How to get the most out of 20 minutes of exercise as a busy parent

The art of checkdowns and aiming at what matters most

Chaotic Life? YES

Let’s face the facts. Most of your workouts won't be optimal as a busy parent.

But that should never stop you from putting in the work that’s available to you.

On a typical day in my life as a busy dad trying to run a business, raise two kids under 6, and train for endurance events, I need to strike the right balance between them all.

Here’s a quick example from this week to show you how I find harmony while showing up for my family through fitness.

The Art of Checkdowns

Monday's are a tight day for me.

My daughter goes to Forest School which is a 20-25 min drive away instead of taking the bus and getting dropped off at a home daycare in our small rural village

I have to stop my working day early so I can pick her up at the end Forest School

But I still need to get in my exercise!

This is where 'checkdowns' come in handy.

What is a checkdown?

Good question, it's a flexible 15-30 minute workout you can do with minimal set up time in almost any location.

A good example is a circuit of bodyweight squats, lunges, and pushups you cycle through in whatever little time you have.

That's why I love my jump ropes

• They fit in any backpack

• I can use them anywhere there is flat ground

• I don't need a lot of time to get in good work

• And I find the movement fun so it's not hard to start

You can see the metrics on my watch in the above photo

• 21 minutes

• Avg BPM Zone 3 but with Zone 5 interval spikes

• 250+ calories blasted

I did this in the 45 minutes I had in between ending my last client call at 2pm and needing to leave my house by 245pm to pick my daughter up on time (and run an errand on the way, busy dad life here!)

This gave me 10 mins to transition from the call and warm up, and 5 minutes to cool down and get what I needed before heading out.

When time is a luxury, you need to squeeze every second to make it count.

That's why checkdown work outs are necessary for the busy parent trying to 'do it all.'

But the best part of this story is what happened when I arrived at Forest School.

Letting Loose

By never allowing myself to put up zeroes in the fitness department, I've shown my 6 year old daughter that movement is a non-negotiable in living a healthy and meaningful life.

She's like me, can't stop moving.

So I pull up and she's pedaling around the conservation area on her bike with a massive smile on her face.

She asks if she can ride around a little bit longer and challenged me to run alongside her as she showed me the trails.

• I'm tired

• I fast until dinner time

• I've jumped rope and put in 6 hours of work

But there's no chance I'm not bringing my best when she asks me.

She starts pedaling and I start jogging alongside her. The teachers and other parents look at us a bit confused, but we're having a blast. She thinks she can beat me, but I know she can't.

I have enough in the tank to keep her pace and then when she says she's getting tired, I sprint to the finish line dusting her in my wake.

• She wouldn't care about my excuses

• She wouldn't accept my fatigue

• She expects me to play along

And because I'm used to finding the space in a busy day to get in my exercise I'm always able to find that gear when she asks.

I never expect perfection in my schedule.

I expect to find solutions to the chaos a normal day typically provides.

• Rushing the kids out of the door and on time

• Cutting the margins between pickup, dinner, and bedtime

That 20-25 minutes of exercise I get is enough to fuel me through that chaos and gives me the space to show up for my family when they need me.

Takeaways for you

Your mindset determines the opportunity you see for yourself in your day

If you expect things to work out perfectly each day so that you get the exact time you want to work out, work, and be a present parent you're living in a fantasy world.

Each day brings new unknowns and we have to do the best with what we have in front of us.

Too many people just give up entirely, if they can't have it all then they accept getting nothing.

What you need is to find that harmony between the chaos. The little spaces of time you can work on yourself. So that in the moments you need to be present you can show up and nail them

• That can be a pickup

• That can be making dinner

• That can be a successful bedtime routine

It will look different for your family than it does for mine.

But what matters for us all is not surrendering to the chaos and quitting on ourselves.

There's too much riding on us delivering our best, that it's not an option to give up.

So my advice is simple:

• Use checkdowns to find the time you DO HAVE

• And then pour out that energy into the people who NEED IT MOST from you

If you want some help using this strategy send me a message using the button below and let’s chat.

I'm not perfect.

But I'm excellent at showing up in the ways that matter most.