Not much happening physically for me today as I am into Day 3 of being knocked down with the flu.
What a great way to start my long weekend off…
I won’t be doing any workouts today as I am using any energy I have to keep up with my baby daughter.
Especially now that is she is WALKING!
A question I get a lot regarding workouts and being sick is “should I workout when I am sick?”
The basic rule I like to go by is if the symptoms are from the neck up like with a head cold, a light workout might actually do you some good.
But if the symptoms are below the neck, (which I have right now, body, aches, fever, congestion, fatigue etc) it’s best to rest up until you are feeling better.
As there is no real cure for the common cold, the best advice is preventing getting sick in the first place.
Here are some tips to keep your immune system strong and healthy.
Wash your hands frequently- and keep your hands away from your eyes and mouth. Cough or sneeze into the crook of your elbow to avoid contaminating your hands which is your direct line of contact. The flu virus is easily picked up by physical contact from handshakes, doorknobs, etc.
Get adequate sleep- studies show sleep deprivation plays havoc on your immune system. If you’re a busy dad like me who works shift work including nightshifts, you need your proper rest. Keep your room as dark as possible and use ear plugs to drown out any noise that may wake you.
Avoid crash diets- drastically reducing your daily caloric intake robs your body of the nutrients it need for optimal metabolic functions. Dropping your calories too low is a surefire way to lose lean muscle mass and slow down your metabolism.
Increase Vitamin C & E intake- these powerful antioxidants work synergistically to boost your immune system. Eat lots of fruits and veggies. Chicken soup really do have proven benefits!
Don’t overtrain- working out too long, too often suppresses immune function. In the hours following an intense workout your immune system is lowered making this the most susceptible time to catch the flu bug. Wash up directly after your workout and get in a nutrient rich meal to refuel your body.
If you are feeling better than me today and would like to try a new workout but don’t want to go to the gym, try this cool new Dad Fitness Home Workout.
I bet you haven’t tried a workout like this, so click the link below to get your FREE home workout and let me know how it goes!
Click Here To Download Your Free Workout
Testing, Testing 123.
This is a test…
Welcome to my NEW Dad Fitness blog!
You should have no problem remembering the address of this new blog at www.DadFitnessBlog.com
Plus, you can access all of my previous posts from my old blog here as well.
This will be the new go-to resource for you busy dads who want to balance fitness, fatherhood and family.
I will be giving you a glimpse into my daily life as a busy dad who works a full-time job as a heavy equipment operator, runs a business at www.DadFitness.com and still finds the time to stay fit and enjoy all that life has to offer.
I want to make this as interactive as possible so I can hear from all you dads and the challenges you face with family and fitness.
So be sure to leave a comment after every post to let me know what you think or how I can help.
Also if you want to stay updated with Dad Fitness don’t forget to click the orange button to the right that says “My Feed” to subscribe to my RRS feed.
As for my workout for today, here is what I did at the gym.
Dynamic Warmup
Box Squats
Single Leg Press
Single Leg Curl
Hanging Leg Raise
3 sets each, 5-10 reps.
Static Stretching
On the Dad Fitness menu for today, I will be serving up Stuffed Steak.
Don’t forget to have a look around, get your FREE Fat Loss Report, “The Truth About Fat Loss”, check out my workout and cooking videos on my YouTube channel on the right as well as friend me on Facebook and follow me on Twitter.
Stay tuned for more great stuff to stay fit for life with Dad Fitness.
Celebrating Matea's 1st Birthday Last Week
Wishing you Health and Happiness!
Sean Barker,C.P.T.
Author, Dad Fitness
Contributor, Inside Fitness Magazine
Contributor, Fit Parent Magazine
This Saturday marked a special day in our house.
Our baby daughter Matea turned the big #1 on Saturday and celebrated her 1st Birthday!
Days later…I am still cleaning up cakeUsed Cars move I can’t believe a whole year has gone by since I became a dad.
I have to say it’s been the most challenging AND the most rewarding year of my life.
Looking back I don’t know how I survived on such little sleep!
