Parents, taking care of yourself can help your kids, too

Written by Dr. Christina Studts, assistant professor in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society in the UK College of Public Health.

For many parents, it’s difficult to find time for regular exercise. This can be especially true for parents with young children, all of whom have behavior problems from time to time. At the beginning or end of a long day, exercising often feels like the last thing we want to do.

But as parents, taking care of ourselves is necessary in order to have the energy, health and disposition to be the best parents we can be.

Keeping up with your kids

Research shows that parents with depression and/or poor physical health have a harder time practicing effective parenting strategies. When we don’t feel good, parenting is that much harder. On the other hand, exercise can have positive effects on both psychological and physical health.

We know from research that exercise can ease symptoms of depression and anxiety; it’s correlated with increased happiness, better moods, improved cognitive performance and, of course, physical fitness. Exercise also releases “feel-good” hormones and increases body temperature, which can help calm us.

Staying physically active can also help us maintain enough energy to keep up with our kids (especially those little ones!) and live long lives so that we’re there for our children as they grow up. Although it might be difficult to find ways to add physical activity to your life, doing so can improve your own well-being, your parenting and your relationship with your children.

You don’t need a gym membership

One strategy to add more physical activity to your life is to do fun, active things as a family. Instead of watching a movie, you could play pretend and chase each other around your house. You can go on a walk together, explore a new park (but don’t sit on the bench while the kids play), take the stairs and count them together, or park far away from the store and note all the colors of cars as you walk to the door. You could learn to jump rope, Pogo stick or hula hoop together.

There are also many online, at-home exercise programs that are designed specifically for parents that playfully incorporate children into exercise. A quick Google search will lead you to a variety of options, including free and low-cost video programs.

If you have low energy and/or are not enjoying time with your child, it is important to speak to your healthcare provider.

Join our research initiative

At UK, we are currently conducting a research study to learn more about the relationship between physical activity and parenting, and we’re looking for parents to participate. If you are the parent of a 3-5 year old child, sometimes struggle with your child’s behavior and do not exercise regularly, you may be eligible for this study. To learn more about this opportunity, visit UKClinicalResearch.com or call Meagan Pilar at 859-257-8911.

Next steps:

• Are you interested in starting a new fitness routine? Check out our easy tips for how to get started.
• When your child is sick or hurt, you want the best care possible, close to home. That’s exactly what you get at Kentucky Children’s Hospital. Learn more about our services.