Diaries of a new dad

Ep 1. The waiting game

Ever since I found out I was going to be a father, it’s like someone has hit the fast forward button on life.

No major plans are being made, the phone is always fully charged and within reaching distance and the car is full to the brim with hospital bits and fuel.

Days turn into weeks that turn into months and before you know it, you’re at 38 1/2 weeks, rapidly approaching due date and all the signs are starting to point towards an imminent delivery. Boom, shes arrived early!

But what no one really talks about is the ‘helplessness’ you’ll feel from day to day… after all there’s only so many cups of tea you can make.

You try to balance work and home-life as best you can but you probably feel like you’re away more often than you’re at home, I certainly do anyway.

Now add gym, fitness and general training into the mix on top of all the other stuff you’re picking up.

Gone are the days of my 60 minute plus workouts.

Sufficient rest times between my sets? A thing of the past, no sitting around and chatting to other gym members; I’m in and I’m out. Half hour to 45 minutes max. My priorities have shifted massively and I’m very conscious of making sure I’m around when Sophie and bump need me most.

Hello supersets! My new best friend.

Back to back exercises: push vrs pull, uppers vrs lower and lots of 30 min zone 2 cardio/HIIT style cardio. Just get it done.

I feel like we need to change the narrative of ‘you need to be workout out to your max every time you hit the gym’ or ‘you need to be training 3 or more times a week’

Bollocks do you.

For me, it’s the war of attrition, do what you can, when you can, for as long as you can. Try not to believe everything you see online about new parents or parents to be, it’s all a highlight reel. Social media is a business after all.

If it’s 10-15 mins 5-6 times a week, awesome. If it’s 1 or 2 sessions a week for an hour at a time, quality. You’ve made it more than if you didn’t do it at all.

Mums and dads, you’ve got enough going on in the lead up and health and fitness should never be a burden. You don’t need that kind of pressure right now.