And then came baby...

[AlanD]

A bit of a strange topic but who better to ask than the almighty hub.

 

The wife and I were very fit at a stage. We did tons of road running races, I did lots of mtb races and we excersied everyday in the week and ate well.

 

Then...baby came along...and things came to a blinding holt with the arrival of this little blessing.

 

Erin (baby) takes up alot of our time and find we struggle to get in any excersise during the week and I now get out only when I can to ride on the weekends.

 

Erin does not sleep during the night and we wake up a good few times so when the alarm goes off we tend to snooze it alot and rush to get to work in the mornings so excersise does not happen.

 

The afternoon is equally as tough as I look after baby until the wife gets home and then its the usual dinner, bathing baby and feeding her and then bed before it starts all over again.

 

Quick meals have become more and more prominent and the odd take away here and there.

 

To all the parents, how do you manage excersise and kids/babies? What tips and tricks do you have to make time for excersise?

 

Thanks

[popcorn_skollie]

Sleep training

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Erm, we didn't. Or, rather, we each took turns and utilized the Club V of our local gym to the maximum, and introduced some HIIT to cope. Small sessions. 

 

You'll never get back to the same training load that you had before. At least, not until they're able to be left alone to play for a while. 

 

Also utilized granny and baby sitters. 

 

IDT

 

etc etc. 

 

But - it does fall away after a while. With the school rush, it makes training VERY difficult unless you do it in the early / late hours. The first few weeks and months are terrible due to the no sleep thing, but you learn to adapt and find ways around it. For example mmine fell asleep to the sound of the IDT. Used to, at least. 

 

It becomes a LOT easier when they start sleeping for longer periods of time. A LOT

[Brickleberry]

In the same boat, but I grab 45 minutes on the Wattbike at gym during lunchtime between meetings with clients, in and out in an hour, and my tidings actually improving. As well as usual Sunday/Saturday ride.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Sleep training

THIS. 

 

3 days of hell, for a lifetime of bliss. It works. 

[MTBer]

Enjoy it and unfortunately you will have to wait for them to get a bit older before you can get back into an exercise routine

[AlanD]

THIS.

 

3 days of hell, for a lifetime of bliss. It works.

Tell me more on sleep training.

[DIPSLICK]

ILL ASK MY BAREFOOT WIFE HOW SHE DOES IT, WHEN SHE IS FINISHED WASHING THE FLOORS

[popcorn_skollie]

THIS. 

 

3 days of hell, for a lifetime of bliss. It works. 

 

It does, our hell lasted for almost a week though. Nearly caved a few times. Babies and parents both happier. When everyone gets decent sleep, everyone is up earlier and there is alot more time to be active and you don't constantly feel sluggish.

 

Admittedly we had nanny help, so my wife has some time in the mornings for aerobics and stuff. I would do weekend morning rides and surfed weekday afternoons after work since beach is closer to home.

 

Don't worry man, as baby gets older things will start to lean towards more of what you were use to.

[AlanD]

ILL ASK MY BAREFOOT WIFE HOW SHE DOES IT, WHEN SHE IS FINISHED WASHING THE FLOORS

Bwahaha..and the washing..hahaha

[Ryanpmb]

We are seeing the light at the end of the tunnel with regards to this.

 

Basically the training went for a ball. It took me personally a while to come to grips with this. Once you do, just enjoy the time with the little one. I know it sounds cliche and I know it's not that enjoyable at 1am, up to your elbows in **** and the lightie screaming blue murder, but it is really SUCH a short period when they such tiny babies - enjoy it. Laugh off the training as you used to. You'll get back into it soon enough.

 

The little exercise my wife and I did get it was as a result of compromise. For example we both played league squash and I rode and she did yoga etc. When she was pregnant she (obviously) stopped playing squash but I continued for that year. Once the lightie arrived she went back to playing squash and I gave it up for that year and looked after the baby on the nights she played.

 

Her yoga and classes took a hit as it wasn't easy to just pop out for a class and leave the little one with the nanny when she was so small.

 

To continue riding I'd get the odd ride in very early and then clock in my baby time in the evening - makes for a long day but it worked.

 

Don't let the sleepless nights and lack of exercise get you down. This is a period in your life. It will change, sooner than you think and you guys will be back out exercising again. The biggest difference going forward is it will be tough to exercise together, so work on a support structure - get Grans and Nannys involved. We've now reached a place where we can palm the kids off and get some time to ourselves.

 

Approach exercise differently too - it doesn't have to be blasting down the single track. Wrap the little one up in those mommy wrap things and head out for a walk... means you all get out, lightie will most likely get some shut eye and mom gets out the house which I'm pretty sure she feels pretty trapped in at the moment.

 

Congrats on your bundle of joy. Enjoy it.

[popcorn_skollie]

Tell me more on sleep training.

There's lots of info online.

http://www.babycenter.com/0_baby-sleep-training-the-basics_1505715.bc

 

Chat to your Pediatrician on babies next checkup.

[Captain Fastbastard Mayhem]

Tell me more on sleep training.

Essentially, when a baby starts crying but is already fed and watered and therefore does not need any more food / milk, and the conditions in which they are sleeping are ideal, you don't rush in to see what's wrong (a monitor with video capabilities works BRILLIANTLY here) and you leave them alone for a gradually increasing period of time. Essentially showing the kid that bed time is BED TIME, and mommy / daddy will not attend to you if it's just attention that you're looking for. 

 

First day I think is 2 minutes, then it grows to 4 minutes the next day and then 5 or 6 on day 3. 

 

The reason the video monitor helps is that you can SEE that they're just crying for attention, and sitting up in bed / standing on the bed. At the end of it they realise that you WILL come in, but only after a period of time and only when they have done somethign that places them at risk. Not just for the sake of attention, which is pretty much why the kids cry at night - separation... 

 

 

EDIT: Adding to this - when you walk in to the room after the 2 or 3 or 5 minute period has elapsed, you put them straight back down. No hugs, no interaction, nothing. Be cold. No feeling. It'll hurt you like hell, but even if you need to change a nappy, you must display no emotion at all, and DO NOT hug / kiss / play with them. THIS IS CRUCIAL. 

[Pure Savage]

4:30am rides is how I do it. And I do all nappy changes once the sun goes down. I never really got more than 4 hours sleep pre baby

[Meezo]

try your utmost best, to commute(free training)!!!

 

 

 

..."I have to get to work"

[Eddy Gordo]

Shame man, I feel for you. 13 years ago ours was born and I fell into the same boat. Everything came to stop. Our son was and is still rather a sickly person. When he was younger there was not much that we could do as we were almost always at the doc or hospital. Eventually we learned to cope and like RM said take turns. But this boiled down to once a week. I was working shifts back then as well.

 

Today my son does everything I dont. He is a good musician and a good golfer(about the only sport we do together at times). He tried mtb, cricket (for WP), soccer (santos), mma with Ricko Hattin. The team sports stuff never worked out due to xtremely poor coaching.

 

But hey thats a different story. Eventually your life will get on track Good Luck enjoy the little one. Youngsters are amazing!!!!!