When you’re juggling childcare with a job and/or household tasks, as well as the daily distractions that life throws at you, making time to run can seem an impossibility.
However, the key is not finding time by sleeping less or making sacrifices – it’s about finding ways to fit running into the routine you already have.
1. Get your family involved
You will find it much easier to fit running into family life if your family can realise the benefits of running! If you have children, introduce them to the fun that can be had from running kids-only races like junior parkrun, or get them started on The Daily Mile. The key is to keep it fun, varied and at a pace comfortable for them. Sarah takes her daughter to a weekly junior park run every Sunday, “She loves it, she usually speeds off without me! It’s part of our weekly schedule now and the little milestone wristbands are a nice incentive too.”
2. Run with a buggy
Scan the Start Line of any parkrun – or simply keep an eye out on your next run – and you’re bound to see a number of parents taking their children out for a spin. Buggy running has boomed in recent years, primarily because it allows you to combine fitness with childcare – the little ones get a taste of fresh air (and a slightly windswept look), while you get your exercise in.
3. Run during sports practice
If your child plays a sport, or does some sort of activity outside of school hours that you’re tasked with taxi-ing them to and from, why not use the hour that they’re there to go for a run? That could mean jogging around the playing fields, or if that’s too mortifying a proposition for your child (or yourself!), map out a circular 10K route from wherever you drop them off.
While training for her first half-marathon, Jodie says, “I’d take my son to his tennis lesson and use the gym while we were there, so I trained when he trained.”
4. Train shorter and smarter
A slow two-hour run might be a lovely idea, but for many people, most of the time it’s simply not possible. The good news is that unless you’re in marathon training, shortening your runs and upping the intensity will give you all the fitness benefits of longer, slower outings. If you only have half an hour to spare, opt for intervals and tempo runs to maximise your training efficiency.
5. Run your commute
If you have a small child you take to nursery in the mornings, or you commute to work by car or public transport, is it possible to run there instead? Or, if it’s too far away, could you do half the journey by public transport and the other half by foot? Run commuting is an excellent way to use time that would otherwise be spent sitting down more productively. This works for Tracy, “I walk the kids to school and then get in a quick run before work. On Wednesdays, the girls have after-school clubs so there's time for a short run before I pick them up.”
6. Run while they sleep
If you have the support, seize the quiet moments to run. Early in the morning before the children wake up, or in the evening, once they’re in bed. If you have an infant at home who still takes afternoon naps, and you have someone to stay with them, run while they nap. Rebecca loves her evening runs, “I spend all day with the baby, but when my husband gets home from work, he does bathtime, and I go for a run. I get back in time to put her to bed.”
7. Run and Cycle
Take older kids on a bike ride and run alongside them. Their job could be entertainment, distraction, cheerleader, coach, whatever you need. Plan breaks for refreshments, or a scheduled stop at a park or playground for added incentives.
8. Take any opportunity
Keep your running shoes and gear ready, in case a sudden opportunity arises. A last-minute change in plans, or an invitation to a playdate with a friend, might give you an unexpected window to get a quick run in.