As a father of 5 young children, I know the importance of exercising and being healthy. I also know that factors like "not enough time" keep many dads from working out.
I was in that boat myself – too busy to exercise – and I started paying the price. Overfat, raised blood pressure, low energy levels… not the picture of health and wellness that I wanted to be for my kids.
After a scare at the doctor, I decided to do something about it. I decided to find a way to work out again, not only to set a better example for my children, but to make sure that I was around for them for a long, long time.
That's when I started hill sprinting. In what seemed like no time at all, I looked better, felt better and enjoyed exercising again. And that's why I wanted to share this information with you – so you can do the same.
There are many reasons that high intensity interval training (like hill sprinting) is the best way that I have found to stay in shape. For now, let's focus on the benefits for all of us dads – increased health, increased energy levels, minimum time investment, and (most importantly ) spending quality time with your kids.
First of all, let's talk about the health benefits. Hill sprinting can help you build muscle, raise your metabolism and burn fat. And without all the boring cardio (that doesn't really work that well anyway…) Whole body exercises like hill sprints burn calories during your workout and build lean muscle mass. Having more muscle increases your metabolism (even when your just home sitting on the couch). An increased metabolism burns more calories – including calories from fat.
We all know that dads like us tend to put on the weight in the worst possible place – around the middle. Not only does this make us look and feel bad, it's the fat that can lead to things like heart attack, stroke and diabetes. Nobody wants their kids to make fun of their "beer belly" or say something like "hey dad, lose the baby…" And no family wants to lose their dad prematurely because of poor health. The good news is that high intensity exercise is a proven way to make belly fat disappear.
In addition to these health benefits, running hill sprints will increase your energy levels. You can feel more alive, more alert and have better mental focus. These are some of the greatest benefits of high intensity exercise – increasing blood flow throughout your body (including your brain) and releasing energizing, stress busting endorphins into your system. Just one or two hill sprinting workouts per week can give you energy that carries through your entire week.
The third (and one of the best) things that I like about hill sprinting is that it doesn't take a huge amount of time to see results. We are all extremely busy. But a couple of 15 minute workouts per week is all it takes to put you on another level of fitness. No matter what your current fitness level, these types of workouts can be adapted to bring you results fast. When you use hill sprints, you lose the "I don't have the time" excuse and replace it with "I can always find 15 minutes."
And now, finally, for the best thing about hill sprinting for dads. Spending more quality time with your kids.
On a recent trip through southwestern Wisconsin, my son, my daughter and myself spotted a great hill in Dickeyville (couldn't make that one up, even if I tried). In fact the hill is the site of famous motorcycle hill climbing events – 500 feet to the top at a 70 degree incline. I won't lie and said we sprinted that one, but we did climb to the top together (enough of a workout in itself). My 7 year old son even thanked me for going to the top with him – and it doesn't get much better than that.
This is just one example of how I run hills with my kids. Why? Because it not only sets a great example for them, it also changes the way your kids look at you. Conquering hills together is an excellent way to stay fit and healthy as a family and to spend some exciting times together. As one of the readers of my daily newsletter emailed me: "… besides getting all of the health benefits, spending more time with my sons is priceless."
So, if you're a dad who wants:
• to live a long healthy life
• to look and feel better
• to not have an excuse for skipping workouts
• to make exercising a part of their kids lives
Then be sure to put hill sprints in your workouts. By yourself or with your kids, start today because it's never too early or too late to get into the best shape of your life.
Copyright 2007 Tim Kauppinen
All rights reserved
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