Any parent will tell you that life changes when you have kids. Exhilaration, joy, exhaustion and increased stress are just some of the experiences reported by parents of young children.
Life can go from ordered and structured to seeming unpredictable and out of control. Many parents report feeling low on both time and energy - two things generally needed for a fitness routine. How then, is it possible to build or maintain fitness while parenting a young child?
We recently caught up with Stephen and Stephanie at their home in Colorado. Stephen works full time for Strava and Stephanie is a mental health therapist working in both private practice and hospital settings. Both are avid Athletes who love the outdoors, and are the parents of one year old Willa. They agreed to share their experience and their tips around staying active and fit when you have a young family.
Can you tell us a little bit about your Athletic lives before becoming parents?
Stephen: We both ran 5-7 days per week, usually on the local trails, and probably ran together 1-2x per week. We would have long days in the mountains with friends. We ran trail races and some road races. We have even traveled around the country for some races.
We actually found out Stephanie was pregnant the day after she did a trail race near Lake Tahoe (Broken Arrow) and then she had to withdraw from her pacing duties at Western States due to uncertainty about how the heat could impact the baby.
Before Willa was born, did you think about or plan in advance how you would continue to stay active?
Stephanie: The unknown about how our lives would change was probably the biggest factor in why we waited so long to have kids. We both loved the stuff we were up to and it caused a lot of anxiety that we didn’t really know what a post-baby life would be like and if there would be space for the things we love to do. There was a point where we just had to agree that we would do our best to continue to support each other in being able to pursue our passions as best we could and take a jump into parenthood.
Stephen: We both wanted to stay active and knew it would look different now. We had talked about how important communicating and supporting one another would be and that was the extent of our plan. We’ve got a new routine now that we didn’t really plan, afternoon walks (titled the same on my Strava.) Almost daily we are taking a short walk with the stroller and the dog, it’s been a really pleasant way to wind down the day. In fact, one of Willa’s first few words was “oussside.” We’re hoping she likes the fresh air too.
It’s difficult to anticipate everything. Even the best laid plans can go awry. What was your biggest surprise you encountered as fitness motivated parents?
Stephanie: As the birthing parent, I think the biggest surprise was the postpartum recovery and return to running process. I guess I hadn’t thought too much about what it would be like prior to having the baby. I’m really grateful that I was surrounded by a lot of wise runner moms who encouraged me to pump the brakes, do pelvic floor PT and be really thoughtful about how to get back to running in a safe and sustainable way. The process was definitely slow but it felt like a huge deal when I ran my first post-baby mile and we made sure to celebrate the heck out of it. There are definitely some changes post-baby that impact my running but there are certainly also gains - like mom strength!
What successful strategies did you adopt to find the time and energy to resume your Athletic lives after Willa was born?
Stephanie: We jokingly call ourselves “Team Steph”, but realistically our ability to work together to make sure each person can achieve their goals is a really big part in being able to stay active with a 1 year old. We communicate A LOT about scheduling and childcare. And we are both super committed to making sure the other person has time for training but more importantly, time to recharge (and thank goodness for both of us, those overlap). The other thing for me individually has been to do some recalibrating of my expectations. My priorities have shifted, I want to spend more time with Willa and that means I’ve swapped some trail adventures for a run with the stroller and a stop at the playground.
Stephen: Like Steph said, communication. The past month here we’ve been taking turns with mountain adventures each weekend day. This time is rejuvenating and so we’re showing up with more to give to each other and the kiddo.
What would you say the biggest obstacle or challenge you’ve encountered so far is and were you able to overcome it?
Stephen: For me, it’s time. Sure, I have the same amount of time but I spend it in different ways now. Before Willa, I never spent 45 minutes crawling around the sunroom through a couch fort, although maybe I should have. Your priorities change and some things you used to spend a lot of time doing, you maybe don’t want to do as much or maybe you choose a more efficient way to do them. For example, instead of driving 20 minutes each way to the hilly trails, you run from the door, get a bit less vertical gain, but your long run is done 75 minutes earlier.
Any final tips or words of wisdom?
Stephanie: Don’t take anything on a stroller run that you don’t mind losing. We’ve lost hats, socks, sunglasses, shoes, water bottles, and snack cups already. Consider alternating the side you hold the baby on to avoid busting up your body. We both learned this the hard way.
Stephen: As with most (all?) parenting tips, what works for some may or may not work for others. In the beginning eliminating any expectations of what we were going to do seemed really helpful. Also, just remember to be kind to yourself, you’re caring for a human who needs you 24/7, it’s not the easiest job but it’s pretty rewarding.
Big thank you to Stephen and Stephanie for talking with us today. Are you a parent grappling with some of these same challenges? Drop us a reply below - we would love to hear from you.
Jane (she/her)
STRAVA | Community Hub Team
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