Parents Sacrifice Personal Fitness

What is it about fitness that it’s the first thing that gets sacrificed?

Especially as a parent.

Ask any parent “are you willing to die for your child?” and the answer automatically is “yes of course”.

So I beg the question “are you willing to live for your child?” Live well. Live Healthy. Thrive?

I certainly believe that in order to get the most FIT and healthy in your life that the CrossFit methodology is the way to go. The most concise hour of your day where you not only can check off the social interaction humans need, but you’re gaining strength, power, speed, coordination, agility, accuracy, balance, flexibility, stamina and cardiovascular endurance each and every class you come to. But that doesn’t mean that’s the only way to be fit.

I’ve had four or five conversations in the last few weeks regarding parents schedules, feeling overwhelmed, not being able to put themselves first. Heck, not even first, they can’t even put themselves top 3 most of the time!

If you find yourself to be tired, feel out of shape or like cr*p, or just not amazing – do you think you are being the best parent possible to your children? I’m not saying you’re a bad parent, but I know (first hand) how I feel when I don’t workout, and I can tell you, I’m more on edge and have little patience when it comes to parenting.

I get it – my daughter still wakes up in the middle of the night 5 days a week (at age 9), so my sleep is constantly disrupted. So that makes it harder to get up and go workout at 5 or 6am. But THAT is the hard I’d rather choose, than the HARD of not being able to play with my kids – carry all of the soccer chairs and coolers to the games – FEEL GOOD IN MY OWN SKIN so that I can teach my kids how to value that as they grow up.

Afternoons are spent bringing kids to all of their activities, so where is the parents fitness activity? Why is that not a priority on the schedule?

Things get hard and the first instinct is to cancel their gym membership. Why?

I could sit here and argue over and over that fitness should be the last thing that’s cut from someone’s life when they are going through a stressful time related to their schedule, job or money.

There are a lot of other expenses that people spend every month that could be cut back while that person looks for a new job. Certainly the amount of money that is spent on going out to eat takeout orders on the go coffee and even cable / subscriptions and add up to anywhere between 400 and $1000 every month.

$5 coffee each day is $35 a week … $140/ month … $1820 a year … woah.

$19.99 for Netflix per month … $240 / year. $18.99/month for Disney+ … $227 / year. Hulu … $257.88/year. Apple TV $179.88 /year. Prime $139/year. And some of us have MORE than just 1 of these streaming services!

Take an hour and look at your Target and Amazon purchases (or use AI to evaluate your finances). Really, do this, it’s eye opening.

Look at how much time is spent scrolling on your phone on social media apps. This could be spent doing a 15 min at-home workout (need some ideas? send me a message).

But don’t cut the gym membership that allows you not only guided fitness, and an escape from the stresses of your life.

Torque is a place where people come to feel welcomed – supported – loved – and they have so much fun when they are here!

This is the place I argue everyone needs to find in their lives.

-Coach Amanda