combination of socialising and exercise
proved invaluable in keeping in shape. Constant
movement coupled with a healthy dose of male
competitiveness wrought tangible gains. It also
helped rid me of a certain antsiness that comes
with being a single guy with more time on your
hands than you’re ever going to have again. Male
camaraderie forged outside the pub is a precious
commodity. One that only increases in value, while
shrinking in supply, once you have kids.
What I learned from this phase of my life is that
perpetual, or what I call “lifetime fitness”, only
occurs when you build exercise into your life in a
habitual way. By soldering training to the routines
that underscore your work and home life it ceases to
be a chore or a hassle. And it’s crucial, because the
way you approach exercise has a direct and lasting
impact on your children and what they assume
represents a “normal” life.
How do you go about it? Well, incorporating
movement into a life with kids is the same as it is
without them. You need to make exercise part of
your social life and establish it as a cornerstone of
your family’s culture. In our family, we aim for one
outing together every day. In doing so we’ve built
an association between exercise and fun, so that
it’s become as much a part of our children’s lives as
watching Peppa Pig.
Technology has made life increasingly sedentary,
even more so now that screens are portable. Our kids
have discovered that Peppa is on our phones too.
This means not only planning a group walk to the
park with the dog, it means a no-phone walk.
That’s important for the family as a whole. There
are lots of worrying studies about the psychological
impact on children of distracted, compulsively
phone-attached parents. What I’m finding is that in
a world where we’re pulled in so many directions,
never has giving a child your undiluted attention
been more gratefully received. The flipside is just as
powerful. Watching the joy on your kid’s face as they
learn to catch a ball, the laughter when you run after
them making growling noises... these are things
that stay with you.
Of course you can punch out a quick HIIT session
at the park while you’re there or even incorporate the
kids into your workout. It’s all part of pushing back
on a life that increasingly bids us to sit and watch
rather than get out and participate. Give your kids
the gift of an exercise habit. Whet their appetite with
a taste of the endorphin high that comes from fresh
air and exertion. They may never lose it.TACTICSDirections
Do 5 rounds, resting
30 seconds between
each round.THE KID-FRIENDLY
PARK WORKOUT
Jump squatPlank
Hold a 30-second plank
with your tyke hanging on
your back.Push-up
Have your kid lie on their
back. From a push-up
position lower your body
until you’re low enough to
kiss them on the cheek.
X 10Kid squat
Hold your kid under their
arms and lower into a deep
squat before pushing up
and tossing them gently
into the air. Return to the
starting position. X 10