It starts slowly. A missed gym session here, a second helping of fish fingers there. Then one day, you try to tie your shoelaces without sitting down, and you realise something’s changed. That was me earlier this year—halfway through chasing one of the kids up the stairs, I had to stop to catch my breath. Not because they were fast (though they are), but because I wasn’t.
I knew I needed to get back in shape, but the idea of carving out “fitness time” felt laughable. Between work, school runs, dinners, bedtime routines and the constant background noise of “Dad, where’s my…?”, I couldn’t imagine finding an extra hour a day to break a sweat.
So I started looking at it differently. And surprisingly, I found ways to get fitter that didn’t involve waking up at 5am or investing in expensive kit. If you’re feeling the same and wondering how on earth you’re supposed to do it too, here’s what worked for me—and might work for you.
Redefining “Exercise”
The first thing I had to do was rewire what “exercise” meant in my head. I’d always thought of it as something separate from life: you go to the gym, or go for a run, or do a workout video. You take time out specifically to exercise. But with kids around, that kind of structure isn’t always possible—or fair on your partner.
So I stopped aiming for a full hour of focused activity and instead looked for chances to move more in the chaos. Ten minutes here, five minutes there. It turns out it all adds up.
Walking to school instead of driving? That’s a brisk 20 minutes each way. Standing calf raises while brushing your teeth? Surprisingly effective. Running up the stairs to grab a forgotten water bottle? Count it.
It’s not glamorous, but it’s movement—and that’s what you need to start rebuilding your fitness. If you rewire your brain to find quick fitness opportunities during your daily life, you will see results.
Involve the Kids (whether they want to or not)
One of the most effective changes I made was building activity into family time. It wasn’t just about getting fitter—it was about being a more energetic dad.
We started going for more park walks or heading out into the hills instead of sitting in the soft play café. We brought out the football in the garden a few times a week. I even bought skipping ropes for the kids and myself, and taught myself to skip. Now that is brilliant exercise – I was in bits!
You don’t need to structure it like a PE lesson. Just be active with them. A 20-minute kickabout is still cardio if you are putting some effort in. A trip to the woods becomes a full-body workout if you’re piggybacking one child and carrying all the bags. If they’re small enough, you can even use them as dumbbells in front of the TV.
Bonus tip: turn yourself into the climbing frame. Let them crawl on you, clamber over you, wrestle you into submission. It’s basically resistance training with shrieking.
Snack-Sized Workouts you Can do at Home
I used to think if I didn’t have time for a “proper” workout, it wasn’t worth doing. But honestly, three or four 5–10 minute bursts throughout the day can make a real difference.
Here are simple, effective moves you can fit into everyday dad life—no gym, no equipment, and no Lycra required:
- Press-ups during ad breaks
Start with 5–10 if you’re out of practice. Work up to 3 quick sets of 10 over a week or two. It takes less than five minutes and hits your chest, arms and core. - Squats while waiting for the kettle to boil
Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, squat down as if you’re sitting in an invisible chair, then back up. Do 15-20 slow reps each time you boil the kettle. That’s several sets a day if you’re a tea person. - Lunges during tidy-up time
As you’re walking around picking up socks and toy cars, throw in some walking lunges. Step forward, drop into a lunge, stand up, repeat with the other leg. It turns chores into leg day. - Plank while waiting for the microwave
Instead of scrolling your phone, drop to the floor and hold a plank until you hear the ping. It’s hard, but it works everything—abs, shoulders, posture. - Wall sits while brushing your teeth
Back against the wall, legs bent at 90 degrees, hold the position while you read. Your thighs will scream but you will have minty fresh breath.
These might seem silly or small, but together they build strength, stability and stamina. And because they’re part of your normal routine, they’re much easier to stick to.
You might get laughed at by your kids and/or your partner, but what else is new?
Low-Effort Cardio Swaps
Getting your heart rate up doesn’t have to mean going for a run (though fair play if you enjoy that sort of thing). These swaps helped me sneak cardio into an otherwise static day:
- Take the stairs – every time, even if it means dragging a child and a shopping bag.
- Walk fast everywhere – to school, to the shop, to the car, always walk with purpose.
- Park further away – Not much further, just a few minutes’ walk. It’s movement you weren’t doing before.
Stop Eating Like a Dustbin
Another big factor for me was food. I didn’t start calorie counting or cutting carbs. I just stopped finishing the kids’ leftovers and opening the snack cupboard every time I walked into the kitchen.
It’s easy to become a sort of domestic waste disposal unit: a chip here, a bit of toast crust there, the last spoonful of pasta because “it’s a shame to waste it.” But those extra bites add up.
Once I stopped seeing myself as the family food hoover, I realised I was already cutting out loads of unnecessary calories. I still eat meals I enjoy—I just don’t eat one and a half of them. And I try to snack less on autopilot. This alone made a big difference in how I felt.
When you overeat, even just by 10%, the weight creeps on. But when you stop and up the movement even just a little bit, it falls off again.
Don’t Aim for Perfect—Just Aim for Better
I still have weeks where I do nothing beyond walking the school run and lifting the shopping. I still eat too many biscuits when I’ve had a rough day. But that’s life. If the choice is between a flawed attempt or no attempt at all, I’ll take the flawed one.
The pressure to be some kind of super-fit dad who meal preps and deadlifts in the garage at 6am is completely unrealistic for most of us. But being a dad who can keep up with his kids, feel good in his own skin, and make time for himself in little ways? That’s doable.
And if I can do it—someone who used to count putting the bins out as cardio—you definitely can too.