Even if they used to be their high schools’ football star player, getting back into shape can be rather hard for many men once they become dads. All too often, balancing work with domestic life, taking care of the kids, and going with their mates to the nearest Marston’spub eat too much of their time for them to devote sufficient hours to exercising.

Or so they think.

Tips on maintaining your health even if you’re a dad

As with anything that involves multitasking, effective time management and task allocation are the keys. All it takes are simple changes to your daily schedule here and there to work in makeshift exercise routines and maximise your available time, as the tips below will show:

1. The first step is to map out your daily tasks and figure out which ones have gaps in between that you can fill in with exercise time. If possible, you may also try to see which activities can incorporate a few tweaks to turn them into improvised workouts.

2. Next, actualise those changes. For instance, try parking your car as far away from your office’s entrance as possible, and walk or jog the rest of the way. During your one-hour lunch breaks, try working up a bit of sweat for the first 30 minutes before settling down to eat your healthy Subway sandwich. And as always, use the stairs instead of the elevator.

3. A lot of times, what you perceive as hunger in between meals are actually just stress munchies. Drinking lots of water helps curb this urge to eat (often unhealthy) snacks. Water also helps re-energise your muscles, which you will definitely need if you stick to your improvised daily health routines. After all, the more energy replenished by your muscles; the more you will be able to work out.

4. A great tip is to include your kids in your exercises whenever you get the chance. For instance, if during the weekends you decide to go for a jog in Hyde Park, you can get bikes for your kids and let them ride alongside you. If it’s a toddler you’re bringing along, a jogging stroller should do the trick.

A domestic life shouldn’t be an excuse for you to neglect your physical well-being. If anything, it should motivate you even more to think out of the box and see how you can balance exercise with your daily life. It’s all just a matter of knowing when and how to go about it.