But when you are suddenly responsible for another little life, you find a way to do what you have to do to be the best damn dad you can be.
Which also involves not forgetting to take care of myself…. I don’t want to be huffing and puffing and out of breath when I am running around the backyard playing with my daughter because I neglected to take time for myself and stay fit with just 3 short workouts a week.
Despite being a busy dad working full-time up to 60 hours a week and running a business on the side , with my Dad Fitness workouts the only weight I gained during the past year has been my 25lb beautiful baby daughter.
I am actually down a few pounds to about 175lbs and a little leaner, compared to this time last year. But I am feeling healthier and stronger than I have ever been thanks to paying extra attention to my warm ups, mobility and my flexibility during my workouts.
I keep things pretty simple with short intense workouts and eating REAL food most of the time.
I work hard in the gym but more importantly work hard at home being a dad, a husband and a man.
That weight on my shoulders is something that I never want to lose…
Happy Birthday Matea.
Enjoy the ride…I will be there every step of the way;-)
Sean Barker, CPT
Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com
It’s good to be home!
After sleeping at our in-laws most of the week because we have been renovating our bedroom, I am glad to be able to sleep in our own bed tonight.
and I must say…we did a good job. Thanks for all the help dad!
How not to use a hammer!So this week was also a good time to take a week off from the gym as it has been another 8 week run with my workout routine.
By taking a week off from the gym every 8-10 weeks it not only gives me a mental and physical break from my intense workouts but it also frees up some time I can devote to other projects like this renovation for example.
You can time your rest week from your Dad Fitness workouts for other things that might come up as well like vacations, an unexpected injury, or just to spend some extra time with your family with the long summer days ahead.
That’s what I love about my Dad Fitness 3 day a week workout program, it gives me the flexibility to do all the other things I need to do as a busy dad without having to stress over trying to get in a workout every day.
So after my wife getting her “new” bedroom, she has to head out of town for the weekend on business.
…Oh the thanks us guys get!
This weekend will also be the last weekend I spend at home as a full time stay-at-home dad with my baby daughter as I will be returning to work on Monday after 4 months parental leave.
With my wife and I back to work we reluctantly will have to leave Matea with a babysitter for the first time on Tuesday. Luckily it is a friend of ours so we are hoping the transition will be OK.
It’s been a privilege to play such a hands on roll as a dad and I look forward to coming home from work and seeing her beautiful 3 teeth smile greeting me at the door…
Sean Barker, CPT
Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com
Make sure you watch this video below. It really has a powerful message!
Forrest Gump dvd As for me, I had a great workout this afternoon. I got to the gym at 11am instead of my usual 12pm this morning as my wife came home for lunch early so she let me out early, lol
Thanks to my properly designed Dad Fitness workouts I can get to the gym, warm up, workout, stretch and drive home, all within an hour to be back home to resume my daily duties as a stay at home dad with my baby daughter so my wife can head back to work.
…and I only need to do this workout 3 times a week so I don’t have to worry about fitting in a workout everyday!
Here is Day 1 of the new workout routine I started today that I will do for the next 3 weeks.
Day 1-Max Effort Upper Body
Weighted Dips, 1 max set of 3-5 reps
Flat DB Bench Press, 4 sets of 6-10 reps
Bent Over BB Row, 4 sets of 10-15 reps
Bent Over Cable Raise, 3 sets of 10-12
BB Side Bends, 3 sets of 8-12 reps
I have been feeling really good lately with my workouts and I am thankful that I have found the proper balance between family, fitness and fun by following the Dad Fitness Lifestyle.
If YOU find yourself feeling stressed about your health, wealth and happiness during these tough economic times you need to watch this video!
There is nothing like a little perspective to show you that if you take a minute to just look around, EVERYTHING IS AMAZING…
Let me know what you do to keep things in perspective by posting a comment below.
I would love to hear your opinion!
Sean Barker, CPT
Learn the “The Truth On Fat Loss, How To Finally Lose Your Beer Belly” in this FREE report from Sean Barker at www.dadfitness.com
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