Exercise

Exercise has always been a large part of my life. It has an important place in the healthy existence of any stay-at-home father. There are two quotes that exemplify this (this actually occurred to me as I was exercising this morning).
1. "Attach your own breathing device before helping those next to you." -Genereic stewardess
2. "Looking good, Lewis." "Looking good, feeling good, Reggie."- Eddie Murphy, Dan Akroyd from Trading Places

The point of the first quote is you can't help anyone if you, yourself, are in need of help (to be case-specific: you can't help anyone if you're passed out due to an unsafe drop in cabin pressure). The point of the second quote: looking good/healthy makes one feel better (always helpful in the pressure cooker that is stay-at-home parenting).

My point is, exercise has a very real and essential place in the daily existence of a stay-at-home father. My children are 8 and 5. They need to be at school at 8AM. We walk to school, so need to leave early enough to reach there on time. An early start facilitated by a peppy (read: not extremely grouchy) and awake father is key. Thus, I wake at 6AM daily and fearlessly get ready to pump iron. By "pump iron," I actually mean do my 30 day shred by Jillian Michaels. If you don't know this DVD, it's an excellent work-out made up of three six minute session consisting of three minutes of strength exercises, two minutes of cardio exercises, and a minute of abdominal exercises. Add a two minute warm-up to these exercises and, presto, a twenty minute work-out (that is really a good work-out). I've done the thirty day shred for about two and a half months straight. I am happy to report that I've lost 14 pounds and am feeling super-healthy ("looking good, feeling good, Lewis."). After my exercise, I shower, wake my boys, get them ready, and take them to school. I should add a warning to my endorsement of Jillian Micaels. I do not think that her target audience is, well, male. One has to live through such motivational phrases as "come on, ladies," or "if you're thinking about quitting, just think about going jeans shopping; or worse, bathing-suit shopping. That always gets me to work-out." It is a great work-out in only twenty minutes, but enhancing one's feelings of masculinity is not high on Jillian's priorities.

I also play tennis weekly or bi-weekly; it's nice to have some exercise that I can do in public without anyone questioning my gender-identity. Tennis is not everyone's cup of tea, I know. Basketball would work here as would hockey, softball, baseball or soccer.

The greatest role that exercise plays in my day-to-day life is playing sports with my boys. This is great fun for me because I love to play baseball catch, football catch, whiffle ball, soccer and basketball. Another plus: I will be able to beat my boys for another three years (versus my eight year old) and six years (versus my five year old). One has to take positive ego-hits where one can in an unpredictable world. The caution I would add hear: careful watch you wish for. I started encouraging my eldest to play sports with me when he was two and I have created a rabid sports enthusiast who's desire to play sports almost always exhausts my beaten body. My younger son's fanatical need to play sports with me is not yet as strong as my eldest's, but it's coming down the pike. Just the thought makes me feel like taking a nap.

But I love exercise. It makes me feel better, is good for my kids, and beats doing art projects (remember, this is only my opinion). It is a key ingredient to a successful stay-at-home father's repertoire.